Historic Saranac Lake facts for kids
Historic Saranac Lake is a non-profit, membership organization dedicated to the preservation of the history and architectural heritage of the Saranac Lake area of New York State in the Adirondacks.
History
Founded on 15 January 1980, the organization has successfully nominated over 170 properties for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 1987, Historic Saranac Lake has also hosted lectures on local history and concerts of traditional Adirondack music. They have joined with other organizations in preserving the 1894 laboratory of Edward Livingston Trudeau, the 1904 Union Depot of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad/New York Central Railroad and the cottage where, in 1945, Béla Bartók spent his last summer writing his Third Piano Concerto and Viola Concerto. They have also restored several historic houses that were in danger of being torn down.
About
Historic Saranac Lake is led by Amy B. Catania, Executive Director, along with Museum Administrator Chessie Monks-Kelly and Oral History Coordinator Kaitlyn Gochenaur. The Board of Directors consists of:
- Brandon Cambell, President
- Rich Loeber, Vice President
- Karen Morris, Secretary
- Andrew Rawdon, Treasurer
- Ruth Chasolen
- Dot Fobare
- Sunita Halasz
- Amy Jones
- Elaine Sunde
- Beth Van Anden
- John Wheeler
Programs
The organization offers walking tours of the village, and produces educational events that feature historic sites and lectures on the unique history of the region, from its popularity among sportsmen and nature lovers starting in the mid-18th century to its pre-eminence in the treatment of tuberculosis from 1890 to 1950. They have published a number of articles and books focused on the lives and architecture of the region, including Cure Cottages of Saranac Lake by Philip L. Gallos.
Since 2008, Historic Saranac Lake has operated a wiki that has grown to more than five thousand pages with more than eight thousand photographs. It covers Saranac Lake's geographically large school district (more than 600 square miles) which includes areas such as Loon Lake, Paul Smiths and Gabriels. The wiki was mentioned in a 2010 article on "Crowdsourcing" written by Tim Grove of the Smithsonian Institution on the American Association of State and Local History website.
