National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, New York facts for kids
Welcome to Franklin County, New York! This area is home to many special places that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This register is like a special list of buildings, sites, and objects across the United States that are important to history. When a place is on this list, it means it's worth protecting and remembering for future generations.
In Franklin County, there are 84 places on this list! Some of these are single buildings, while others are "historic districts," which are areas with many old buildings that tell a story together. For a place to get on this list, it usually needs to be at least 50 years old and still look mostly like it did in the past. The owner also needs to agree to its listing.
Two very important places in Franklin County are even more special: they are called National Historic Landmarks. These are the county's part of the Adirondack Forest Preserve and the Eagle Island Camp.
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What is the National Register of Historic Places?
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's historic places worth saving. It's managed by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. government. Being on the list helps people appreciate and protect these important sites. It also means that these places might get special help or funding to keep them in good shape.
Cool Historic Places in Franklin County
Franklin County has many different kinds of historic places. Let's explore some of the most interesting ones!
Amazing Adirondack Landmarks
The Adirondack Park is a huge, beautiful area in New York State. A big part of it, about 736,654 acres (2,981 square kilometers), is in Franklin County. This entire forest preserve is a National Historic Landmark because of its unique history and natural beauty. It's a place where people have enjoyed nature for a very long time.
Another National Historic Landmark is Eagle Island Camp. This camp was built in 1899 as a summer getaway for Levi P. Morton, who was once the Vice-President of the United States! It was designed by a famous architect named William L. Coulter and is a great example of the "Great Camp" style of architecture found in the Adirondacks.
Special "Cure Cottages" in Saranac Lake
Many of the historic places in Franklin County are found in Saranac Lake. This town has a unique history related to health and healing. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many people came to Saranac Lake to "take the cure" for tuberculosis. They believed the fresh mountain air would help them get better.
Because of this, many special houses called "cure cottages" were built. These homes often had porches where patients could rest outdoors, even in winter. Here are a few examples:
- Dr. A. H. Allen Cottage: Built in 1909, this was a classic cure cottage.
- Ames Cottage: This Queen Anne style cottage was built around 1906.
- Baird Cottage: Built in 1930, this cottage shows how these homes looked near the end of the "cure" era.
- Little Red: This was the very first cure cottage of the Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium, founded by Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau. It's a very important part of Saranac Lake's history.
There are also entire areas of cure cottages, like the Cottage Row Historic District, which includes 27 cure cottages built between 1900 and 1940. The Helen Hill Historic District is another neighborhood with many cottages that still have their special "cure porches."
Historic Buildings and Structures
Beyond the cure cottages, Franklin County has other interesting historic buildings:
- Azure Mountain Fire Observation Station: This 35-foot (11-meter) steel fire tower was built in 1918 on Azure Mountain. It was used to spot forest fires and help protect the beautiful Adirondack forests.
- Brighton Town Hall: This building was designed and built in 1914 by Benjamin A. Muncil, a well-known local builder.
- Duane Methodist Episcopal Church: This church, built between 1883 and 1885, shows off a Romanesque Revival design and was used for over 100 years.
- First Congregational Church (Malone): Located in Malone, this stone church from 1883 has a tall, fortress-like tower with 11 bells!
- Horton Gristmill: Also in Malone, this stone gristmill was built in 1853. A gristmill is a place where grain is ground into flour.
- Beth Joseph Synagogue: Built in 1905 in Tupper Lake, this is the oldest synagogue in the Adirondack Mountains.
- Malone Armory: This large, castle-like building in Malone was built in 1892. An armory is a place where military groups train and store weapons.
- Malone Freight Depot: Built in 1852, this building in Malone was important for the early development of the Northern Railroad, helping transport goods.
- Paddock Building: This commercial building in Malone, built in 1848, is thought to be the oldest business building still standing in Franklin County.
- US Post Office-Malone: This post office, built in 1934, is a great example of Classical Revival style architecture.
Great Camps and Lodges
The Adirondacks are famous for their "Great Camps," which were large, fancy vacation homes built by wealthy families in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
- Camp Topridge: Built in 1923 by Marjorie Merriweather Post, who founded the company General Foods. It's a stunning example of Adirondack architecture.
- Camp Wild Air: An early Great Camp built by Whitelaw Reid, who published the New York Herald Tribune newspaper.
- Moss Ledge: Designed in 1898 for Isabel Ballantine, this camp is another beautiful example of Adirondack style.
- Prospect Point Camp: Built in 1903 for Adolph Lewisohn, a wealthy copper businessman.
Other Interesting Sites
- Paul Smith's Electric Light and Power and Railroad Company Complex: This was the main office for a company started in 1907 by hotel owner Paul Smith.
- Loon Lake Mountain Fire Observation Station and St. Regis Mountain Fire Observation Station: Like the Azure Mountain station, these towers were crucial for spotting fires and protecting the forests.
- U.S. Inspection Stations: Places like the Chateaugay–Herdman, Fort Covington–Dundee, and Trout River border crossings are listed because they represent important points where people and goods entered the U.S. from Canada.
These are just some of the amazing historic places you can find in Franklin County, New York. Each one tells a part of the story of this unique and beautiful region!
Images for kids
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A view of Long Pond in the Adirondack Forest Preserve.
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The Dr. A. H. Allen Cottage, a historic cure cottage.
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The Ames Cottage, a Queen Anne style cure cottage.
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The fire tower on Azure Mountain.
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The Baird Cottage, built near the end of the cure cottage era.
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Barngalow, a barn converted into a cure cottage.
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Buildings in the Berkeley Square Historic District.
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The Brighton Town Hall.
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Camp Intermission, a Great Camp.
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The boathouse at Camp Topridge.
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The Billiard Room at Camp Wild Air.
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A building in the Church Street Historic District.
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The Colbath Cottage.
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The Gonzales Cottage, part of the Cottage Row Historic District.
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The Distin Cottage.
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The Drury Cottage.
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The Duane Methodist Episcopal Church.
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Eagle Island Camp on Upper Saranac Lake.
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The Ellenberger Cottage.
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The Feisthamel-Edelberg Cottage.
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The Feustmann Cottage.
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The First Congregational Church in Malone.
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The Freer Cottage.
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The E. L. Gray House.
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The Hathaway Cottage.
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Hillside Lodge.
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The Homestead, a boarding cure cottage.
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The Hooey Cottage.
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The Hopkins Cottage.
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The Jennings Cottage.
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The Johnson Cottage.
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Beth Joseph Synagogue.
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The Larom Cottage.
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The Larom-Welles Cottage.
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The Leis Block, a commercial building with cure porches.
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The Leis Cottage.
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Little Red, the original cure cottage of the Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium.
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The fire observation tower on Loon Lake Mountain.
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The Magill Cottage.
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The Malone Armory.
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The McBean Cottage.
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The Merrillsville Cure Cottage.
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The Morgan Cottage.
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Moss Ledge on Upper Saranac Lake.
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The Musselman Cottage.
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The Saranac Lake train station, part of the New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District.
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The Noyes Cottage.
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The Pomeroy Cottage.
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Prospect Point Camp on Upper Saranac Lake.
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The Radwell Cottage.
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The Ryan Cottage.
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The Sarbanes Cottage.
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The Orin Savage Cottage.
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The Schrader-Griswold Cottage.
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The Seeley Cottage.
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The Sloan Cottage.
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The Smith Cottage.
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The Paul Smith's Electric Light and Power and Railroad Company Complex.
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The fire tower on Saint Regis Mountain.
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The Stonaker Cottage.
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The U.S. Inspection Station at Trout River.
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The U.S. Post Office in Malone.
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The Walker Cottage.
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The Wilson Cottage.
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The Witherspoon Cottage.
