Marquay Cottage
Why it's listed
Built about 1914 by John Marquay, a local guide, this two and one-half story house at 6 Slater Avenue in Saranac Lake is one of the few local examples of twentieth century concrete block construction. Its foundation and walls are rusticated cast concrete blocks, made locally by the Norman masonry business. Queen Anne features include an octagonal corner tower with a pyramidal roof, a bay window, classical lintels with keystones, and a veranda with grouped fluted concrete columns. Inside, the original stair balustrade, newel post, plaster walls, maple floors and many light fixtures survive. A glazed second-floor cure porch at the rear, reached through the southwestern bedroom, suggests the house sheltered a person being treated for tuberculosis, and a 1917 health survey recorded such a resident there. The house was among the first built in a subdivision carved from John W. Slater's farm. It is valued for its architecture and its link to the village's cure cottage tradition.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as an intact, representative example of early twentieth century residential architecture that built cure-related features into its design. It is unusual locally for its extensive use of rusticated concrete block. Its second-floor cure porch points to use by a tubercular individual, tying it to Saranac Lake's history as a tuberculosis cure resort.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 92001439, listed November 6, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 6 Slater St., Saranac Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | November 6, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001439 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1914-c.1940 |
| Architect / builder | John Marquay |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling; retains a high degree of architectural integrity, though the first-floor sash have been recently replaced. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 44.32182, -74.12177 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 92001439.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6772490
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.