Stevenson Cottage
Why it's listed
Built in 1865-66 by Andrew Baker, a successful local guide, this one and one-half story wood frame house on Stevenson Lane in the town of St. Armand began as a family home with the western half rented to summer sportsmen. It has an L-shaped plan, a fieldstone foundation, clapboard siding, gable roofs with asphalt shingles, and an open shed-roofed veranda on the west facade. An attached barn stands at one end. In October 1887 author Robert Louis Stevenson and his family rented the western wing for the winter while he recovered from lung ailments, staying until April. The separate quarters and spacious veranda made the house an early example of the cure cottages that later defined Saranac Lake as a health resort. After the Bakers died in the mid-1920s, the Stevenson Society of America bought the property and continues to operate it as a museum. The building retains a high degree of integrity in design, materials, setting and association.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an intact, representative mid-nineteenth century residence later adapted as a cure cottage, with separate living quarters and a spacious veranda for invalids. It is also linked to author Robert Louis Stevenson, who rented the western wing in the winter of 1887-88 while recovering from lung ailments. It illustrates the early period of Saranac Lake as a health 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 92001441, listed November 6, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Stevenson Ln., Saranac Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | November 6, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001441 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1865-ca.1940 |
| Architect / builder | Andrew Baker (builder, per the narrative); the form's architect/builder field is n/a |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Maintained as a museum of Robert Louis Stevenson memorabilia; the form reports a high degree of architectural integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 44.34177, -74.11771 (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 92001441.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7615518
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.