Distin Cottage
Why it's listed
Distin Cottage is a two-story, L-shaped house at 11 Kiwassa Road in Saranac Lake, built between 1915 and 1925. Local architect William G. Distin designed it, and the firm Branch and Callahan is believed to have built it. Cedar shingle siding, a coursed rubble stone foundation, a hipped roof with clipped gable and dormers, and six-over-one windows give it a Colonial Revival character. A small cure porch, about 8 by 10 feet and just large enough to turn a bed, sits at the southwest corner and is enclosed by sliding windows. The house was listed because it is an outstanding example of a single-family home designed as a private cure cottage during the village's tuberculosis-treatment era. It served the Distin family until William L. Distin, a photographer, died of tuberculosis in 1930. It was then sold to a family whose father, a scientist with tuberculosis, came to the village seeking relief. It still serves as a single-family dwelling.
Significance in brief: It is presented as an outstanding example of a single-family dwelling designed to work as a private cure cottage for tuberculosis patients. It keeps typical cure-cottage features such as many windows for light and ventilation and a projecting cure porch. It also reflects the village's second boom period of growth (1918-1939) and its role in health and medicine.
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 92001416, listed November 6, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 11 Kiwassa Rd., Saranac Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | November 6, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001416 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1920 - c.1940 |
| Architect / builder | William G. Distin (architect); Branch and Callahan (believed builders) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is listed as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 44.31945, -74.12958 (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 92001416.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5282958
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.