Drury Cottage
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built around 1912 by Merton Drury, a livery operator, this two-and-one-half-story stuccoed frame house on Bloomingdale Avenue in Saranac Lake was part of the village's tuberculosis cure-cottage landscape. Its most distinctive feature is a two-story, three-bay cobblestone porch with fan transoms and diamond-paned sliding panels, the only cobblestone cure porch in the village. The porch and a large cobblestone chimney were most likely the work of Pietro Tanzini, an Italian-born master stonemason who specialized in cobblestone work. A 1917 health survey map marks the house as occupied by tuberculosis patients, and by 1926 it was a registered private sanatorium run as a boarding cottage. Rear wings, a garage and a partly enclosed porch were added during its period of significance, yet the building keeps enough integrity to represent its type. It is recognized locally for its architecture and its connection to health and medicine.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a representative example of residential cure architecture in Saranac Lake. Its cobblestone cure porch is described as the only one of its kind in the village. The porch and chimney were most likely the work of local stonemason Pietro Tanzini. It also reflects the village's role as a tuberculosis treatment 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 92001450, listed November 6, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 29 Bloomingdale Ave., Saranac Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | November 6, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001450 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1910-c.1940 |
| Architect / builder | Built by Merton Drury, a livery operator; cobblestone work most likely by Pietro Tanzini, stonemason (not confirmed) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & early 20th Century American Movements: Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as multiple dwellings; retains integrity despite rear additions made during the period of significance. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 44.32945, -74.13081 (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 92001450.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5309389
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.