Ellenberger Cottage
Why it's listed
Built around 1914 at 183 Broadway in Saranac Lake, this two and one-half story wood frame house served as a private residence equipped for tuberculosis treatment. Its clapboard and shingle walls, irregular roofline, bracketed cornice and stained glass panels reflect Queen Anne influence. A one-story veranda with classical columns is enclosed by sliding glass panels, and a two-story cure porch faces the southwest to catch sun and fresh air. A 1917 health survey recorded a tuberculous patient living at the address, and by 1925 two families, each headed by a patient, shared the building, a common adaptation in the village. The house was apparently never registered with the local Tuberculosis Society and stayed a private home with curing facilities. It was listed as a representative cure cottage with a high degree of architectural integrity, important for its design and its link to the village's history as a tuberculosis health resort. A contributing garage stands at the rear of the lot.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cottage is an intact, representative example of Saranac Lake cure cottage architecture, in which Queen Anne features were adapted for tuberculosis patients. Its glass-enclosed veranda and southwest-facing cure porches show this adaptation. It also reflects the village's health and medicine history, since the house was later divided into two flats for patients and their families.
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 92001453, listed November 6, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 183 Broadway, Saranac Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | November 6, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001453 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1914-ca.1940 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is a single dwelling; the form says the building retains a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 44.33193, -74.13742 (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 92001453.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5365084
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.