Hathaway Cottage
Why it's listed
Built around 1900 on a steep terraced lot in Saranac Lake's French Hill neighborhood, this two-story wood-frame house was designed or adapted for tuberculosis patients. It has a square plan, a jerkin-head roof, clapboard siding, and a front veranda with turned columns, partly enclosed at one end. Above the veranda sits a glazed cure porch reached from the center bedroom through a wide door with a beveled sill. A call bell system once linked the porch to a bell near the kitchen, though the wires are now cut. A second-story sleeping porch has sliding panels. Inside, the original wainscoting, woodwork, newel post and floors remain, and a square arched opening with Doric columns joins the living and dining rooms. The house was listed as a representative example of Saranac Lake's cure cottages, which were mostly built between 1870 and 1930. Its porches and later alterations document how the tuberculosis cure shaped local housing, and it keeps a high degree of integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cottage is an intact, representative example of Saranac Lake cure cottage architecture. Its cure porches, wide doorways and call bell system reflect its use in treating tuberculosis. Later alterations, such as the enclosed veranda, record the impact of the tuberculosis curing industry on the village's buildings.
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 92001457, 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 Charles St., Saranac Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | November 6, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001457 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1900-ca.1930 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival/Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current use is a single-family dwelling; the form reports a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 44.33059, -74.13807 (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 92001457.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5681449
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.