Leis Cottage
Also known as: Camp Leisure
Why it's listed
Leis Cottage is a two-and-one-half story wood-frame house at 26 Algonquin Avenue in Saranac Lake, facing the LaPan Highway. It has a gable roof, a projecting cross-gable with a tripartite window, wood shingle siding, a cobblestone chimney and an L-shaped porch that extends into a porte-cochere. Henry Leis, the son of a German cabinet and piano maker, came to Saranac Lake in 1896 seeking a cure for pulmonary tuberculosis. He built the house around 1904, after running an inn and then opening a piano business. The family called it Camp Leisure, a play on their surname, and used it only in summer at first. It was later adapted for year-round living and remodeled several times, including the addition of a wing before 1928. The large veranda and second-story sleeping porch still reflect the needs of tuberculosis patients. The house is considered a representative example of a cure cottage built as a private home, and it remains a single-family dwelling.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a representative example of a private home built specifically to house a person with tuberculosis. The large veranda and second-story sleeping porch remain as indicators of the curing needs of its residents. Its later remodeling also records a single family's changing needs over time.
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 92001444, listed November 6, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 26 Algonquin Ave., Saranac Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | November 6, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001444 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1904-c.1940 |
| Architect / builder | Henry Leis (builder, per the narrative); the property report lists the architect/builder as unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne; Other: cure cottage |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as a single dwelling; the house was remodeled several times and a wing was added before 1928. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 44.32068, -74.14937 (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 92001444.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6520221
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.