Musselman Cottage
Why it's listed
Built around 1907 at 25 Riverside Drive, this two-and-one-half-story frame house overlooks Lake Flower one block from Saranac Lake's commercial district. It has a cross-gabled metal shingle roof, a rubble stone foundation, clapboard siding, and a wraparound veranda on the east and south sides. Above the veranda sits a small glazed cure porch, a hallmark of the cottages used to treat tuberculosis outdoors. Inside, natural wood paneling, ceiling beams and original moldings survive, along with six bedrooms and servants' quarters on the upper floor. The house was probably built for E. Franklin Musselman, who owned it from 1910 to 1915, and later operated as a registered private sanatorium run as a boarding house in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It was recognized as an outstanding example of the boarding house type cure cottage, with a high degree of integrity to its period of significance, and as part of Saranac Lake's health resort history.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an outstanding example of a boarding house type cure cottage from the early twentieth century, during the height of Saranac Lake's tuberculosis cure industry. It retains a high degree of architectural integrity, including interior woodwork and a glazed cure porch. It also reflects the area's health and medicine history as a registered private sanatorium.
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 92001431, listed November 6, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 25 Riverside Dr., Saranac Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | November 6, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001431 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1907-ca.1940 |
| Architectural style | Early Twentieth Century Revivals: Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling; historically used as a sanatorium/boarding house. A non-contributing two-car garage is on the lot. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 44.32214, -74.12891 (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 92001431.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6943110
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.