Ryan Cottage
Why it's listed
Built in 1893 by John Ryan, a local guide and caretaker, this one and one-half story wood frame house at 62 Algonquin Avenue sits on a large wooded lot at the western edge of Saranac Lake. It has a fieldstone foundation, clapboard siding, a central brick chimney, an irregular roofline of gables and dormers clad in embossed metal shingles, and a wraparound veranda with turned posts, carved brackets and a stickwork balustrade. The veranda was once fully glazed with sliding glass panels so patients could rest outdoors in cure chairs. Algonquin Avenue led to the Algonquin Hotel, and many guides who worked with visiting sportsmen settled along it. The house took in tuberculosis patients informally, working with local physicians, and a 1917 Health Survey notes tuberculous residents there. A small one-room cottage to the west also served as a cure cottage. The property is valued as an intact example of a Queen Anne-inspired cure cottage, retaining its design, materials and setting.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an intact, representative example of the cure cottage architecture built in Saranac Lake as the village expanded to house tuberculosis patients. It took in patients informally in arrangement with local physicians, and a 1917 Health Survey records tuberculous residents there. It retains a high degree of integrity, including its sheltered veranda and Queen Anne detailing.
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 92001445, listed November 6, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 62 Algonquin Ave., Saranac Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | November 6, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001445 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1893-ca.1940 |
| Architect / builder | John Ryan (builder) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as still in use as a single dwelling, as it was historically; most of the sliding glass panels that once enclosed the veranda have been removed. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 44.31845, -74.15242 (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 92001445.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7383984
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.