Sarbanes Cottage
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built around 1930 on a steep, wooded lot above Route 3 at the east end of Saranac Lake, this two-story duplex has stucco walls, a hipped roof with deep eaves, and central pediments on all four sides. It is about 40 feet square and rests on an uncoursed fieldstone foundation. A two-story sleeping porch covers part of the front terrace and was large enough for two single beds or cure chairs. Helen Sarbanes and her husband, Greek Cypriots, built the house with help from a relative who came from Cyprus, giving it a Mediterranean character. They lived on the first floor and rented the upper floor to people with tuberculosis, and the family also ran a candy-making operation in the basement. One tenant, lawyer Sam Matthews, set up his law office in the upper flat while recovering. The house is recognized as a local example of a cure cottage, a building type shaped by the outdoor treatment of tuberculosis.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant as a cure cottage built as a two-family duplex with curing features, notably two-story sleeping porches. It is also tied to the health and medicine history of Saranac Lake as a tuberculosis resort. The first floor housed the builders' family, while the upper floor was rented to consumptives.
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 92001451, listed November 6, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 72 Bloomingdale Ave., Saranac Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | November 6, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001451 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1930 - ca.1940 |
| Architect / builder | Built by Helen Sarbanes and her husband; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Mediterranean (Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Other) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as multiple dwelling; the upper floor has been divided into two apartments. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 44.33087, -74.12740 (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 92001451.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707273
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.