Saranac Lake – From Dr. Trudeau’s Tuberculosis Retreat to an All-American Town

July 9, 2023 by admin

This article is a stub of the following post:

From Plattsburg to Lake Placid: A Foray Into the Heart of the Adirondacks

Geography
History
What to do in Saranac Lake
Conclusion

Geography

An integral part of the Tri-Lakes Area, located in the Adirondacks, it shares that honor with the towns of Lake Placid and Tupper Lake.

Surrounding the city are a set of mountain that are not part of the Adirondack 46’ers, they are however still beautiful. Called the Saranac 6, they offer fantastic views of the region.

History

See From Plattsburg to Lake Placid: A Foray Into the Heart of the Adirondacks

What to do in Saranac Lake

This quaint part of the country is host to both great nature hikes and a lot of history. This allows you to plan around a rain day if you are stuck. Here are a few things to do around town.

Explore Dr. Trudeau’s Abandoned Sanitorium (Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium)

Established in 1885 by Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau, this Tuberculosis Sanitorium was a blessing for many affected by the disease. But to tell its story, one needs to know about the man himself. Diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1873, the good doctor had only just completed his training in 1871. Like many, he came to the mountains as the cool air was said to alleviate symptoms. He would move to Saranac in 1876 where he would establish his practice.

In 1885, the Doctor would establish this facility targeting those with less means. At the time TB was a death sentence and those with means could be afforded much better end to their lives, especially though the purchase of mountain homes and estates. The doctor had leveraged his wealthy connections he had made in Saranac, from wealthy om the surrounding regions where the great camps existed, to sponsor the care of those show could not afford it, in the facility. Although not free of charge the treatment cost was minimal and drew upon the donations of those with means. Not only was the doctor a TB patient but many of the nurses and physicians, and they would work for little pay to help keep costs down. This was a blessing for many. The good doctor Trudeau would die in 1915, longer then many had thought possible.

The unique design of the building was due to the requirement for fresh air rather then building a institutional settings. The doctor felt that the cottage structure structure would maximize the patient’s exposure to light and air, and avoid the sanitation issues of a large institutional/hospital like setting.

Demand far outpaced the facility and this helped the town grow, creating new demands for the services of the sanitorium. The sanitarium also developed a school for nursing, and later the Trudeau School of Tuberculosis, which offered six-week summer courses for physicians who wished to learn the latest treatment methods for the disease. You can see this today as you drive through the facility, a whole cortege of support buildings were constructed, including a chapel, workshops and support housing. Although many are now gone what is left seems to be part of a planned housing development. Tours of the facility are offered though the Saranac Lake Historical Society, if not you can always just drive through it, just don’t linger too long as it is now private property.

This bring me to the last part of the campus’ story, the Trudeau Sanatorium closed in 1954 after a cure was discovered. For many this was their home and they lived and died with classes of patients. As such it was the end of an era. Among the class of patients were authors Allan Seager and Walker Percy, Canadian physician, piece of shit human, communist sympathizer, useful idiot and yet brilliant medical innovator Norman Bethune (See my post on the Canadian city of Gravenhurst), and baseball players Larry Doyle and the one and only Christy Mathewson, one of the greatest pitchers of his era.

For more pictures of the complex, please scroll though the slides below.

Visit the Cure Cottages of Famous Residents

Between 1873 and 1945, Saranac was a heaven for those seeking a TB cure and many of those that came in the early years had relative means but as the railroads were constructed and the towns fame as a TB treatment center grew, so did the diversity of residents. Like the idea behind the sanitorium, the new owners wanted light and fresh air. Some would add glassed-in porches to existing houses or construct new purpose built cure cottages. One of the salient features of all of these places is the “cure porche”, with their sliding glass windows. It is here that patients spent much of their time (at least eight hours a day), where they would rest in reclining chairs

There are two main areas to visit the “Cure Cottages”, the first district is on Park Avenue on the road leading to the Sanitorium. The second is off Pine street, just east of the downtown. The main streets with these buildings are Helen, E Pine and Stevenson.

In the first area, you should look out for the property at Street 147 Park Avenue, called “The Porcupine” it was the work of resident architect William L. Coulter, a man who would design many of the cottages. It is now a bed and breakfast.

Another one to check out is Christy Matthewson’s cure cottage, a blue painted building.

In the second area lookout for the distincive Noyes Cottage at 16 Helen

The most famous resident of the “invalid” colony however is an author! In 1887, Robert Louis Stevenson who penned such gems as Treasure Island and the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde moved into a building called the Stevenson Cottage.

Spend some time at The Saranac Laboratory Museum

In town you will find the Trudeau Laboratory and museum as well as the house that doctor lived in (both Under Renovation as of 2022). The Saranac Laboratory Museum was constructed in 1894 and was the first laboratory in the US to study the TB. This is a great place to learn about Dr. Trudeau himself and his legacy, as well as the state of the medical field in this time period.

Across the street you will find a gorgeous church.

Enjoy the Waterfront

Saranac has a small, but quaint waterfront park near where the lakefront hits the town.

Across the waters you will see a row of beautiful old cottages.

The most prominent building on this stretch is the stone building housing the Electric Light and Railroad Company, a reminder that industrialization had reach as far into the Adirondacks as Saranac.

Hang out in the Downtown Precinct and Explore the Picturesque Town

There is lots of to see in Saranac. Near the old railroad tracks you can find the now empty train station as well as the old Adirondack Carousel.

From the lake in town, a small stream runs past the Electric Company building and its dam.

You can walk along this canal areas for some pretty incredible views.

In the town itself, one of the best known attractions is the Hotel Saranac, a masonry building dating from 1927. its iconic sign seems to hover above the town.

The main street is the most impressive part of the city, with its distinctive town hall headlining the traditional main street.

You will find a handful of restaurants and shops along this scretch. The economy was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic (and restrictions) and I hope that the town will bounce back.

Here are a few more pictures from around town, it truly is a beautiful place!

Climb Mount Baker of the Saranac 6 for Amazing Views

The Saranac Six make for great summer hikes. The easiest one to do is Mt. Baker, a mountain accessible from the village itself. From its summit great views of the surrounding lakes will be acquired.

Pay a Visit to the Historic Knollwood Club

Built at the turn of the 20th century by William L. Coulter, the previously mentioned Saranac Architect who worked on Alfred G. Vanderbilt’s Sagamore Camp. The unique looking club with its unique twig work facades consisted of a boathouse, a casino , and six identical shingle cottages. It has been home to many renowned visitors including famed conservationists Bob Marshall, the wilderness activist, and brothers George Marshall, the conservationist who were influenced by the natural beauty that surrounded them. The most famous visitor however is the scientists Albert Einstein who was in attendance on August 6, 1945, when he heard on the radio that the atom bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima. He would give his first interview after the event.

From Wikipedia, Could not get a picture from the water.

Conclusion

A visit to the tri-lakes area today will provide you with a rich understanding of the history of the Adirondacks and surprisingly the scientific progress of the medical field. Out of the three communities it is Saranac that pulls it weight in heritage conservation. Although it is less bust then Placid it is filled with potential and it certainly just as worth a visit!