Coulter Cottage is a historic cure cottage located in the village of Saranac Lake, within the town of North Elba, Essex County, New York, United States. Constructed between 1897 and 1899, the building served as a residence for tuberculosis patients who came to Saranac Lake for its renowned “cure” regimen during the late‑19th and early‑20th centuries.
Location
34 Shepard Avenue, Saranac Lake, New York (44°19′32″ N, 74°07′35″ W). The property occupies less than one acre.
Architecture
The cottage is a 2½‑story wood‑frame structure set on a stone foundation. It is topped by a gambrel roof and exemplifies the Shingle Style of architecture, a design popular in the United States during the period. Distinctive features include a sitting‑out porch on the first floor and four upper‑story sleeping porches, which were integral to the “cure” practice of providing patients with fresh air.
Designer
The building was designed by William L. Coulter, an architect noted for his work on Adirondack‑region structures and for designing several other cure cottages in Saranac Lake.
Historical significance
Coulter Cottage is recognized for its contribution to the themes of health/medicine and architecture associated with the Saranac Lake cure‑cottage movement. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on November 6 1992 (reference number 92001438) as part of the Saranac Lake Multiple Property Submission, which documents the collective historic value of the village’s cure‑cottage heritage.
Current status
The cottage remains a contributing property within the historic district of Saranac Lake, preserving its architectural integrity and representing the cultural history of the region’s role in early tuberculosis treatment.
