Historic Saranac Lake was founded in 1980. Our mission is to preserve and present area history and architecture to build a stronger community.
- Restoring the Saranac Laboratory and opening the building as a museum interpreting Saranac Lake's unique role in history as a world-famous center for the fresh air treatment of tuberculosis.
- In 2019, embarking on a major museum expansion project, with the acquisition and rehabilitation of the Trudeau building.
- Preserving the Bartók Cabin, with tours provided upon request.
- Operating our innovative outreach project, the Cure Porch on Wheels.
- Leading a growing Oral History Project.
- Advocating for the preservation of Saranac Lake’s unique architecture. HSL has nominated and listed over 230 resources to the National Register of Historic Places. HSL Partnered on and administered the Union Depot preservation project.
- Caring for our museum collection of artifacts, photos and documents pertaining to Saranac Lake's history as a center for science and patient care.
- Publishing books and pamphlets such as Cure Cottages of Saranac Lake by Phil Gallos, our Downtown Walking Tour brochure, and A Rare Romance in Medicine by Mary Hotaling.
- Sponsoring educational activities such as a summer music series, walking tours, presentations for student groups, lectures, history days, and oral history projects.
- Hosting temporary exhibits in the John Black Room library.
- Maintaining the HSL Wiki site, an innovative online encyclopedia of over 6,000 pages of local history.
Meet THE HSL STAFF:
Amy Catania, Executive Director Amy has served as Executive Director of HSL since 2009. She has implemented new projects including school outreach programs and the Cure Porch on Wheels. During her time as Executive Director, she has tripled the staff of the organization, grown the endowment from $10,000 to over $300,000, and launched the campaign for expansion of the museum. Ms. Catania has a Masters in Liberal Studies from Plattsburgh State University and a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Oberlin College. Her interest in local history stemmed from a research project for her masters program on the history of the Latin American patients who cured in Saranac Lake. She lives in a Saranac Lake cure cottage with her husband Roger. Together they have two almost grown children and a dog named Walter.
Chessie Monks-Kelly, Archivist / Curator Chessie is an archivist with a love for local history. Chessie manages the museum's collections, plans public programming, coordinates social media outreach, and maintains Historic Saranac Lake's two historic buildings. She is passionate about making our community's history accessible to all. She has a Masters degree in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archives Management. Prior to joining the HSL staff in 2015, Chessie worked on contract projects for the National Park Service with History Associates, Inc. Chessie has lived in Saranac Lake with her husband Andy and their two orange cats since 2013, and they work on fixing up their Park Avenue cure cottage in their spare time.
Mahala Nyberg, Public Programs Coordinator Mahala oversees the museums events, tours, educational programs and community outreach. Mahala has a Master’s in Public History with a certificate in Digital Humanities from Northeastern University and B.A. in History and Archaeology from SUNY Potsdam. She believes that museums can serve as hubs for education, positive change and public service. Mahala enjoys interacting with museum visitors and is interested in exploring innovative paths for museum education, public programs, and digital initiatives. Her work experience includes education and interpretation at museums throughout New York and New England. In her free time, Mahala enjoys spending time outdoors and adding to the list of lakes and rivers she has paddled with her kayak.
Adam Guillette, Membership and Grants Manager Adam is local to the North Country, having attended Saranac High School and SUNY Plattsburgh where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sociology. Following graduation, he worked on many local projects, campaigns, and endeavors, including two terms of service as an AmeriCorps member at the local Red Cross chapter. There he worked with volunteers, schools, and community organizations in Clinton, Franklin, and Essex counties to provide a variety of programs, presentations and community outreach services. Adam enjoys continuing his pursuit to strengthen the local community and build local relationships as HSL's Membership and Grants manager.
Chessie Monks-Kelly, Archivist / Curator Chessie is an archivist with a love for local history. Chessie manages the museum's collections, plans public programming, coordinates social media outreach, and maintains Historic Saranac Lake's two historic buildings. She is passionate about making our community's history accessible to all. She has a Masters degree in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archives Management. Prior to joining the HSL staff in 2015, Chessie worked on contract projects for the National Park Service with History Associates, Inc. Chessie has lived in Saranac Lake with her husband Andy and their two orange cats since 2013, and they work on fixing up their Park Avenue cure cottage in their spare time.
Mahala Nyberg, Public Programs Coordinator Mahala oversees the museums events, tours, educational programs and community outreach. Mahala has a Master’s in Public History with a certificate in Digital Humanities from Northeastern University and B.A. in History and Archaeology from SUNY Potsdam. She believes that museums can serve as hubs for education, positive change and public service. Mahala enjoys interacting with museum visitors and is interested in exploring innovative paths for museum education, public programs, and digital initiatives. Her work experience includes education and interpretation at museums throughout New York and New England. In her free time, Mahala enjoys spending time outdoors and adding to the list of lakes and rivers she has paddled with her kayak.
Adam Guillette, Membership and Grants Manager Adam is local to the North Country, having attended Saranac High School and SUNY Plattsburgh where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sociology. Following graduation, he worked on many local projects, campaigns, and endeavors, including two terms of service as an AmeriCorps member at the local Red Cross chapter. There he worked with volunteers, schools, and community organizations in Clinton, Franklin, and Essex counties to provide a variety of programs, presentations and community outreach services. Adam enjoys continuing his pursuit to strengthen the local community and build local relationships as HSL's Membership and Grants manager.
Meet THE Board of directors:
Amy Heckethorn-Jones, President Amy, a resident of Rainbow Lake, has lived in the area for 40 years and recently retired from a 30 year teaching career in the Saranac Lake Central School District. It was as a seventh grade social studies teacher that her affiliation with Historic Saranac Lake began. Some of her fondest career memories were teaching her students to engage with the local history of Saranac Lake and its surrounding hamlets. Now as a board member and volunteer, Amy is eager to contribute to the expansion of Historic Saranac Lake. She envisions the expanded museum as a center of learning where visitors can interact with the human stories that shaped not just our past, but our present and future as well.
Rich Loeber, Vice President Rich, a resident of Upper Saranac Lake since March 2002, grew up camping at Fish Creek Ponds as a boy and always dreamed of living on the Upper lake. Rich has been a computer professional for more than 50 years working at the New York Central Railroad and PepsiCo before starting his own software development company in 1984. Rich is still active with his company which he moved to Saranac Lake. Since moving, he has served on the boards of numerous local organizations. Rich is taken with the unique history of Saranac Lake and it affect on a much broader community throughout the US and even overseas.
Beth Van Anden, Second Vice President After many years of visiting Saranac Lake, Beth Van Anden and her husband Chuck moved to the village in 2013. Beth joined a primary care practice here and worked as a physician assistant until her retirement in 2017. Improving access to health care has been a life-long interest, and Beth worked in teaching hospitals, volunteer/free clinics, migrant health, homeless health care, and inner-city pediatrics over a 40-year career. The stories of Saranac Lake’s many and varied contributions to community health are inspiring, and HSL plays a crucial role in sharing that unique history.
Karen Morris, Secretary Originally from New York City, Karen bounced around the globe before finishing her education at St. Lawrence University, where she met her husband, Don, and decided to move to the Adirondacks, eventually settling on an old cure cottage on Park Ave in Saranac Lake. Karen raised two kids in Saranac Lake and chose to stay here after retiring from the Tupper Lake Central School District; she spends her time in her pottery studio and on the golf course, or walking her pitbull, Patches. Karen joined HSL's board because she believes that understanding the past informs the present, and because of her deep connection to the Saranac Lake community.
Andrew Rawdon, Treasurer Andy grew up in Saranac Lake where he developed a life-long appreciation for the urgency of protecting the natural environment; the necessity to volunteer in service to others; and the wisdom of understanding history and its relevance to how we live today. After college and law school, Andy began a career as a writer and editor in several different industries—corporate, government and nonprofit. “I am pleased to contribute in whatever way I can to help Saranac Lake discover, collect and preserve its unique history, a history which gave me a solid foundation for life.” Andy is a freelance grant writer for several national and international organizations. He lives in Potsdam.
Jan Dudones Jan has been a volunteer of HSL since the 1980’s. Her parents both came to cure for tuberculosis in the 1930’s, and stayed here after their TB was arrested. Janet’s love of history and knowledge of the TB era brought her to HSL. She has been a business owner, Director of the Senior Citizen Center and worked for the American Management Association. She has been active in many local organizations. Janet is proud that HSL’s preservation of our unique architecture and stories of the people who have spent time in Saranac Lake helps keep our village known around the world.
Melinda Little An entrepreneur by background, Melinda is currently focusing her entrepreneurial skills on managing Point Positive, an angel investor group committed to investing in and nurturing promising and scalable start-up companies within the Adirondack Region. She co-founded and is president of the Saranac Lake Community Store, now doing business as the Village Mercantile. Melinda serves on the Board of the Tri-Lakes Humane Society and was elected to the Village of Saranac Lake Board of Trustees in 2018. Melinda lives in a former cure cottage on Helen Hill.
Judy Meagher Judy's father’s family came to Upper Saranac Lake in the late 1800’s as caretakers. Her mother’s family came to Saranac Lake in the mid 1920’s to cure Judy's aunt’s TB and this is where her parents met and married. She has spent most of the summers on the lake and finally made this her permanent home 11 years ago. As a healthcare professional, she continues to consult part-time with large corporations involved in state Medicaid programs. Volunteerism has always been part of her life and she currently sits on several local boards. She is passionate about the history of the Saranac Lake area and believes Historic Saranac Lake is the organization that will preserve our local history.
Suzanne Roberson A fourth-generation Adirondacker, Suzanne is descended from the Distin and Roberson families of Saranac Lake and is the great-niece of the architect William Distin. Her professional career has been focused as research assistant and archivist for Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Kennedy and in advancement research in institutions of higher education. She has served as an adjunct professor in building conservation at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is currently providing contractual research services to various clients. Suzanne has earned graduate degrees in library and information science and in building conservation. She currently serves on the board of Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve and on the advisory board of AARCH. Suzanne has been restoring her family home on Kiwassa Road and can be spotted rowing her single racing shell on Lake Flower most mornings when the ice is out.
Jim Sonneborn Jim has been a resident of the area for over 30 years. He is both a lawyer and entrepreneur having started several businesses and supported many other startups. He has also been and is on the board of directors of several area for profit and not for profit businesses. He is committed to building a sustainable community, respectful of the diversity of interests, cultures and histories of its members. Jim sees the study and appreciation of history as a tool that allows us to find a better future, to better enjoy the present, and have an easier path from the present to the future.
Susan Stiles Susan grew up in Naples, FL, graduating from Florida Southern College with a degree in Elementary Education. She first came to the Adirondacks while working in Lake Placid, where she me her husband. Susan has a Graduate Degree in Special Education and has taught school in Florida, Georgia, and New York. After 30 years of summering in the Adirondacks, they retired in 1996 and became year around residents. Susan is a 46er and has served on the boards of numerous local organizations. She embraces Historic Saranac Lake as an essential and valuable component to the growth and well being of Saranac Lake and the extended community.
John Wheeler John has worked for many years overseeing the care of the Harrietstown Town Hall. He has a lifelong interest in the historic architecture unique to the Village of Saranac Lake, and this passion has led him to create scale models of many of the lost (but not forgotten) buildings in the village. The models, which include the Berkeley Hotel, the old Town Hall, and F.M. Bull's drugstore, were the subject of an exhibit at the Saranac Laboratory Museum entitled "Remember When?" in 2017.
