Historic Saranac Lake recognizes that the museum is located on land traditionally inhabited by the Haudenosaunee people.
We respect the sovereignty and traditions of the Haudenosaunee, and we support their enduring presence here.
We respect the sovereignty and traditions of the Haudenosaunee, and we support their enduring presence here.
STRATEGIC PLAN
In February of 2023, the Board of Directors of Historic Saranac Lake approved a new Strategic Plan that lays the framework for our museum expansion and organizational growth in the coming years. Download Historic Saranac Lake's Strategic Plan 2023. The project was developed with the help of consultant, Susan Weinrich of the NY Council on Nonprofits, supported by a grant from the Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York.
In February of 2023, the Board of Directors of Historic Saranac Lake approved a new Strategic Plan that lays the framework for our museum expansion and organizational growth in the coming years. Download Historic Saranac Lake's Strategic Plan 2023. The project was developed with the help of consultant, Susan Weinrich of the NY Council on Nonprofits, supported by a grant from the Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York.
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@historicsaranaclake.org Bio
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@historicsaranaclake.org Bio
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. |
Emily Banach, Museum Specialist
emily@historicsaranaclake.org
emily@historicsaranaclake.org
bio
Emily is a recent graduate of the M.S. in Library and Information Science program at Syracuse University, where she focused her studies on historical materials and worked for the SU Archives. Emily also attended SUNY Binghamton and has a bachelor’s degree in English and Classical Languages. She has lived in Upstate New York her entire life and is excited to learn more about Saranac Lake and its history by working at HSL. |
Meet THE Board of directors:
Amy Heckethorn-Jones, President
Bio
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. |
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