North Country nonprofit gets big boost for museum expansion

The North Country nonprofit Historic Saranac Lake is working to restore Dr. E.L. Trudeau's first home in the town.

"It's been a process, there are a lot of steps," said Amy Catania of Historic Saranac Lake.

Historic Saranac Lake got the OK to purchase another building right next store to expand its museum.

"It was the home and medical office of Dr. E.L. Trudeau. So, he was the person who really started the tuberculosis treatment in Saranac Lake and was the first successful sanitarium in the county," Catania said.

The nonprofit says restoration will begin in January. It's an expensive project estimated to be $1.7 million.

"That's for the complete restoration of the building, also installation of museum exhibits, that staffing we will need for the next five years," Catania said.

A $500,000 grant from the New York State Historic Preservation Office helped get the ball rolling.

The museum focuses on the history of the Saranac Lake region

"Saranac Lake's history is really big and really interesting and it does extend beyond TB. There's a broader story, too. The story of Paul Smiths and the early guides and the logging industry," Catania explained.

Teaching those who live or visit the area.

"Having a major downtown museum is just important for the community and the folks that come to Saranac Lake and want to know what happened here," Catania said.

They hope that the museum will be open to the public in the next two to three years.