89 Lake Street 
89 Lake Street 
The Sears Strathmore Address: 182 Lake Street
Old Address: 89 Lake Street
Other names: Chester Valentine House
Year built: c. 1932
Architect: A Sears Roebuck house, The Strathmore; no. 3306 ($1,627 to $1,757)
Other information: This is a Sears Roebuck Strathmore kit house, (see Strathmore model), built in 1932 by Chester Valentine. It was built as a mirror-image of The Strathmore. Sears, Roebuck Co. held a mortgage on the house, though the lumber is not marked with the Sears logo.
The earliest deed is from 1890 and it describes the lot with the same dimensions it has now. William Benham sold it to Henry and Gertrude Kingman; it was "known as the Chester Peck lot, occupied by John Graves for several years" suggesting that there was a previous structure on the lot. In February 1932, Getrude Kingman sold the property to Chester Valentine.
A cure porch was added, which apparently lengthens the living room. (reference: Daniel D. Reiff. See Marquay Cottage.) While no documentation of cure use was found in the 1984 Historic Saranac Lake building inventory, the large, glass-enclosed, sitting-out porch appears designed to accommodate a sick resident. 1
In September 1963, Chester Valentine sold to Donald E. Bedore, and in August 1965, Donald Bedore sold to Paul C. Neth. In August 1969, Paul Neth sold to Ralph Lloreda, and in December 2004, the Lloredas sold to artist Sandra Hildreth.
The lot was apparently enlarged in 1974 when property in the back was purchased by Ralph Lloreda from Clyde Cheesman.
National Register of Historic Places nomination form (pdf)
Comments
2010-08-29 22:24:54 I currently own the house at 182 Lake St. It is a Sears house, the Strathmore model, and was built in 1932 by Chester Valentine. His name is on the blueprints. I have the original blueprints for the house. I have found no reference to the Chamber of Commerce or a "promotional house". See: http://www.arts-crafts.com/archive/sears/page126.html S. Hildreth. —74.71.249.224
Footnotes
1. Based on testimony of Clyde Cheesman, Phil Gallos noted that the house was built in 1932 by the Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce as a promotional project, but it appears that 97 Lake Street was the actual site of that project.
