Address: 47 Front Street
Old Address: 9 Front Street
Other names: McKinley Cottage (1911), Stuhn Cottage (1911), Reichart Cottage (1913), Burke Cottage (1928); DIS, Knight Cottage (1916). Tamarack Houses, an apartment complex built to accomodate the medical staff of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid.
The two, six-unit apartment buildings at 47 Front Street and 25 Helen Street are now (January 2013) called the Helen Hill Apartments, and are being managed by the Adirondack Housing Development Corporation. (See article in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, January 30, 2013.)
Year built: c. 1979
Architect:
Other information: According to the 1916 TB Directory, the Knight Cottage, run by a Mrs. Knight, had room for nine patients, had one cure porches and charged $10-15 per week.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, November 30, 1977
Seven families homeless after fires Apartments on Front St. burned
A six family building is ruined, the result of the fifth fire in seven months in the Helen Hill section here.
A force of about 40 volunteer firefighters — 15 from Bloomingdale — worked until 8:30 a.m. today to stop the blaze. It had started about 2:58 a.m.
Two pumper trucks from Saranac Lake sent water onto the three-story green building at 9 Front St. Another truck from Bloomingdale was at the Saranac Lake fire house on stand by, during the department's busiest night this winter.
The Front Street fire started in the basement and spread throughout the building, assistant fire chief John Wamsganz said at the scene.
Firefighters were controlling smoking rafters at the roof of the building at newspaper deadline time.
Gilles Myron, police detective, said the fire will be investigated and at this time is not considered "suspicious".
Fires in the past seven months destroyed the following Helen Hill area homes: 8 Shepard Avenue and 6 Shepard Avenue (an apartment) May 29; 10 Helen Street, September 6; and 112 Main Street on July 5. Only 6 Shepard was occupied when the-fires broke out. In addition, there was a fire at Branch & Callanan lumberyard the same night that 112 Main St. burned. A local man was convicted of arson in those two fires.
All these fires including today's started at about 3 a.m.
The Front Street home stands beside the vacant lot where the 10 Helen St. home burned.
It is owned by Robert F. Wincowski and David S. Dunseath — both of Saranac Lake.
There was heavy smoke damage to the building and the third floor had collapsed.
Residents of the Front Street building are: Kim Stringer and her infant daughter, basement, Mary Lewis and her, three children, first floor, right; Linda and Larry Stringer, first floor, left; Ginny Houck and Eileen Lynch, second floor, left; Tim and Joanne Fuhrer, second floor, right; and Brenda Murphy and Patty Fobare, third floor.
The white house to the right of 9 Front St. was undamaged.
All families are staying with relatives in the area, Lillian Wincowski said.
