Smithwick Cottage

Smithwick Cottage

Smithwick Cottage, 1920. Courtesy of Lynn Newman.

A photograph from an album of Verdo Newman, captioned "The Smithwicks Gang." Gertrude Smithwick is at upper right. Undated, but probably early 1920s. Courtesy of Lynn Newman.

Gertrude Smithwick in the 1930 Canaras.

Address: 115 Park Avenue

Old Address: 60 Park Avenue

Year built: c. 1917

Architect: George Schrader

The Smithwick Cottage is a Colonial Revival-style residence, located in the Cottage Row Historic District. It is reportedly the first cottage in Saranac Lake designed and built for use as a private commercial sanatorium. It was built by Michael J. Smithwick and operated by Josephine Smithwick. (In the Irish-American precincts of Hartford, CT, in 2016 Smithwick's is the name of a beer pronounced "Smiddick's.")

Rose Kennedy, best known as the mother of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, is said to have visited her sister who was curing at the Smithwick Cottage.

Author Walker Percy stayed here while waiting for admission to Trudeau Sanatorium. See the UNC Museum for a photo of Percy at about this time period.

Elise Chapin was a patient in this cottage in the 1930s, as was Georgia Watson Lee Brown.

See John G. Smithwick.

In addition to Josephine and Gertrude Smithwick, the 1940 Census lists the following occupants:

Patient	Clarles Halmes	38
Patient	Casterene Woodrough	62
Patient	Elmer Babienzen	28
Patient	Mazie Clemenshaw	74
Nurse	Marie Deolin	37

Norwegian Seaman Jacob Jacobsen cured at Smithwick.

The Smithwick Cottage is listed as a contributing building to the Cottage Row Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 1, 1948

Mrs. Josephine Smithwick, 72, died last night at her home at 60 Park avenue following an illness of several years.

Mrs. Smithwick had operated a private sanatorium at 60 Park avenue.

Other historic properties

Source

• National Register of Historic Places Registration Form