Stevenson Cottage Museum Awarded a PRESERVE NEW YORK Grant from the Preservation League of NYS

This grant will fund a building condition study.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SARANAC LAKE, NY, 08/28/25 — The Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum is one of this year’s PRESERVE NEW YORK grantees. Their grant of $15,700 will fund a Building Condition Report. The Preservation League of NYS and their program partners at the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) are thrilled to help fund this important work. At its 2025 meeting, an independent panel selected 31 applicants in 20 counties to receive support totaling $347,500. Grants represent both of the League’s signature NYSCA regrants – Preserve New York (PNY) and Technical Assistance Grants (TAG).

“We are delighted to receive a Preserve New York grant for the Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum and grateful for the support of the Preservation League of NYS and the New York State Council on the Arts,” said Dr. Trenton B. Olsen, President of the Stevenson Society of America. “This award will help fund a comprehensive study of Stevenson’s former home that will provide essential guidance in our effort to preserve the cottage museum and secure its future.” 

“This year, the League has brought our two longstanding NYSCA partnership grants together into one cycle, allowing us to see a clear picture of the remarkable preservation work getting started across the state,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of NYS. “The targeted studies funded by TAG and the expansive reports made possible by PNY will lay the groundwork for many vital projects over the years to come.”

For details and photos of all the 2025 grantees, please visit our website: preservenys.org/blog/2025-regrantspreservenys.org/blog/2025-regrants

“NYSCA is proud to support these diverse and essential projects that will allow organizations to

plan for their future and safeguard New York’s rich cultural history for generations to come,” said

Erika Mallin, Executive Director of NYSCA. “Congratulations to all of this year’s grantees and

we look forward to the work you do across our state.”

Preserve New York and Technical Assistance Grants are regrant partnerships between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League, made possible with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has generously provided additional funds to support nonprofit projects in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Additional funding for Technical Assistance Grants is provided by the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area for projects within the Hudson Valley Greenway.

Since 1993, Preserve New York Grants have been providing funds to municipalities and nonprofit organizations that need technical, professional assistance to guide a variety of preservation projects. The building condition reports, cultural landscape reports, and cultural resource surveys funded through this program lead to positive outcomes across New York’s 62 counties. These grants support important arts and cultural initiatives, as well as economic development related to our state’s arts and cultural heritage. With the announcement of the 2025 awards, support provided by Preserve New York since its launch in 1993 totals more than $4 million to 569 projects statewide.

The Technical Assistance Grant program supports arts centers, historic sites, music halls, theaters, and other arts and cultural nonprofit or municipal entities that steward historic buildings throughout New York State. With the announcement of the 2025 awards, support provided by TAG since its launch in 2012 totals $819,320. These grants have directly advanced the efforts of 242 preservation projects.

About the Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum

The Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum in Saranac Lake, New York was the 1887–1888 residence of the Scottish author of Treasure Island, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Kidnapped, and many other great works. Open to the public since 1916, it is the world’s first site and finest collection dedicated to Stevenson. For three generations and more than 70 years, the Stevenson Cottage Museum has been preserved by a single family of volunteer resident caretakers. Owned and operated by the nonprofit Stevenson Society of America, the cottage museum aims to share Stevenson’s extraordinary life and timeless writing and improve lives through literature. The all-volunteer museum is raising money to preserve the historic building and its matchless collection, hire professional staff, revitalize the museum, and secure its future. To learn more, visit rlscottagemuseum.org, and follow the Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum on Facebook and Instagram. To support the preservation of the Stevenson Cottage Museum, donate here.

About the Preservation League of New York State

Since its founding in 1974, the Preservation League of NYS has built a reputation for action and effectiveness. Our goal has been to preserve our historic buildings, districts, and landscapes and to build a better New York, one community at a time. The League empowers all New Yorkers to use historic preservation to enrich their communities, protect their heritage, and build a sustainable future. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state. Connect with us at preservenys.org, facebook.com/preservenys, youtube.com/c/PreservationLeague and instagram.com/preservenys

About the New York State Council on the Arts

The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts awarded $162 million in FY2025, serving organizations and artists across all 10 of the state’s regions. The Council on the Arts further advances New York's creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources.

Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, on X @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.