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A fundraiser has been launched to save the former home of a legendary Scottish author. The property, situated in New York in the United States, was once the home of Robert Louis Stevenson. The house, which is located at Saranac Lake, is where Stevenson and his wife Fanny lived for six months after moving from Bournemouth in 1887 to be close to a new sanatorium for tuberculosis patients. Latterly run as a museum, the Stevenson Society of America have launched a $2 million, or £1.5 million, fundraising campaign to save the property during what would have been the iconic author's 175th birth year. Stevenson's time in America was a fruitful time for the Scot and his family. They arrived in New York amidst the premiere of an adaptation of his work The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in the city. Full of adulation, Stevenson's finances, career , and health hit a sweet spot. Meanwhile, the author's endorsement of the sanatorium that had treated him brought thousands of new patients through its doors. Now, it is hoped that Stevenson's former home will bring thousands of visitors as the seminal writer's work continues to inspire new readers. Disney recently announced a new adaptation of his novel Treasure Island, while Johnny Depp and Ridley Scott are set to launch a graphic novel take on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. President of the Stevenson Society of America Dr Trenton B. Olsen commented: "Stevenson is here to stay. People who admire Stevenson, appreciate his work and value the preservation of cultural heritage can help us save one of the great literary sites in America." The house was known as Baker's Cottage during Stevenson’s time. According to Dr Olsen, it is "absolutely pivotal" in the author's story. He continued: "It was only a six-month residence, but his stay at Saranac Lake really changed the course of his career—and his life. When he arrived in New York, there was this Stevenson mania as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde premiered. "He was thronged by fans, reporters and publishers, something which he had never experienced before. He had no copyright protection in America and there were so many pirated copies of his work, yet still publishers came with the most lucrative contracts. "He worked on The Master of Ballantrae at Saranac Lake and completed some of his best-known essays there. Because of this relative improvement in his health and finances, he was able to plan for his life-long ambition and the voyage to the South Pacific that led him to Samoa for his final years." Stevenson who was born in Howard Place in Edinburgh , described the house at Saranac Lake as "first-rate". He is said to have enjoyed ice skating and hunting in the woods as his health allowed. Dr Olsen has stated that Stevenson liked Saranac Lake partly because it reminded the novelist of Scotland. Writing to his cousin Bob Stevenson, he once said: "The whole scene is very Highland, bar want of heather and the wooden houses". The home offers an "intimate" connection with Stevenson, with Dr Olsen adding: "We have his ice skates, we have his invalid’s desk, which he often used to write in bed. We also have the woven mats from Samoa that were placed on his casket. "We have a handkerchief embroidered with RLS. It actually has a cigarette burn in it. He said he 'favoured cigarettes without intermission except when coughing or kissing'." The property, which opened as a museum in 1916, was the world’s first site dedicated to Stevenson. The author died in Samoa in 1894 at the age of 44. Organisers included luminaries such as Associated Press founder Charles M. Palmer and Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum. Stevenson’s family members and friends also joined the Stevenson Society of America, donating most of its vast collection—including the author's infant cap and the last pen he ever used. The house and museum struggled financially during the Great Depression and never recovered. Its neighbours have since acted as volunteer resident curator-caretakers for more than 70 years. Mike Delahant took on the role in 1980, after his father and grandparents, and expected only to stay for a short time. However, he continues to look after the home 45 years and reveals that he has "fallen under the Stevenson spell." The property requires major renovation works, with a recent report describing its condition as "extremely poor". The roof has been replaced, but further works both inside and out are required. Dr Olsen added: "We want to preserve it as a historic house, where people can come and get a sense of what it was like for Stevenson. It is also a museum and our collection is not confined to the six months he spent there—it covers his whole life. "Failing to preserve the cottage would be an immense loss for literary history. We’re committed to securing its future. We will be doing everything we can to connect with donor networks in New York and Los Angeles, and Stevenson lovers around the world. "There is a quote I like from Stevenson, who wrote from Saranac Lake having planned this year-long tropical cruise in the Pacific. He said 'if I cannot get my health back more or less, it is madness. But of course there is hope—and I will play big'. "And we are going to take our inspiration from that." More information can be found on the Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum website.
