- Trenton Olsen, a professor at Brigham Young University-Idaho, is helping to maintain the legacy and works of Robert Louis Stevenson.
- The cottage, cared for by a volunteer, was suffering from decay and risked damage to the artifacts it sheltered.
- The Institute of Museum and Library Services granted funds to evaluate the state of the cottage; total renovation cost is estimated at $2 million.
Saranac Lake in upstate New York might be over 2,000 miles away from Rexburg, Idaho, but a professor and his students are now connected to the small town in the Adirondacks where they discovered a treasure trove of artifacts connected to a 19th century author in need of preservation.
Professor Trenton Olsen, a faculty member in the English department at Brigham Young University-Idaho, said he first stumbled into Robert Louis Stevenson’s work as a master’s student at Utah State University. Stevenson is best remembered for his books “Treasure Island,” “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and “A Child’s Garden of Verses.”
Since then, Olsen became a steadfast fan of Stevenson’s life and work, particularly his less widely-known works of nonfiction.
This year marks 175 years since Stevenson’s birth and 100 years since the Stevenson Society of America purchased the author’s cottage in Saranac Lake, New York.
Who is Robert Louis Stevenson?
Stevenson, who lived from 1850-1894, was a Scottish-born author whose book about buccaneers and a hidden treasure would define pop culture depictions of pirates in media for the next century.
Throughout his short life, Stevenson struggled with health problems related to his lungs. He moved to the Adirondack region in New York because of the state‘s successful tuberculosis sanatorium, and lived there between 1887-1888.
Constantly facing death, Olsen believes, pushed Stevenson to think carefully about living.
According to Olsen, Stevenson’s nonfiction essays reflect a thoughtful approach to life written with candor and humor. He believes them to be Stevenson’s finest works.
“He packed several lifetimes worth of experience into 44 years,” Olsen said.
Following Stevenson’s trail
Olsen set out to compile the original essays that were published during the author’s lifetime. This took Olsen several years, and led him to the places the author had lived.
In 2023, Olsen decided to take a research trip to Saranac Lake to visit Stevenson’s home there for the first time.
Olsen said what he didn’t expect was that this visit would change the course of his academic career and personal life.
Quoting Stevenson, Olsen told me, “the most beautiful adventures are not the ones we go to seek.”
The Cottage Museum
In 1915, years after Stevenson’s short stint in upstate New York, locals established the Stevenson Society of America and turned the cottage into the world’s first site dedicated to the author.
During his visit to the cottage, Olsen found an extraordinary collection of artifacts from the author’s life. But his visit wasn’t all dreamy. He also encountered a house that was in need of help.
A worn out wooden roof and drainage issues let additional humidity into the basement, which put the artifact collection at risk of corrosion.
“It was obvious to me, one, that this was an extraordinary place, but also that they didn’t have the resources they needed to preserve the building to maintain operations,” Olsen said.
The property was under the care of the in-residence volunteer caretaker Mike Delahant, 74, whose family had preserved the building for over seven decades as a labor of love.
Delahant has overseen the cottage for 45 years, “longer than Stevenson was alive,” and there was no plan for who would take care of the house after Delahant was no longer able to, Olsen said.
Upon finding Olsen’s genuine interest for Stevenson’s work and legacy, Delahant invited Olsen to become part of the Stevenson Society of America as the president, which Olsen accepted.
" He loves Stevenson ... he‘s an expert on the guy,“ Delahant told the Deseret News.
Olsen’s passion for Stevenson’s work brought a renewed energy to the Stevenson society.
Rolling up their sleeves
Olsen submitted a proposal to the Institute of Museum and Library Services to get an official assessment of the cottage.
In December 2024, the institute awarded the society a grant to conduct an evaluation of the home. Experts agreed it was in need of serious repairs.
Preservation architect Marilyn Kaplan estimated it would take $300,000 to address the most urgent needs, including the roof and drainage. The total renovation cost was estimated to be around $2 million.
The recent cuts in government funding, Olsen said, have made it unclear if the institute would have resources at their disposal to fund part of the restoration.
Student involvement
Olsen decided to engage his students in the project.
Olsen and the Stevenson Society’s board took the issue into their own hands and decided to fund the renovations through donations.
With the help of BYU-I students, Olsen updated the museum’s website, and wrote proposals for grants and donors.
Delahant said Olsen’s involvement has made him confident that “the cottage is now going to have a secure future.”
Get involved
The second edition of The Complete Personal Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson, edited by Olsen was published in June 2024.
Olsen is giving a lecture at Salt Lake City Library’s Main Branch on Saturday at 4 p.m., on the life and legacy of Stevenson and on the cottage renovation efforts.
Olsen’s talk “Robert Louis Stevenson and the Art of Living” will be followed by a book signing. The event is free and open to the public.
Correction: Preservation architect Marilyn Kaplan made the estimate on renovation costs for the Stevenson museum, estimated at $2 million. A previous version of this story listed a different expert.