Members of the Stevenson Society, from left: Col. Walter Scott, Sir Harry Lauder, Sir Thomas Lipton (Tea). (Photo provided)

In the aftermath of their surprise eviction from Baker’s, members of the Stevenson Society of America, led by Col. Walter Scott, held an emergency meeting. The colonel came all the way from NYC to preside over it.

Thanks to them, Baker’s had become internationally known as the Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Cottage while the society’s membership came from five continents plus Oceania.

This devotion of the founding members to their “shrine” with its inimitable collection, is one of the qualities infused into the generally positive experience of visitors to the house museum on Stevenson Lane. From the General Report for 1924, Stevenson Society of America, Inc.: “The following notice was sent to all the members on January 10th:

“A meeting of the Stevenson Society of America will be held January 26, 1925, at 82 Bloomingdale Ave., Saranac Lake, N.Y., at 8 P.M., to act on the following:

“Resolved, That the Stevenson Society of America, Inc., purchase from Joseph H. Vincent, as executor of the Last Will and Testament of Andrew J. Baker, the property owned by Andrew J. Baker in his lifetime and situate in the town of St. Armand, County of Essex, N.Y., and known as the Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage, together with the rights of said Andrew J. Baker in the lane leading from Pine Street to said cottage, as the same now exists, for the sum of $17,500, payable $12,000. on delivery of deed and a mortgage to said Joseph H. Vincent as executor, in the sum of $5,500. payable three years after the date of said mortgage with six percent interest, payable semi-annually …”

“A sufficient number of members to constitute a forum attended this meeting and favorable action taken. Negotiations were resumed with the executor of the Baker estate, appraisers appointed and surveys made…Through the generous assistance of Colonel Scott this amount ($12,000.) was obtained … on March 18, (1925) the Society became the owners of the property.”

And so it was that Colonel Walter Scott put up most of the down payment on the Stevenson Cottage, out of his own pocket, just like he donated “sacred relics” from his own collection to that of their shrine museum. He also led the team effort to purchase the Cottage and was really in his element when he presided over the 1925 annual meeting which was an overt celebration of their legally approved ownership of this sacred property. The sound of bagpipes emanating from the grounds of the Stevenson Cottage could be heard all over town, providing a perfect prelude to the presidential speech that Col. Scott was about to deliver to all the members and guests gathered, including:

“Not very long ago I saw that shrine in Samoa, and we went to that spot where he was laid away — and who knows whether the man who was buried on that peak that day was not a greater beacon light shining out upon the universe than those who had passed before him … Perhaps there is no writer in history whose association with the world is so intimate — so personal. Generally, when people refer to him — and this is almost universal–speak of him as R.L.S. It has become a wonderful trade mark of a great man.”

“This Stevenson Society is not a United States association — not a state organization. It is national — international if you please, because R.L.S. does not belong to a class — a race or a government. Robert Louis Stevenson belongs to the world, and we must treat it so in our hearts. To Scotland is the glory of his birth. We would not take that away from her if we could.”

“Somebody said he had faults. Is there anybody living who has none? Look into the life of any great man, and you will find that he is also merely human…But I don’t like this digging up of the failures of others. Let us see the bright side of their life and what they did for humanity, and forget the rest. That’s what Robert did. And I think if we were held up as a shining light, we might suffer in comparison.”

“I want to speak for a moment on the project of the purchase of the Stevenson shrine here in Saranac Lake. You almost lost the shrine–were pretty close to losing it, for a not unheard-of reason. It is pretty hard to get something for nothing, and the price was high; but we finally decided to have it regardless of the price, as we were not purchasing for business purposes, but were simply securing it to have it as a shrine of R.L.S. and so on the 13th of last month, your officers here signed their preliminary papers for the purchase of the shrine. The cost is just $17,500.”

“I would like that the real credit for the success of the society is to those who have held together all these years in spite of adversities, and they will share the fruits of their labors; for now, after we have paid for that house, we will have a permanent fund for the equipment of the building and the purchasing of Stevenson’s books and manuscripts and for other ways to do credit to the great man.”

“And that will be one of the main objects of yours truly — to see if we cannot make the Stevenson Society of America in Saranac Lake, a banner association of its kind in the world.”

The party escalated all afternoon in spite of Prohibition. Part of the proceedings included members present taking turns to read out loud the many communications from Stevenson admirers around the world. Somebody sang, somebody read poetry and finally Colonel/President Scott shut things down but not before establishing a tradition which has enabled the Stevenson Cottage to stay open for public inspection through the Great Depression, WWII and continuously to this day. The whole Baker family was gone after 58 years of occupancy. Somebody new had to live on the premises for obvious reasons. Col. Scott asked two of the members to stand. He said: “We are indeed fortunate to have as host and hostess, in full charge of house and contents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Griffith, sincere admirers of the Stevenson Society, consequently we know their deep interest and their labor is inspired by affection.” Mr. and Mrs. Griffith became the first members to concurrently share the society’s official new title, the “Resident Curator.”