“Whereas: John F. Delahant, Sr., served as curator of the Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Cottage for five years, and

“Whereas: During these years he was noted for devotion to duty and as an exponent of courtesy which was contagious, and

“Whereas: In his relatively short time with us, he truly exemplified the friendly spirit of Saranac Lake; therefore,

“Be It Resolved: That official recognition of his untimely passing be recorded in the minutes of this meeting and made a permanent part of the record of the village he loved so well.

“Signatures–John Ratigan, Mayor and Trustees, John Campion, Tony Anderson, Vernon Wamsganz, Kenneth Garwood.”

This framed resolution hangs in the office of the World HQ of the Stevenson Society of America, Inc., which is on the second floor of the Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Cottage in Saranac Lake. It is the room once used by Lloyd Osbourne in the winter of 1887-88. Osbourne was the stepson of RLS and dedicatee of “Treasure Island” — also, former president of the Stevenson Society and its benefactor in terms of donating Stevenson memorabilia. Osbourne was 19 the year he wintered in Saranac Lake as a member of the Stevenson expedition.

Maude Hotaling Delahant was less than two months away from celebrating 50 years of marriage to John, Sr., when she suddenly became a widow the morning he died of complications after surgery in the hospital soon to become North Country Community College in Saranac Lake. A week later, this article appeared in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise:

MRS. DELAHANT NAMED TO SUCCEED HUSBAND

“Mrs. John Delahant, Sr., was named by the Saranac Lake Village Board last night to carry on the work of her late husband as resident director of the Stevenson Memorial Cottage. Mrs. Delahant has lived at the Cottage working with her husband for the past five years. Village Manager Stan Savarie told Trustees that he spoke to Mrs. Delahant and that she appeared willing and anxious to remain at the Cottage. During the years she has been there, she has helped her husband introduce visitors to the Memorial Cottage and has served as hostess.”

Maude Hotaling Delahant had 10 grandchildren. The Bergen County seven from New Jersey just called her “Grandma,” but for some reason the Adirondack contingent knew her as “Mimi.” Maude was born in Albany on April 15, 1888. Two days later, Robert Louis Stevenson spent the night there on his return to the real world from his self-imposed exile in Saranac Lake for a whole winter. Maude was well educated and loved music, especially Tchaikovsky and could play the piano until her fingers rebelled from age and arthritis which she lamented out loud when she tried to play.

For 20 years, like Mrs. C.H.E. Griffith before her (1925-1945), Maude ran the show at the Stevenson Cottage for the Village of Saranac Lake. However, without John, Sr., she would not live there year-round but only in the summer season while spending winters in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. The annual routine reverted back to the practice of closing the place up in the fall and reopening in the spring. That would not change until 1980.

Delahant enjoyed her work at the Stevenson Cottage and often said that one of her rewards was meeting so many wonderful people during her tenure as curator. She said she especially enjoyed getting re-acquainted with the children who had visited the Cottage when they were youngsters and returned with their own children years later. Maude was known to occasionally tell visitors that she felt sadness in the house, usually after being asked if ghosts haunted the property, a question still in circulation. Mrs. Delahant didn’t show any interest in the Baker family and may not have even known that Andrew and Mary Baker of Baker Mountain fame had watched all five of their children die, one by one. Finally, in February 1924, Mary was left all alone after Andrew died and she soon followed him, giving up the ghost in their bedroom of 58 years, the space called “Maggie’s Room” today, for Margaret, the mother of RLS. Occasionally, over the years, a visitor will show up now and then who make remarks similar to Maude’s.

Perhaps what Maude liked the most about her summers curating at the Stevenson Cottage for the Village of Saranac Lake was that her presence there was a magnet for her children and grandchildren, making for good memories for many years.