Lake Placid Home

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Livermore’s Upstate New York Retreat, Prior to 1907*
 

Both the home and its immediate surroundings have changed since the time J.L. lived there. During the early part of the century, fire wood was still the cheap, easily accessible fuel to heat homes in upstate New York. Early photos of Livermore’s property, along with the entire surrounding area, show the results of decades of harvesting firewood. Where J.L. had an unobstructed view of the lake, today his home can barely be made out through the trees from the lake.

As can been seen by comparing these two photographs, several exterior changes have taken place since original construction. The front and back porches have been enclosed, additional rooms were added above the back porch, and fire places were added. A chimney can be seen behind the center of the left most evergreen in the more recent photo that is not present in the earlier photo. Several of these additions were no doubt completed during documented upgrades in 1903 or in 1905, with the house not being winterized until just prior to the 1932 Winter Olympics held in Lake Placid.

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Livermore’s Upstate New York Retreat, August 2002*
Jesse Livermore was the third owner of the house, acquiring it in early September of 1917 for his second wife Dorothy while still married to his first wife. The house was placed in Dorothy’s mothers name, Mildred T. Wendt in order to avoid it becoming entangled in the divorce proceedings. The purchase price was approximately $35,000, about $10,000 more than the original construction cost. It is also the birthplace of his eldest son, Jesse Jr.

Dorothy retained ownership of the house after her divorce from J.L. in 1932, and after her divorce from Walter Longcope in 1935. As implied by one of the following newspaper articles, she no doubt had to sell the house in 1936 to pay the taxes.

* – Photo used with permission of current owner.