Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation
Preservation Matters
Samantha Bosshart, Executive Director
November 23, 2012
23rd Annual Candlelight House Tour
On Friday, December 7th the Saratoga Spring Preservation Foundation celebrates its 23rd Candlelight House Tour. Offering an opportunity to tour festively decorated private homes, the Candlelight House Tour is a wonderful way to ring in the holiday season as well as highlight the city’s unique architecture and history.
This year’s tour features eight homes located in the Court Street and Marion Place area of the East Side Historic District that were built before and after the turn of the 20th century. One home that is particularly interesting on this year’s tour is 20 Mitchell Place. The large brick vernacular style building stands out from those around it because it was not originally built to be a home, but a stable.
The circa 1881 building was constructed for the boarding stable business of Commodore P. Mitchell, who built and lived at the house located at 231 Nelson Avenue. After Commodore Mitchell’s death, the building for a number of years housed a hotel livery service and later is speculated to have been used for the Stanton Brewery.
In 1920, Sherman D. Nichols purchased the property and his son Gerald converted the building into an automobile repair garage initially associated with the Nichols and Lohnes Automobile Sales located at 45 Lake Avenue. After Nichols and Lohnes dissolved, Gerald continued to operate the garage. After World War II his son, Robert Nichols, joined the business. It remained a service garage until 1990. Since that time the building had several owners who made changes allowing it to be used as a residence.
In 2011, local designer Lisa Bates purchased the building and saw its potential. She transformed the interior to an open floor plan featuring a creative blend of modern and historic elements. Lisa incorporated salvaged materials such as reclaimed maple hardwood floors, barn doors, and windows into the three bedroom home. When asked what she enjoys most about her work, Lisa states “it is the excitement of reinventing a house and bringing it back to life.”
Another home featured on the tour is 85 Court Street. The American Four Square featuring Craftsman style details was constructed in 1922. The first resident of the house was Moe Green, the proprietor of the Bell Clothing Company located at 430 Broadway. The home was later owned by William Lodewick, an agent with Met Life Insurance, and his wife Charlotte. Starting in 1944, Charlotte lived in the house alone and rented rooms to others. In 1956, the house was purchased by former City of Saratoga Springs Mayor Ellsworth Jones and was home to the Jones family until 1979.
In 1995, Susan Sharp and John Koella rented the house from Rodney and Susan McKee who had purchased the house in 1979. Susan and John purchased the house in 1998 following the death of Rodney McKee. When asked why she and John purchased the house, Susan said “I just fell immediately in love with the interior woodwork of the house and thought it was an ideal neighborhood to raise our two children, Emily and Ryan.”
The house has been a labor of love for 18 years and Susan is proud of the work she and her husband have done and is thrilled to have the opportunity to open her home for others to see. Susan painstakingly restored the woodwork by removing layers of paint and taken the time to find matching doors and hardware at Historic Albany Foundation’s Architectural Parts Warehouse.
I hope you will join us on this year’s Candlelight House Tour to kick-off your holiday season. The funds raised at this event support the Foundation’s ongoing educational programs and efforts to preserve the architectural, cultural, and landscaped heritage of Saratoga Springs.
The Candlelight House Tour begins at 5pm and will continue until 9pm. While touring the homes, join in the Peppermint Pig Hunt by spotting the candy pig in each home and be entered to win a gift basket from Saratoga Sweets. While strolling through the neighborhood, enjoy the songs of holiday carolers, “The Mistletones,” from Skidmore College.
The tour will be followed by an After-Party at Union Gables Bed & Breakfast, beginning at 7:30pm and ending at 10pm. The After-Party will feature a silent auction, delicious food, holiday music, and a cash bar. This year’s auction is packed with great holiday gift ideas including, handmade original jewelry, holiday wreaths, centerpieces, artisan ornaments, box seats at the Saratoga Race Course, a cigar tasting, and an original work of art by artist Corey Pitkin. In addition the after party, many of the beautifully decorated guest-rooms at the Union Gables Bed & Breakfast will be open for viewing.
Tickets for the Tour are $40 for members and $50 non-members. Tickets for the Tour and After-Party are $75 members and $85 non-members. Those who want to attend the After-Party are encouraged to purchase their tickets by December 3rd since space is limited. For more information or to purchase tickets call (518) 587-5030 or visit our website www.saratogapreservation.org. Tickets for the tour can be purchased the night of the event at 112 Spring Street, the former Public School No. 4, starting at 5:00p.m.
Founded in 1977, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation is a private, not-for-profit organization that promotes preservation and enhancement of the architectural, cultural and landscaped heritage of Saratoga Springs.