Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation
Preservation Matters
Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial
Samantha Bosshart
September 19, 2013
Preserving the Spirit of Saratoga:
Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial
As I walk through Congress Park, I often stop and admire the Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial. I not only enjoy taking in the beauty of the bronze Spirit of Life sculpture, but I also enjoy watching others – whether they are having a sandwich on the bench, taking photos in front of the Memorial, or merely sitting on the edge of the reflecting pool engaged in conversation. The Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial is not only a place of respite for many of us, but a symbol of our community.
In late 2010, in response to community concern, the Board of Directors of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation decided the restoration of the Memorial should be a priority for our organization. In 2011, the Foundation partnered with the City of Saratoga Springs to restore our locally and nationally significant Memorial.
Since undertaking this project, I look at the Memorial differently. I no longer think of it as only a beautiful, peaceful setting in the park. I think about why it was commissioned; what it represents; who was involved in the project; the different components of the Memorial – the bronze sculpture, the architectural setting and the surrounding landscape; and, most importantly, its current condition.
Spencer Trask was a successful New York-based banker and philanthropist. With Senator Edgar Brackett, he was responsible for preserving the very mineral waters that our community was founded on and recognized for around the world. It is hard to imagine Saratoga Springs without its springs and the Saratoga Spa State Park. Ultimately had the extraction of the carbonic gas continued our springs would have been lost forever. It is to Spencer Trask that we owe a huge debt of gratitude.
Following Spencer Trask’s tragic death in a train accident, his wife Katrina Trask – philanthropist, Yaddo founder, and Saratoga resident – and his business partner George Foster Peabody, commissioned the Memorial to honor Trask and his efforts to protect and preserve Saratoga’s natural springs while further beautifying Congress Park.
In 1913, two significant Americans, sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon, who were responsible for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, were commissioned to design the Memorial. French created the Spirit of Life, a powerful winged woman showing vitality as she returns the healing waters to the springs of Saratoga. Henry Bacon designed the masonry architectural setting with its shallow niche, balustrade, reflecting pool and sitting area. The surrounding landscape was designed by Charles Leavitt, Jr., who, in addition to developing the 1902 Master Plan of Saratoga Race Course, prepared the 1912 General Plan of Congress Park following the demolition of the Congress Hotel.
The Memorial was dedicated two years later in 1915, the same year that Saratoga Springs was incorporated as a city. Since then the Memorial has undergone numerous changes. Many of the plantings, benches, and historic lighting were removed. In the 1960s, the reflecting pool was filled with dirt and planted with roses. Thankfully, the community raised its voice and the waters of the reflecting pool were restored. In 1983, again due to concerns raised by citizens the Foundation and the City of Saratoga Spring Preservation Foundation partnered to undertake a restoration of the bronze sculpture and its surround. Thirty years later, citizens once again are coming together to ensure that our city’s symbol is preserved for future generations.
Thanks to restoration efforts in 1983 and continued maintenance by the City, the bronze Spirit of Life sculpture is in relatively good condition. It is the masonry architectural surround and landscape that have suffered most over the years.
While structurally in relatively good condition, cracks are starting to appear in the masonry, mortar joints are beginning to fail, and incompatible patches are taking a toll on its overall appearance. Although these repairs may seem cosmetic in nature, without intervention they could lead to more serious structural issues.
You may only think of the landscaping of the Memorial as the few arborvitaes that surround the reflecting pool and the white pines behind the masonry balustrade, but the Memorial’s landscape setting is much more. It originally encompassed the entire northwest quadrant of Congress Park including the rambling creek and the pond. However, the building of the Saratoga Springs Public Library (now the Saratoga Arts Center) significantly changed the setting. Over time plantings, historic lighting, and benches have been removed. The wide walkways that led you to the Memorial have since become mere dirt footpaths and many of the original trees are in decline and nearing the end of their life cycle.
This Monday, September 23rd at 7PM at the Dee Sarno Theater at the Saratoga Arts Center, 320 Broadway, the Foundation is hosting a public information meeting about the restoration of the Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial. At the meeting expert preservation consultants, Martha Lyon and Daniel Wilson, hired this spring by the City of Saratoga Springs, will present a current condition assessment along with their treatment recommendations for restoration. The public is encouraged to attend to learn more about the project, ask questions, and provide feedback.
The next time you walk through Congress Park stop to take in the beauty of the Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial. Then take a moment longer to envision how it was originally designed; what it represents; and look at the condition of the masonry and the landscape. You too will see the need for a call to arms to preserve this symbol of our beautiful city. We owe it to the very man who preserved our springs to preserve his Memorial.
Tax-deductible donations for the restoration can be made to the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation online at www.spiritofliferestoration.org, by phone (518) 587-5030, or by sending a check to SSPF, Spirit of Life Restoration Campaign, 112 Spring Street, Suite 203, Saratoga Springs, NY 12886.
Founded in 1977, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that promotes preservation and enhancement of the architectural, cultural, and landscaped heritage of Saratoga Springs.
To view full article: http://www.saratogian.com/general-news/20130921/preservation-matters-why-its-important-to-preserve-the-spirit-of-life-and-trask-memorial-in-congress-park