History

Historic Preservation in Saratoga Springs

Today’s vibrant beautiful historic city is far different than the one you would have seen forty years ago – a historic resort community in decline.  From the 1950s to the early 1970s Saratoga Springs had suffered many setbacks.  Important local landmarks were lost to a struggling economy, urban renewal and devastating fires.  Those losses combined with the prospects of a hotel being built in historic Congress Park, a highway going through Franklin Square, the oldest residential neighborhood, and the construction of a shopping mall on Union Avenue, sparked members of the community to act and  create the “Plan for Action,” a downtown revitalization plan.  

Critical to the plan’s success was the preservation of downtown’s historic buildings, many of which were in disrepair and/or vacant. The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation was established in 1977 to initially oversee a grant program that would provide funding to building owners to rehabilitate the historic exteriors and make the buildings code compliant. In total $450,000 of grant funding was allocated to 26 buildings resulting in the attractive historic downtown you see today. 

The Foundation’s mission to preserve and enhance the architectural, cultural, and landscaped heritage of Saratoga Springs has played a critical role in ensuring that not only our historic downtown was protected and preserved, but also our charming historic neighborhoods.   Following on the early efforts of Beatrice Sweeney, City Historian, who listed Franklin Square and Congress Park on the National Register of Historic Places, the Foundation sought the listing of Broadway, which includes the magnificent mansions on North Broadway; the East Side neighborhood; Union Avenue with its grand homes and the Saratoga Race Course; and the West Side neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places and advocated for local ordinances to ensure their preservation and to prevent demolition, insensitive alterations, and inappropriate new construction. 

As you walk through Saratoga Springs you will see evidence of the Foundation’s efforts – large and small.  The Foundation not only once, but twice intervened to prevent the demolition of the 1871 church that today is known as Universal Preservation Hall.  The Foundation also intervened to preserve the buildings of Skidmore College’s original campus.  Upon Skidmore College relocating to their new campus on North Broadway, they sold their buildings to Verrazanno College, which soon thereafter went bankrupt.  Through the leadership of the Foundation and local real estate agent John Roohan more than 80, mostly historic, buildings on Union Avenue and the surrounding streets that were vacant and faced possible demolition were preserved. 

The Foundation has played an important role in revitalizing the West Side of Saratoga Springs as well.  An early project that the Foundation undertook was saving 5 Clinton Place, one of five row houses that had fallen into significant disrepair and was threatened with demolition.  The Foundation took ownership of the building, rehabilitated it, and used the proceeds from the sale to invest in other preservation projects.  Another project on the West Side was conserving the City’s oldest burial ground, Gideon Putnam Cemetery. The 1810 cemetery is the burial site for the founding father of our city, Gideon Putnam, as well as Civil War soldiers.  The Foundation also purchased the derelict former Adirondack Railroad Company depot at 117 Grand Avenue and restored the building to serve for a period of time as the Foundation office with low-income apartments above.

Perhaps the most significant project on the West Side was on Beekman Street.  In 2005, the Foundation secured a $190,000 New York State Main Street grant to provide funding for façade improvements and building rehabilitations. In total seven buildings benefited from the grant program and resulted in the investment of nearly $750,000.  A visible difference that was made by this project resulted in a vibrant street with a variety of stores and delicious restaurants.

No stay during the summer is complete without a trip to the Saratoga Race Course, the oldest sports venue in the country.  The Foundation has played an important role in ensuring that the stables that date back to the 1840s and the impressive Victorian grandstand are preserved for future generations to enjoy.  It has researched and documented nearly all of the 200 structures and landscape features of the 350 acre site and is recognized by New York State as the community’s official voice for their preservation.

In 2015, the Foundation celebrated the restoration of the unofficial symbol of Saratoga Springs, the Spirit of Life and Spencer Trask Memorial, as part of the City of Saratoga Springs centennial celebration.  The Memorial located in Congress Park, a National Historic Landmark, was designed by acclaimed American sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon, who are most notably known for their collaboration of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.  Katrina Trask, a generous philanthropist and founder of the artist retreat Yaddo, a National Historic Landmark, along with George Foster Peabody, commissioned the Memorial to honor her late husband Spencer Trask for his efforts to protect and preserve Saratoga’s natural springs while further beautifying Congress Park.  His efforts resulted in what is known today as the Saratoga Spa State Park, also a National Historic Landmark that is worth a visit.  The Foundation, in partnership with the City, undertook a $750,000 comprehensive restoration of the Memorial, including the bronze sculpture, architectural surround and the landscape.  It is certainly worth a visit to Congress Park to see the Memorial with its uplifting sculpture.

For more than 40 years the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation has played a significant role in preserving our community’s unique architecture and rich cultural heritage.  We look forward to fulfilling our mission for years to come and encourage you to join us and be a voice for preservation in our community by becoming a member, making a donation, or volunteering!