Preservation Matters
Year in Review
Samantha Bosshart, Executive Director
February 7, 2014
2013 Year in Review
On Jan. 27, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation kicked-off its educational programming for the new year with the presentation, “Saratoga Springs: Roads, Highways, and Preservation” by Tom Lewis, Skidmore College professor of English and author, at our annual meeting held at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial landscape restoration plan illustration.
At the meeting I shared some of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation’s highlights from the past year. Afterward, I heard from many who attended that they were not familiar with everything the Foundation does.
I was pleased to share the continued progress on the project to restore the Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial. In 2013, two preservation consultants were hired, architect Dan Wilson and landscape architect Martha Lyon, to assess the masonry architectural surround and the landscape setting. In September, the Foundation hosted a public information meeting to share the findings of their historic research, current conditions assessments, and treatment recommendations. Working with the city, the Foundation is anticipating that the masonry restoration work will take place this summer. The Foundation has been hard at work to raise funds through events, grants, and individual contributions to restore the nationally significant Memorial that often is identified as a symbol of our community. To date, the Foundation has raised more than $175,000.
The Foundation continued and expanded its educational programs in 2013. Working in partnership with Skidmore College in April of last year, we hosted a Sacred Places Tour giving the public an opportunity to learn about nine of the many sacred sites in Saratoga Springs. The tour was the culmination of the work of students working with Jordana Dym, associate professor of history. Students conducted research and interviews; created an interactive website, www.sacredsaratoga.weebly.com; presented public lectures, and contributed to four of the past year’s Preservation Matters articles.
With the help of our dedicated volunteer docents, the Foundation hosted 13 walking tours, including one dog-friendly tour of North Broadway, as part of its Sunday Summer Strolls program. In addition, we hosted two tours of North Broadway for Skidmore College Celebration Weekend. More than 400 residents and visitors enjoyed learning about the rich history and unique architecture of Saratoga Springs through our tours.
As a member of the Saratoga 150 Committee, the Foundation hosted a Front Porch Decorating Contest. It was a fun way to join in the celebration of the Saratoga Race Course and highlight unique outdoor rooms that have long played a vital role in the social scene of Saratoga Springs. In addition, the Foundation presented “Saratoga at 150: The World’s Greatest Race Course?” in partnership with the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Paul Roberts, a director of London-based Turnberry Consulting who is an expert on international race course history and currently the Strategic Development Advisor of the New York Racing Association, reviewed the many race courses, their architecture and history, and assessed Saratoga place worldwide.
While we had many successes, the Foundation did have a significant loss this past year – the historic Winans-Crippen House, 66 Franklin Street. After advocating for the building and for the historic review process for five years, the building came down in November. Additional equipment was needed to demolish the building despite claims that the building was structurally unsafe. While it is disappointing that one of the last remaining examples of local prominent architect J. D. Stevens, who was responsible for the United States Hotel and the Grand Central Hotel, was lost, it was a far greater disappointment that the owner did not provide an acceptable post demolition plan that will mitigate the loss of a contributing structure of the Franklin Square – West Side Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The site remains vacant with a sign erected acknowledging the history of the building that no longer stands. The Foundation thanks George Carpinello of Boies Schiller and Flexner, LLP and Joan Walter for their pro bono work for the past three years.
66 Franklin Street, 2009
However, the case of the Winans-Crippen House brought attention to the need for a Vacant Building Registry in Saratoga Springs. Sixty-six Franklin Street was just one of over 50 historic primary structures that are currently vacant and endangered. The City of Saratoga Springs Department of Public Safety with assistance from the Foundation created a Vacant Building Registry which establishes a registration and periodic inspection system for vacant buildings in an effort to prevent demolition-by-neglect. The City Council adopted the Registry on Feb. 5, 2013, which requires vacant building owners to register their structure, provide contact information, allow inspection to ensure that the building complies with the NYS Property Maintenance Code and pay a fee. If the building does not meet the basic requirements of the NYS Property Maintenance Code the owner must provide a plan and timeline for compliance.
The city, working with the Foundation, was successful in obtaining a Certified Local Government grant, to resurvey the East Side Historic District to update the building information and photographs since the district was first listed on the National Register Historic Places in 1985. A focus of the grant will be to document accessory buildings and determine their historic significance. The updated survey will provide valuable information to the city, the Design Review Commission, and the Foundation for reviews of exterior changes. Work on this project will take place this spring and summer.
None of the many things that the Foundation does would be possible without our members, our dedicated volunteers, including our Board of Directors, donors – as every dollar counts, and the dedicated staff. I sincerely thank everyone who participated in our mission to preserve Saratoga Springs. It is an honor to be part of such an incredible community.
To learn more about the Foundation and to view the complete Annual Report visit our website, www.saratogapreservation.org.
Samantha Bosshart is executive director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, a not-for-profit membership-based organization founded in 1977 that promotes preservation and enhancement of the architectural, cultural, and landscaped heritage of Saratoga Springs.
This article originally appeared in The Saratogian February 7, 2014.