A Look at Saratoga Springs, NY Architecture

Welcome to Saratoga Springs' oldest area

Here's a Look at Saratoga Springs, NY Architecture from my weekend visit in October.

WHAT IS GREEK REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE?

Greek Revival architecture in Saratoga Springs

According to Britannica.com: Greek Revival, architectural style, based on 5th-century-bc Greek temples, which spread throughout Europe and the United States during the first half of the 19th century. The main reasons for the style’s popularity seem to have been the general intellectual preoccupation with ancient Greek culture at the time, as well as a new awareness of the actual nature of Greek art brought about through widely circulated illustrations of notable ancient temples and the Elgin Marbles. The growing recognition of the Parthenon in Athens as a major monument helped secure the dominance of this Grecian form

Sign marking the former location of the Winans-Crippen House

WHAT IS THE WINAN'S CRIPPENS HOUSE? -   Franklin Square was one of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods at the time local merchant David Winans commissioned noted architect J.D. Stevens, who had designed the United States and Grand Union Hotels on Broadway, to design his new home he would build in 1871 at 66 Franklin Street that became known as the Winan-Crippens House.

Greek Revival Architecture

DEMOLISHED -  Today, the Winans-Crippens House is an empty lot located at 66 Franklin Street  in the Franklin Square Historic District.

The Winans-Crippen House, had long been at the center of a dispute with the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation to preserve the structure (was was in disrepair).   Demolition of the historic Winans-Crippen House at 66 Franklin Street began in November 2013, bringing to a close the long debate in Saratoga Springs as to whether the building warranted preservation.

Quick Visit: Saratoga Springs, NY

Saratoga Springs, NY City Hall

The fall colors on Oct. 5 were great!

Back in the first weekend of October, I (Rob) traveled to upstate New York for a  weekend to do a benefit for the Adirondack Save a Stray rescue. I posted a blog about the event, and one about Glens Falls, NY, the town it was located in, but forgot to share pictures from Saratoga Springs, NY. This is a really neat town, famous for it's relationship to horse racing. 

The downtown has quaint shops

  The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 200 years. The city is just north of Albany.  SOME HISTORY: The picturesque area was occupied by the Algonquian-speaking Mahican Indians before they were pushed out by European settlement, both Dutch and English colonists. The English built Fort Saratoga in 1691 on the west bank of the Hudson River. The current village of Schuylerville, New York was settled about a

Lots of dog shops- a dog town!

mile south by English colonists shortly after the fort; it was known as Saratoga until 1831.
  In 1863, Saratoga Race Course opened, moving to its current location the following year. Horse racing and its associated betting greatly increased the city's attraction as a tourist destination at a time when horse racing was a popular national spectator sport.

A little history of the area -a a Square named after our dog Franklin :)

NEXT A LOOK AT THE ARCHITECTURE IN SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY

Beautiful flowers in the downtown area

Historic old homes

   

Nice architecture

Nice neighborhoods