News - Rebuilding the Mill

In Saratoga Springs, one of the most important buildings in the early 1900s was almost lost due to disrepair and neglect.

The Van Raalte Mill went from a thriving place of work for more than 800 people to a downtrodden, vacant structure and back again with the help of local businessmen who cared enough to save a historic site in Saratoga Springs

The Van Raalte Mill was one of the main attractions of High Rock Avenue as in the early 1900s as new business moved into Saratoga Springs, helping to give the city another reason to be on the map.

Joseph Clarke, owner of Clarke Textiles in Sidney, NY, wanted to expand his business and bring it to Saratoga Springs. In 1905, Clarke had the textile mill built on High Rocke Avenue and opened his second shop. In 1919, the textile company was purchased by Emanuel and Zealie Van Raalte and became what is known today as the Van Raalte Mill. According to Saratoga Springs Historian MaryAnn Fitzgerald, the High Rock Avenue and Excelsior Avenue area thrived as a place to live, work and play for many residents of Saratoga Springs and the surrounding areas.

“People lived their lives there. They worked and socialized and cared about each other,” Fitzgerald said. “If someone was out of work due to illness or even having a baby, the workers took up funds to help out the employee who was out of work.”

In its heyday, the company employed more than 800 people and shipped out more than $1 million worth of inventory to “10,000 establishments in all 48 states and virtually all foreign countries outside of the Iron Curtain,” stated a newspaper article from November 1951 found at the Saratoga Springs Historians Office. Not only was the mill important for the number of people it employed, but the products they produced were of high quality and the name was known world-wide.

Because the mill was thriving, so did the area of Excelsior Avenue. Many of the people living in the area worked at Van Raalte Mill, Fitzgerald said.

“People walked to and from work, it was a social area of town and it was very close to Broadway,” she said.

A unique feature to the area that is no longer here today is Willow Walk, a street lined with Willow trees that made for a romantic “lovers lane,” which is now High Rock Avenue. The trees were planted during the 1800’s but were never replanted when they reached their lifespan, which is almost 100 years. Willow Walk led walkers to High Rock Spring and was a place for curious children to search for old Native American relics such as arrowheads, knives and handmade tools.

“Just having people walking around the neighborhood made it a flourishing place where everyone wanted to be,” Fitzgerald added.

This trend continued until operations at the mill began to change in 1975 when the Van Raalte’s sold the mill to former workers who wanted to keep the operation running, as it was a lifelong career for many people. The mill then became Saratoga Textile Incorporated and was open until March 15, 1986 when Falk Fiber and Fabrics (FFF), based in Greensboro, NC, bought the mill simply to take the parts from the mill and move them to southern states where the textile industry was booming.

“They bought the mill for cheap, took the parts and left the building,” Fitzgerald said.

The mill was then sought out to become condominiums by developer Bruce Levinsky; however, the project died when PCBs were found within the building. The building was then left for 13 years to fall into disrepair and become an area blight. In 1995, FFF was cited for letting the building become an unoccupied hazard and was ordered to clean it up. Minimal work was done and the building still sat in disrepair after PCBs were removed.

In 1999, Roohan Realty owner Tom Roohan and Bonacio Construction owner Sonny Bonacio purchased the building from FFF, with both men remembering the success that the mill once had with hopes to bring it back from ruin and give the mill a new life.

“It was something I drove by all the time, and at one point more than 800 people worked there,” Roohan said. “It was just a shame to see it sitting there.”

The building had numerous structural problems with disrepair, crumbling bricks, and a leaky roof, along with being a place for homeless squatters and a dangerous eyesore, he added.

“Things just happened at the right time. With Sonny’s expertise and my ability to find tenants to rent out the space, we knew we could do something great with the mill,” Roohan said.

The whole neighborhood seemed to go under a renovation while the mill was being redone. Row houses were built as condos, the Saratoga Preservation Foundation build the Farmer’s Market Pavilion, trees were planted and already existing buildings began to clean up their operations as well.

“A lot happened in the neighborhood to bring it back to the life it had in its early days,” Roohan said. “That’s a lot to say for that neighborhood and the people who lived and worked there.”

The Van Raalte Mill is now the home to Saratoga Technology Accelerator and Flow Management Technologies Inc., as well as Global Fitness and Country Corner Café.

“A lot of good came from rebuilding the space. It brought new jobs to the area and has returned to being a bright spot in Saratoga Springs overall,” Roohan said.