Courtesy Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation
The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation received a $50,000 contribution from The Carruth Foundation, a Texas-based organization, to help underwrite the rehabilitation of 65 Phila St., the long-neglected Alexander A. Patterson House.
The Foundation purchased the 1851 Italianate residence on May 21, 2021, to preserve the building that had been on its endangered list since its inception in 1998.
“The Carruth Foundation does not normally make donations to out-of-state projects. But, we believe the Phila Street rehabilitation is very important to maintaining the history and integrity of Saratoga Springs and all it represents,” said Zane and Brady Carruth. The Carruths, who live in Texas, started coming to Saratoga Springs because of the Saratoga Race Course. They have since purchased a historic residence in the city.
“We are most grateful for this unexpected gift that will help us achieve one of our long-term strategic goals to partake in a rehabilitation of an endangered building,” said Samantha Bosshart, Foundation executive director. “With overwhelming generosity from the Carruth Foundation, individuals, and businesses, thus far we have raised nearly $150,000 in donations and grants, which is half of our $300,000 goal.”
According to the Foundation, Alexander A. Patterson built the house at 65 Phila Street in 1851. He was an Irish immigrant whose listed professions included builder, architect, and later owner of the Patterson Mineral Spring Pavilion located at 22, 24, and 26 Phila St. The Patterson family remained in the home for 90 years. Later, the Congregation Bais Moishe Inc. in Brooklyn owned 65 Phila St. for more than 30 years, using it as a summer residence.
It is believed that at one time there was a mikveh, a Jewish ritual bath, located on the property. The house is important because of its associations with early development of the city, spring waters, and the Jewish community.
The Foundation will “remove the challenges associated with the building”—environmental remediation, structural stabilization—and complete an exterior restoration so that it can be sold to a future owner who will complete the interior and serve as a good steward of the home, the group said. Any potential proceeds raised from the sale of the property will be reinvested a future preservation project that will benefit the community.
On Feb. 16, Bosshart and project architect Matt Hurff presented an application for the extensive exterior restoration, which includes restoring the clapboard siding, windows, doors, roof, decorative details, and the porch, using the original columns and balustrades that were found inside the house, to the city’s Design Review Commission (DRC).
At the meeting, DRC chair Tamie Ehinger said, “We are all well aware of this particular structure and its history and its significance of the changes that you are proposing and I think that not only the Design Review Commission, but the entire city applauds your efforts in restoring this very important building.”
The DRC granted unanimous approval for the proposed work.
“It is exciting for the Foundation to go through the process of seeking approvals from the city. Not only does the rehabilitation at 65 Phila St. show our mission in action, but it allows us to be a better resource for historic property owners in the future by experiencing the process ourselves,” said Adam Favro, president of the Foundation.
Prior to seeking DRC approval, the Revive 65 Committee completed an evaluation of the existing conditions of the building, including an environmental assessment and a window survey.
Visit www.saratogapreservation.org or call (518) 587-5030 for more information.