Reviving History: The Restoration of 65 Phila Street
For those attending the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation Historic Homes Tour last weekend, excitement was in the air to see the beautifully-restored home at 65 Phila Street. Having been put on the market the day before by Sheila Sperling, Lic. Real Estate Salesperson, Saturday morning was the first time most members of the public were getting a chance for an up-close look at this historic home.
Just three years before, the house was dilapidated and considered a blight on the neighborhood. Originally built in 1851, 65 Phila was owned by Alexander A. Patterson, an Irish immigrant who constructed the house in the Greek Revival style. At that time, it featured a gable roof and a front door with sidelights and transom. In the 1870s, it was remodeled into an Italianate style with a hip roof and ornate, full-width porch with turned wood columns and balustrade.
After Alexander Patterson passed, the Patterson family sold the home in the 1940s. The house served as a Jewish boarding house for a time, complete with a mikvah and divided, small bedrooms with individual sinks.
In May 2021, the Foundation was able to purchase 65 Phila, with the assistance of an investor and member, with representation by Katherine LaTerra, Lic. Associate Real Estate Broker of Julie & Co. Realty. Since then, what a transformation has taken place! The Foundation sought to preserve the architectural and historical legacy of the property, as well as remove as many future challenges for the home’s next owners as possible.
They were able to retain the original Greek Revival woodwork in the front rooms; the brick floor and gas light fixtures in the basement; the cornices, decorative brackets, and six-over-six and two-over-two windows; and front columns and turned wood balustrades.
In addition to all the original features that they retained, the Foundation was also able to stabilize the structure over the east extension by pouring a new concrete slab and adding a new floor, wall, and roof structure within the preexisting exterior walls. They installed new standing seam metal roofs, a new rubber membrane roof over the east extension, and rebuilt the front porch, complete with a new beadboard stained ceiling and mahogany decking.
Last year at the Historic Homes Tour, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation held a vote for the new colors to paint the exterior of 65 Phila. The historically accurate creamy yellow, light green, and mauve looks beautiful on the outside of the now-available home!
Julie & Co. Realty, along with many others, has been honored to sponsor the restoration of this home. The property is a fantastic blueprint of what historically-accurate property rehabilitation can look like when the assistance and support of a whole community comes together, from local nonprofit organizations to businesses and craftspeople.
Julie Bonacio, Broker/Owner of Julie & Co. Realty, exclaimed “Sonny and I were so happy to have had our home on the Preservation Historic tour this year along with several others – including 65 Phila! Samantha Bosshart and her team do such an amazing job with preserving these iconic properties and educating the public… which is what makes Saratoga Springs so special.”
Sheila Sperling welcomed tour-goers to 65 Phila Saturday morning, where the public had the opportunity to see all the work that had been done by the Foundation. While the exterior has been gorgeously restored, she said “The interior has been gutted, providing a blank canvas for new owners to create living spaces tailored to their own individual style and needs. All that remains is their personal touch to complete this much-desired jewel in the center of the city!”
To learn more about 65 Phila Street, listed for $629,000, take a look at the property listing here. For more information, please contact Sheila Sperling, Lic. Real Estate Salesperson, at c: 518.424.9090 or Sheila@JulieCoRealty.com
About the Author
By: Rachel Valerio
Exclusive for JulieCoRealty.com