Saratoga Springs Unique Architecture: Victorian & Georgian Influences

August 07, 2024

Whether you grew up in the Saratoga Region or found it later in life, you’re sure to remember your first time driving down North Broadway or Union Avenue. Each street lined with historic homes, all grand in stature and kept so well that you half expect a gentleman in 1850’s Victorian garb to walk out and grab his mail. Join me on discovering how these houses came to be and how the local government protects their magic.

Source: George S. Bolster Collection

The History of Saratoga’s Stunning Homes

While countless humans have left their mark on Saratoga, we owe a lot of today’s beauty to one man: Gideon Putnam. In 1789 at 25-years old he built a log cabin across from a freshwater spring. He noted the valuable mineral water and healthy timber and decided he would build a great house for his growing family. Just a few years later he set up a sawmill, started selling his timber to New York City, and the business grew to be the foundation of Saratoga’s early economy. Ten years after the mill opened, he built and opened Saratoga’s first hotel and began its tourism industry. Locals nicknamed the 3-story hotel, ‘Putnam’s Folly’, on account of its pretentiousness, plus his optimism and ambition. However the naysayer’s would be proven wrong, as the bell of ingenuity Putnam rung way back then still reverberates across this city. Bouncing off the homes lining the streets he laid, and ringing through the springs he discovered.

203 Union Ave

Victorian & Georgian Influenced Homes You Can See Today

Since the time of the Putnam family, Saratoga’s architecture has grown and developed through times. Some of the most stunning local homes were influenced by the Victorian and Georgian eras. Below are a few homes you can see driving around town that will teleport you to these ornate eras.

  • 767 North Broadway – This home features many grand and ornate Victorian features, like its side gables and steep roof.
  • 649 North Broadway – A beautiful Italianate with square features that were popular in Victorian era Italy.
  • 20 Circular Street – The Batcheller Mansion Inn is famous for it’s gorgeous Victorian silhouette, plus you can even spend a night inside this piece of history!
65 Phila Street

Owning Your Own Piece of History

By now you might be wondering how one ends up owning a gorgeous historic Saratoga home. Lucky for you Julie & Co. has multiple listing for stunning homes that are the epitome of Saratoga!

  • 65 Phila Street: This home has been meticulously restored with the support of the Saratoga Preservation Foundation and is full of potential!
  • 203 Union Avenue: Currently operating as a Bed & Breakfast, this 1887 historic home is filled with beautiful historic features like its ornate stained glass.
  • 589 North Broadway: This listing is a gorgeous modern home, but it sits among greatness on the historic North Broadway. Who knows, maybe someone will be writing about it’s preserved beauty another 200 years from now.

 

Now one day when you step onto your ornate Victorian porch, looking over this beautiful city, you’ll know it was all made possible by Gideon Putnam and the local boards that have kept his vision alive.

 

 

About the Author

By: Ericka Wadleigh
Exclusive for JulieCoRealty.com