Last updated: April 5, 2024
Place
Saratoga Spa State Park
Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick Facts
Location:
vicinity of U.S. Route 9 and New York State Route 50, Saratoga Springs,New York
Significance:
Architecture, Conservation, Landscape Architecture, Medicine, Recreation
Designation:
85002357
The Saratoga Spa State Park is significant for its contribution to the development of the city of Saratoga Springs, for its role in the history of conservation, recreation, and medicine, and for the outstanding design of its buildings and landscaping. Visited for centuries because of their curative powers, the mineral springs of Saratoga were a primary factor in the nineteenth century development of Saratoga Springs as a fashionable resort. By the end of the century, however, the springs were being so heavily exploited as a source of carbonic gas that the watertable and ultimately the economy of Saratoga was threatened. Modern additions to the park were planned with sensitivity to the historic buildings, landscape plan, and mood of the park, and do not detract from its historic character. With the exception of the individually significant ca. 1835 Patrick-Latour Farm, the historic features of the park date from the early years of the state reservation, ca. 1910, through the end of the Spa development, ca. 1935. Its period of significance ranges from 1835-1935.