Preservation Foundation presents membersonly tour of City Hall for 150th anniversary
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation is presenting a tour of the newly renovated City Hall for its 150th anniversary.
The presentation and tour is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16 at Saratoga Springs Hall, located at 474 Broadway. The hour-long event will highlight the rich history of this local landmark as well as showcase the recent renovations that are now completed.
A presentation in the Music Hall will feature Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco, the department’s business manager Michael Veitch, and Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation executive director Samantha Bosshart. The presentation will be followed by a tour of select areas of the building.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the history of City Hall with our members nearly 150 years to the day it opened,” Bosshart said in a press release. “This exclusive presentation and tour is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history and architecture of this local landmark.”
A grand reception was held on Dec. 28, 1871 to celebrate the completion of the elaborate three-story Italianate building located at the prominent corner of Broadway and Lake Avenue. Many changes have been made to the building over the years including a major rehabilitation following the lightning strike on Aug. 17, 2018. With the oversight of Veitch, who served as the project manager for the renovations, the extensive project was completed within two years of the lighting strike.
“This was a special rehabilitation to undertake and we are proud of everyone who was involved,” Scirocco said in the release. “Due to COVID we were unable to commemorate these efforts, so we look forward to this special event as a chance to recognize this project with the Foundation’s members as well as share about the improvements made and the historic features that were preserved. It was the attention to detail, especially in the public spaces, that was most important to me during the restoration.”
This program is limited to 30 Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation members and tickets are $35 each. Proceeds from this tour help to underwrite the foundation’s mission to preserve and enhance the architectural, cultural and landscaped heritage of Saratoga Springs. To join or make a reservation, call the foundation at (518) 587-5030, visit www.saratogapreservation.org, or email Nicole Babie, membership and programs director, at nbabie@saratogapreservation.org.