Saratoga’s 65 Phila Street Preservation Work Complete

The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation has announced the rehabilitation of 65 Phila Street in Saratoga Springs is complete and the building is ready for a new owner. The non-profit rescued the 1851 Alexander A. Patterson House from neglect in 2021.

“It is so exciting to see the transformation of 65 Phila Street and see the for-sale sign placed out in front of the house,” said Executive Director Samantha Bosshart. “I honestly can’t believe it is happening! The Foundation advocated for preserving this building and its’ neighbor at 69 Phila Street since 1998 and at times I was not optimistic that they would be preserved,” she said.

In 1998, the Foundation included 65 Phila Street and 69 Phila Street on its inaugural endangered property list due to their poor condition. In 2021, the owners sought to demolish both structures after nearly two decades of neglect.

The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation vocally opposed the owners’ proposals of demolition in order to construct new buildings. The owners later withdrew the application to demolish 69 Phila Street because they had sold it to a young couple who would preserve the house.

In March of 2021, the Design Review Commission, today known as the Design Review Board, unanimously denied the proposal to demolish 65 Phila Street. Two months later, Mark Haworth, an investor and a member of the Foundation, assisted the non-profit with the purchase of 65 Phila Street by providing the necessary low-interest financing for the property.

The intent of the Foundation’s ownership was to remove the challenges associated with the property – complete environmental remediation, interior demolition, structural stabilization, and exterior restoration – so that a future owner could complete the interior and be a good steward of the home.

Beyond preserving the architecture and history of the building and removing challenges for future owners, the non-profit sought to remove the long-standing blight to the neighborhood; prevent the property from being a further drain on the city’s resources; and once the rehabilitation is completed, increase property tax revenue to the city, providing important support for police, fire, schools, and infrastructure improvements.

Since 2021, the Foundation has undertaking environmental abatement, structural stabilization, and an exterior restoration. The structural stabilization largely centered around the east extension where the roof had collapsed causing the interior walls and floor to collapse. A new concrete slab was poured, and a new floor, wall, and roof structure was constructed within the existing exterior walls of the east extension.

The exterior restoration included: installing new standing seam metal roofs for the main structure and front porch as well as a new rubber membrane roof for the east extension; restoring the cornices, decorative brackets, and historic windows; scraping, priming, and painting the exterior in historically appropriate paint colors; rebuilding much of the structure of the front porch; installing a new beadboard stained ceiling and mahogany decking; restoring the original porch columns and turned wood balustrades that had been removed; restoring the beautiful chestnut front door; and completing an extensive clean up and sitework.

The Foundation also replaced the deteriorated temporary panels at the rear of the house in anticipation of a future owner wanting to construct an addition. One of the final touches is the historic lattice that Saratoga Joinery, a community woodworking shop with a mission to make woodworking accessible to all, built as their first community project.

The Foundation listed the property for sale for $629,000 with Sheila Sperling at Julie & Co. Realty.

Founded in 1977, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the preservation and enhancement of the architectural, cultural, and landscaped heritage of Saratoga Springs. To learn more visit www.saratogapreservation.org.

Photos: 65 Phila Street in Saratoga Springs after restoration, 2024; and before restoration (provided).