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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20220031 182 Excelsior Zoning Amendment Presentation1869 Henry Lawrence House 182 Excelsior Avenue City Landmark Designation Valley of Ten Springs In 1794 John and Ziba Taylor,brothers from Connecticut,opened the first store in the village of Saratoga Springs and subsequently established sawmills near the outlet of Loughberry Creek. In 1814 a group of springs to be known as The Ten Springs was discovered on land the Taylors owned northeast of present-day High Rock Park and north of Lake Avenue. In 1819-1820,the Taylors built the Mansion House,a seasonal boarding establishment on land known as the Valley of Ten Springs and later referred to as Excelsior Park. In 1829,New York City merchant Henry Haydock Lawrence (1791-1861)purchased the Valley of Ten Springs in 1829.He had business interests in the area as early as 1824 when he served as President of the Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad Company. In 1858,Henry Haydock Lawrence’s son,Henry (1832-1882),retubed and bottled the water from Excelsior Spring and sold it worldwide.He is credited with using hydrostatic pressure to pump water from a depth of 56 feet,without compromising its quality.He also retubed Union Spring in 1865 and sold it in bottles and tin-lined thirty-gallon barrels.(Saratoga:Queen of Spas)In 1866,his brother,Albert R.Lawrence received a U.S.Patent for a ”Soda-Water Apparatus”that added a small amount of tartaric acid with the mineral water,an improvement that prevented sediment in mineral waters. Excelsior Park Congress Park, 1826 Impressed with the success of John Clarke’s development of Congress Park,which included springs,a pleasure pavilion,park and lots for real estate development, Henry Lawrence created Excelsior Park in 1868-1869.It was at that time that he built his private residence at the southeast corner of what is now Excelsior and Excelsior Springs avenues. Lawrence laid out 100 building lots along Excelsior Spring Avenue,from Lake Avenue to the eastern shore of Excelsior Lake,today known as Loughberry Lake. Excelsior Park was described as “Saratoga’s most conscious attempt at a garden suburb.” It included a tree-lined walk through the Valley of the Ten Springs to his pavilion and bottling plant,a hotel called the Mansion House,Henry’s residence,and the building lots. Only a few building lots were sold,one of them being the lot where Sarah F.Smiley, who in 1872 built a small cottage at 166 Excelsior Avenue in the same Gothic Revival style as Henry Lawrence’s house. Excelsior Spring Excelsior Spring 182 Excelsior Avenue Henry Lawrence Residence 166 Excelsior Avenue Smiley-Bracket Cottage City Landmark 1869 Henry Lawrence House The Gothic Revival style was popularized by Andrew Jackson Downing.He published Cottage Residences (1842)and The Architecture of Country Houses (1850).Alexander Jackson Davis designed and drew the illustrations featured. Gothic Revival Style is characterized by: •Steeply pitched roofs -typically a side-gabled roof with a prominent center gable •Wall surfaces extend into the gable without break •Bay windows •Windows often extend into gables,frequently pointed-arch (Gothic) shape 182 Excelsior Avenue still retains its decorative patterned slate roof.However,the porch does not appear to be original. Carriage house was built in the same architectural style. 1869 Henry Lawrence House 1900 Sanborn Map, Corrected 1954 1869 Henry Lawrence House The property at 182 Excelsior Avenue is eligible for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Excelsior Park 1873 L. H. Cramer Map of Excelsior Park, Saratoga Springs Excelsior Park 1873 L. H. Cramer Map of Excelsior Park, Saratoga Springs 1873 Advertisement Waterworks & Reservoir 91st Session of the New York State Legislature, May 4, 1868 “An act to amend the charter of Saratoga Springs, passed March twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, and for the purpose of securing a supply of pure and wholesome water for the use of said village.” Similar acts were passed in 1866 and 1869. An amended act was passed February 28, 1870 that created a 15 member commission of construction to “determine the best mode for obtaining a supply of water” for the village, including land purchases and all necessary construction contracts. Village of Saratoga Springs Board of Trustees, April 4, 1870 “A proper supply of water is needed for sanitary purposes, it is essential to the efficient working of our Fire Department, and for fire insurance rates.” Waterworks & Reservoir Report of the Water Commissioners to the Hon. Board of Trustees of the Village of Saratoga Springs, July 28, 1870 "To the Water Commissioners of Saratoga Springs: We hereby offer to the village of Saratoga Springs the Excelsior Lake with all our rights of overflow to high water mark and our interest in the dam and all our right to have the same kept water tight by the R.R. Co., with the exclusive control of said lake, and the privilege of going along the shore thereof for the purpose of making necessary repairs and improvements, together with sufficient land south of the embankment for the water works and operations connected therewith, not exceeding 3 acres, for the sum of twenty thousand dollars. In case said commissioners desire not exceeding four acres more than above mentioned, adjoining said three acres we will also convey the same at $500 per acre, within six months. The building stone now on the ground are to belong to said village. Signed HENRY LAWRENCE, A. R. LAWRENCE, & Co. Dated July 28, 1870” “The Commissioners voted unanimously to accept this proposition provided a perfect title could be had and afterwards voted to purchase the remainder of land between the Rail Road and Geneva street and between the Tompkins Road and the Brook. The quantity of land finally conveyed to the Village exclusive of the Lake was 7.55/100 acres. Total consideration $22,775, to which was added for interest $222.41 making the total $22,497.41 as per Voucher ‘No. 196’.” The Plattsburgh Sentinel, August 12, 1870 The Water Commissioners of Saratoga have made a contract with the Holly Company of Lockport to put in the required machinery for the new village water works, at a cost of about $35,000.The water is to be taken from "Excelsior lake."For this privilege the village pays $20,000. --The entire cost of the new water works will be about $80,000. Excelsior Park 1895 Map of Excelsior Park Henry Lawrence’s Legacy Henry Lawrence Henry Lawrence died at the age of 50 when he drowned in Lake George. The Saratoga Sentinel,August 10,1882 Obituary: He came here to reside after the death of his father,over twenty years ago,and with his cousin,A.R.Lawrence,devoted himself to the improvement and development of the Ten springs property.Although his cousin Albert R.was the nominal head of the firm,Henry Lawrence came to be the real worker.They excavated and re-tubed two of the Ten Springs on their property,one of which they named the Union and the other the Excelsior.Henry,after much labor and investigation,managed to find a way of shipping mineral water in tin-lined barrels,in which he soon secured a large trade. Besides working for his own benefit,in improving the Ten Springs property,Mr. Lawrence has shown a public spirit in looking after the affairs of the community generally,and was one of the commissioners who superintended the building of the main sewer in this village. His death is a loss to the whole community. Caroline Lawrence Caroline,Henry’s wife,was a woman of early community action. According to Saratoga Springs:A Centennial, Saratoga women also became involved in temperance and woman’s rights,associating with larger national movements.As early as the 1820s,American women began to join temperance societies in response to high levels of alcohol consumption by men.Male drunkenness had a disastrous impact on women’s and children’s financial stability,so the temperance movement became inexorably linked to issues of women’s rights.By the 1840s women began organizing independent female temperance organizations and by the 1870s regional and national organizations like the New York State Woman’s Temperance Society,the Woman’s Crusade,and the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union were well supported. The Saratoga Springs chapter of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union was organized on March 17, 1874 with over 200 people attending the inaugural meeting.Mrs.Henry R.Lawrence was elected president.She also served as the president of the Bible Readers Society and vice president of the Saratoga Humane Society,which sought the protection of children and animals. Caroline continued to own 182 Excelsior Avenue and she continued to reside at the property until her death.At times she was listed as the proprietor of Excelsior and Union springs and periodically she was listed as living in Chicago and Philadelphia. Frank W. Lawrence On May 17,1888,acting as executrix and trustee of Henry’s estate,Caroline sold her husband’s extensive real estate holdings to their son Frank W.Lawrence. Throughout the years Frank as well as other family members managed different aspects of Excelsior Park –Excelsior and Union springs,Mansion House,and Excelsior Spring Park Cottage. Prior to 1900,Frank W.Lawrence,drilled the Quevic Spring,located near Excelsior Spring and named it after Queen Victoria,whom he admired.It was advertised as the “Queen of Spring Waters.”Frank passed away in 1939. Following his death,his daughter Emily Lawrence Smith operated Quevic Company for 11 years.In 1951,she sold Quevic Spring to Carl E.Touhey. Lawrence Family The Lawrence family maintained various business interests in Excelsior Park,beginning with Excelsior Spring and Union Spring,1858-59,and continuing with Quevic Spring,the Mansion Hotel,C.W.Bank Supplies (later C.W. Printing)in the park for over 100 years. In 1888 a printing company named C.W.Lawrence Bank Supplies opened that provided banks with money bags, coin wrappers and office supplies.The business,which grew to include a separate C.W.Lawrence Printing Co., was located in Excelsior Park.The printing business left family hands around 1954,but remained in operation as C.W.Lawrence Printing until 1970. The property at 182 Excelsior Avenue remained in the Lawrence family until Emily Lawrence Smith,the great granddaughter of Henry Haydock Lawrence sold it to Stanley and Elsie Bogan in 1948. Today,Spring Run Trail runs through the original Excelsior Park. Comparison 2005 to 2023 Louisiana Management Company acquired the property in 2004. “PRIME Location! Rare Opportunity in the City of Saratoga are Opportunity in the City of Saratoga Springs! Existing 8 unit property on 2.49 acres. Great location to be redeveloped into apartments or Condos. Zoning allows for Mid rise apartments or condos. Develop and build to sell or add more rental units to the existing multifamily building. You could also renovate the existing house to a magnificent single family home w additional rental income from the detached carriage house. Great Site. Easy access to downtown, highways etc. Site Borders the Spring Run Trail. Public utilities available. Property provides great income with the opportunity to expand. Many Possibilities.” Real Estate Listing Developer’s Sketch Plan #1 Initial site plan submitted called for the removal of the 1869 Henry Lawrence House and associated accessory structures to construct 36 units. Developer’s Sketch Plan #2 Most recently submitted site plan proposes to move the Henry Lawrence House and the carriage house closer to the street and construct 36 new units –three buildings with 12 units each.The two historic structures would be developed into six condos and the property would be subdivided into two parcels.In total the property would have 42 units on the site. Reasons for City Landmark Designation The property is significant for its architecture and associations with people who played an important role in the development of Saratoga Springs. A City Landmark designation would honor and preserve our community’s history. The property is eligible for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Currently there is NO protection against demolition or insensitive alterations. The current owner could alter or demolish the historic structures without any land use board review. An advisory opinion from the Design Review Board is just that -“advisory!” It does not provide the oversight and enforcement -“teeth” -to ensure that the property is preserved. City Landmark designation does not preclude development of the site. It allows the Design Review Board to review the design and materials of the historic buildings, if moved or in their current locations, as well as review the design and materials of the proposed new construction to ensure that the property is developed in a way that preserves the historic character of the site.