HomeMy WebLinkAbout20250625 106 Van Dam St. Exterior Modifications SSPF LetterBoard of Directors
Michele M. Funiciello
President
Christopher Armer
Vice President
Linda L. Harvey
Secretary
Stephen Kyne
Treasurer
Tiffany Blair
Molly Brindle
Joseph DeLeva
Steven Dodds
Giovanna D’Orazio
James Gold
John Haller
Alex Kammler
Vincent LaTerra
Samantha Nass
Michelle Paquette-Deuel
Sheila Sperling
Jason Thomas
Roger Woody
James Kettlewell
emeritus
Staff
Samantha Bosshart
Executive Director
Dianne Winter
Development Director
Stephanie Hadley
Administrative Assistant
Patricia Herrick
Bookkeeper
September 24, 2025
Ms. Tamie Ehinger, Chair
Design Review Board
City Hall
474 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
RE: 106 Van Dam – Exterior Alterations
Dear Tamie:
The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation reviewed the application for exterior
alterations at 106 Van Dam Street.
The front gable house is located in an Architectural Review District and is a contributing
building to the West Side Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic
Places. Based on preliminary research, the house was built between 1866 and 1876. It
first appears on the 1876 Louis Cramer Map. The 1889 Sanborn Map, the first Sanborn
Map to show 106 Van Dam Street, and the 1895 Sanborn Map do not show a front porch.
The front porch first appears on the 1900 Sanborn Map (see attached).
Over time, inappropriate alterations were made, including cladding the house with vinyl
siding and replacing the windows. However, the front porch retains its historic appearance.
The Foundation recommends that the applicant restore the wood shingle cladding rather
than replacing the vinyl siding in-kind. It does not support the removal of the existing
historic porch. The porch should be repaired in-kind as it helps to tell the story of the
evolution of the building.
This property is eligible for New York State Historic Homeownership Tax Credits, which
could help offset the costs of restoring the wood shingle cladding and the front porch as
well as many other repairs, interior and exterior.
The Foundation thanks the owner for their investment in their property.
Thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
Michele Funiciello Samantha Bosshart
President Executive Director
Cc: Ryan Burke and Morgan Esperti Burke, Applicant
Julia Destino, Planner, City of Saratoga Springs
Susan Barden, Administrator OPED, City of Saratoga Springs
112 Spring Street, Suite 203
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
(518) 587-5030
www.saratogapreservation.org
1876 Louis H. Cramer Map
1889 Sanborn Map— does not show a front porch.
1895 Sanborn Map— does not show a front porch.
1900 Sanborn Map—shows a front porch.
1900 Sanborn Map Corrected to 1948—shows the front porch.,