Saratoga Springs Notes #2 Saratoga Springs Notes #2

Like Cambridge, nearby Saratoga Springs has a rich heritage of historic buildings, some converted to great new uses. Just like Bean Heads Coffee House occupies a beautiful building that used to be a bank, in Saratoga Springs, some people joined together to form a not-for-profit (and non-religious) corporation to save the Universal Baptist Church building at 25 Washington Street and transform it into a significant and high quality meeting, event and performance space. Last Tuesday, a fundraising auction was held, and the public got its first opportunity to see the work that has been done on the Saratoga Springs Universal Preservation Hall. The Universal Preservation Hall will open in the fall of 2006, and it will be exciting to see how this old but new assest to the community develops.

And starting tomorrow, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation will be hosting its annual Preservation 360 Conference. On March 17 and 18, 2006, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation presents a wide-ranging program including workshops on restoration topics including:
Great American Architects and Architectural Styles
Building Codes and Historic Preservation
New Uses for Old Buildings
What Makes a Great Downtown?
Introduction to Historic Preservation Law
Training for Historic Review Commissions
Using Historic Preservation and New Markets Tax Credits
Slate Roofs, Windows, Porches – How To’s
Restoring, Maintaining and Funding the Preservation of Sacred Spaces

I will report back next week!

On a related topic, cultural tourism, you may be interested in this report: Cultural/Heritage Tourism: Opportunity, Impact, and Implications. Certainly there are some valuable cultural resources such as the Rice Mansion in Cambridge, NY.