Petrified Sea Gardens, also once known as Ritchie Park, is a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

on Petrified Sea Gardens Road in

Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. It preserves a bed of ancient

stromatolites Stromatolites () or stromatoliths () are layered sedimentary formations (microbialite) that are created mainly by photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria, and Pseudomonadota (formerly proteobacteria). The ...

in a

Cambrian The Cambrian Period ( ; sometimes symbolized C with bar, Ꞓ) was the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 53.4 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran Period 538.8 million ...

rock layer, which were the first to be recognized and understood for what they are. The site was a private park open to the public for many years, but is now closed. The site was designated a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

in 1967, and a National Historic Landmark in 1999.

Description and history

The Petrified Sea Gardens site is located at 42 Petrified Sea Gardens Road, about north of N.Y. 29, in far western

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

. The site is about in size, although the outcrops of interest occupy only about of the largely wooded site. The outcrops are a part of a larger geological formation known as the

Hoyt Limestone The Hoyt Limestone is a Formation (stratigraphy), geologic formation in New York (state), New York. It preserves fossils of the Cambrian Period (geology), period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in New York References

...

, which is also exposed in Lester Park, a public park operated by the

New York State Museum The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, United States. It is located on Madison Avenue, attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza, facing onto the plaza and towards the New York State Capitol. ...

about north of this site. Although stromatolites can be found more widely, they are rarely exposed in this area because of later glacial action. The structures now identified as stromatolites, which are marine algae growths, were first identified on this site in 1825, but what they were was unknown and the subject of scientific debate. James Hall (1811–1898), the first State Paleontologist of New York, identified them as being organic and placed stromatolites in a new genus. Pioneering female paleontologist Winifred Goldring (1888–1971), was the first to identify the creatures responsible for creating the structures found, and described those found here among the finest surviving specimens. Samples from this site were later compared to stromatolites of more recent construction found in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. In 1924, Robert F. Ritchie, a stonemason and amateur geologist who owned the property, opened a park to show them to the public. and The site was a childhood inspiration for paleontologists

Stephen Jay Gould Stephen Jay Gould (; September 10, 1941 – May 20, 2002) was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He was one of the most influential and widely read authors of popular science of his generation. Gould sp ...

. The site was most recently open as an educational site operated by a non-profit, the Friends of Petrified Sea Gardens until 2006. It is currently closed to the public.

References

External links

Museums USA about the site
{{authority control National Historic Landmarks in New York (state) National Natural Landmarks in New York (state) Parks in Saratoga County, New York National Register of Historic Places in Saratoga County, New York Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)