The Saratoga Springs History Museum 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 * '' ...

, United States, is located inside the historic

Canfield Casino Canfield Casino and Congress Park is a site in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It was formerly the site of the Congress Hotel (also called Congress Hall), a large resort hotel, and the Congress Spring Bottling Plant, as well as Canfie ...

. The museum's collection focuses on the cultural history of Saratoga Springs.

The Saratoga Springs History Museum

The Saratoga Springs History Museum was founded in October 1883 as "The Historical Society of Saratoga, including the Upper Hudson, Lake George and Lake Champlain." The first president was Joseph William Drexel The museum has been located in the Casino, built in 1870, since 1911 and is open to visitors year round. Its large collection of historical documents, photographs, artworks and objects relating to the history of Saratoga Springs is open to researchers and the general public. The museum's permanent collection is augmented by temporary exhibits. The museum encompasses the ''Bolster Collection'' of historic photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries and the ''Walworth Memorial Museum'', objects and records from the family of

Reuben Hyde Walworth Reuben Hyde Walworth (October 26, 1788 – November 27, 1867) was an American lawyer, jurist and politician. Although nominated three times to the United States Supreme Court by President John Tyler in 1844, the U.S. Senate never attempted a ...

Archival collections

The George S. Bolster Collection encompasses 375,000 negatives of photographs taken in and around the city of Saratoga Springs from 1855 to 1980 by a succession of commercial photographers.Bolster Collection page
Saratoga Springs History Museum, USA. About three-quarters of the collection is the work of 20th-century photographer George S. Bolster, with the rest culled from the work of Harry B. Settle, Jesse S. Wooley, Gustave Lorey, Seneca Ray Stoddard, C.C. Cook, and H.C. Ashby. The ''Beatrice Sweeney Archive'' contains thousands of documents and business records such as the

Caffè Lena Located in Saratoga Springs, New York, Caffè Lena is the oldest continually running coffee house in the United States. Founded in 1960 by William and Lena Spencer (née Nargi), it claims to be the oldest folk-oriented coffee house, in the U.S., f ...

papers.

The museum's holdings also include items from the ''George S. Batcheller Collection.''

George Sherman Batcheller George Sherman Batcheller (July 25, 1837 – July 2, 1908) was an American soldier, politician, diplomat, and jurist. Personal life Batcheller was born in Batchellerville, a small community in the town of Edinburg, New York named for his grandf ...

(1837-1908) was a lawyer, diplomat, judge and politician whose career included serving in the New York State Assembly and as

United States Ambassador to Portugal Bilateral diplomatic relations between the United States and Portugal date from the earliest years of the United States. Following the Revolutionary War, Portugal was the first neutral country to recognize the United States. On February 21, 1791 ...

from 1890 to 1892. His mansion overlooking Congress Park has been restored, and some of his belongings are on display in the History Museum.

Walworth Memorial Museum

Seven rooms in the museum are devoted to the history of the Walworths, one of the most prominent families in 19th century New York. Patriarch

(1788–1867) served as

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the State of New York from 1828 until the post was abolished in 1848. That same year he ran unsuccessfully for governor. His son Clarence Augustus Walworth (1820–1900) was a Catholic

Redemptorist The Redemptorists officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer ( la, links=no, Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris), abbreviated CSsR,is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brother ...

priest and his daughter in law

Ellen Hardin Walworth Ellen Hardin Walworth (October 20, 1832 – June 23, 1915) was an American author, lawyer, and activist who was a passionate advocate for the importance of studying history and historic preservation. Walworth was one of the founders of the Dau ...

(1832–1915) was a co-founder of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

Video archives

Many of the lectures and programs sponsored by the museum are archived on its YouTube channel. Short videos about the museum and Saratoga Springs can also be viewed there.

References

External links