James Marvin
Thomas Marvin
The Marvin Brothers of Franklin Square T WRITTEN BY HOLLIS PALMER, PHOTOS PROVIDED
he stories of the Marvin brothers, who lived at numbers 3 and 4 Franklin Square, are told together because theirs is an integrated story. In terms of investments, political involvement, and their children’s continued commitment to the city, their lives were similar; yet, as is always the case, in other ways their lives were different. Because they were a force behind so many initiatives that benefited Saratoga, and because their influence was so great, their tale is told jointly. When the Marvin family moved to Upstate New York from Connecticut they settled near Ballston Spa. Two sons, Thomas and James, would move to Saratoga, where their impact would last long after they had expired. The reason for the move was their mother’s brother, Elias Benedict. Elias was the man who purchased the land that constitutes the block along Broadway between Washington and Division Street. He built the first United States Hotel. Later, the Marvin brothers would become partners with Elias, rebuilding the hotel after the fire of 1865. Today it is common for people to name their children after friends, family, or even characters from books, television, movies, and celebrities. Following the Revolutionary War, a family showed their commitment to the new country by naming their children after the
104 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | SPRING 2020
nation’s founding fathers; thus, we have Thomas Jefferson Marvin, born in 1803, the year of the Louisiana Purchase and while Thomas Jefferson was President. James Madison Marvin was born in 1809, the year Madison became President.
The brothers would show their commitment to the country’s ideals by building houses with tall pillars, similar to the White House, and they would name their hotel The United States.
Thomas graduated from Union College in 1824, coming to Saratoga to study law in the office of William Warren. He was accepted before the bar in 1828. As was expected of men in the professions and of successful businessmen, Thomas was active in politics and social causes. Within Saratoga his community service started when he was justice of the peace and he went on to serve as a village trustee, eventually becoming president of the village (equivalent to mayor). He was elected to the State Assembly, he served as a supervisor on the county legislature, and he was elected county judge. He also served in the very lucrative position of postmaster. Accounts hold that he served each political office with distinction; however, it was his business interests that had a more dramatic influence on Saratoga.
saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com
