Grampy’s House WRITTEN BY MAUREEN WERTHER PHOTOS BY SUPERSOURCEMEDIA.COM
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n 2004, Joan Taub and Bob English moved into the home at 266 Church Street in Saratoga Springs. They thought it was perfect. Fifteen years and many happy memories later, Joan and Bob have made the old Victorian their own while remaining true to the architectural integrity and aesthetic character and charm of the home. In the process the couple became interested in learning about the home’s history. Their interest turned into a passion and, while Joan began a search on Ancestry.com for the family of the person who built the 1,700 square foot house situated on the corner of Church Street and Bensonhurst Avenue, Bob reached out to acquaintances at the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation to conduct a search of the property, with the goal of determining whether 266 Church Street was eligible to be part of its historic plaque program. As it turns out, the property was originally owned by Gideon Putnam, who was busy purchasing properties in the city. Church Street was a busy thoroughfare even back in
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the 1800s and a main route between upstate New York and Canada. It stands to reason that Putnam – and the subsequent owners of the property considered it a good investment. According to Joan Walter, a volunteer for the Foundation, Putnam bought the property in the early 1800s and it passed hands through several owners before Franklin Lester Blanchard built a home there for his family. Blanchard was a carpenter and partner in the construction firm of Parmenter and Blanchard, located at 137 Division Street. He built the house on Church Street between 1908 and 1909. The census lists Blanchard and his wife, Anna L. Blanchard and their six-year old son, Frederick H. Blanchard and four-year old daughter Marion B. Blanchard as the residents in 1910. While Joan Walter was conducting her research on the house, Joan Taub was making headway of her own and had succeeded in locating Blanchard’s descendants, developing a collegial long-distance relationship with them in the process.
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