On This SPOT.
395 BROADWAY
J. Bevan circa 1848
WRITTEN BY CAROL GODETTE PHOTOS PROVIDED
This series that peels back the layers of time at well-known Saratoga Springs’ locations to reveal the significant changes our city has undergone
I
f a camera was placed in front of what is now UnCommon Grounds 200 years ago, and programmed to take a photograph every few years of the SW corner of Broadway and Division Street, the images captured would be so varied viewers would be convinced the camera had been moved. Mid-1900’s time lapse images would show polar opposite structures-one of the grandest hotels in the world, then a barn styled restaurant, complete with neon sign.
Saratoga as a whole, and in particular, its buildings, are a true reflection of the culture, traditions and lifestyles of our society. Each structure at 395 Broadway represents our country’s cultural trends. An 1824 image would show the first United States Hotel, a four-story structure built to accommodate rich mercantile patrons visiting Saratoga for our famous waters. A devastating fire in June of 1865 burnt it to the ground. For the next seven years our camera would show a vacant lot. 190 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | MAY/JUNE 2020
1873- 1946 REBUILT UNITED STATES HOTEL For nearly 70 years a massive structure would fill the frame of the camera- a second & grander United States Hotel. In the age of opulence after the Civil War, grand hotels became the epicenter of social life for the rich. In this heyday of grand hotels, a rebuilt United States Hotel opened on June 1874. Millionaires gathered on the broad piazza to discuss secret business dealings of the day. The hotel flourished for nearly 70 years. World War 2 took its toll on America and the United States Hotel was one of its causalities. Destruction of the building began in May 1945 and was completed in March of 1946. For several years after 1946 our camera would show a nearly vacant space with a small concrete block building that housed a bar.
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