Carol Godette

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J. Bevan circa 1848

SPOT. 395 BROADWAY

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

If 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.

continued on page 130 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.

2000-2011 BORDERS BOOKSTORE

A wave of expansion by large booksellers such as Barnes and Noble and Borders swept our country in the late 1990s. Amazon and ebooks hadn’t taken off and Saratoga welcomed its first full-service bookstore in the heart of town. In 2010 ebook sales outnumbered printed book sales and our Borders, along with 200 others across the country was forced to close.

1960S-1999 RED BARN RESTAURANT AND POPES PIZZA

Fast food chains became the craze in the 1950s and 1960s. Myron Hunt bought the land at 395 Broadway and in 1968 opened a Red Barn Restaurant, a franchise of the fast food chain founded in 1961. Charlie Kuenzel and Bob Baker Jr. were just a couple of many local teens to work there as “swing managers.” Charlie reflects, “There were a lot of people my age working there, and a lot of friends stopped in to see me. Because the Red Barn came in before McDonald’s, it was a hangout for teens.” As a 16,17& 18-year-old, Charlie worked evenings until 2 am. The restaurant was popular and to keep up with demand Charlie and Bob learned to cook 48 hamburgers at once. “By the time I put the last one on the grill it was time to flip them. Our job was to put out as much product as possible.” The franchise was relatively short lived. A 1980s photo would show the same barn-like structure with a different sign- Pope’s Pizza. Pope’s served pizza from this location until the building was razed in August 1999. The land and building at 395 Broadway were owned by Myron M. Hunt Inc, a family owned Buffalo based company that leased space to a variety of businesses. Myron hired local architect Tom Frost to design the two-story brick building.

Courtesy of Tom Frost, architect

Tom Frost's April Fool's sketch of Borders being a barn as featured on the front page of the Saratogian on April 1, 1999

2013- PRESENT FINGERPAINT INC.

Today the 25,000 square foot brick building is owned and occupied by Fingerpaint Inc., a full-service health and wellness marketing agency founded in 2008. Finding a solution to combat Covid-19 is central to our lives today and 395 Broadway is playing a role in this. Bill McEllen, partner in the company states, “Fingerpaint is solely dedicated to Healthcare Communications and a number of our clients are on the front-line researching ways to combat COVID-19 with treatments or vaccines”.

Oh, the images of this corner really do tell the story of the times! S S