Virtual Town Hall on Historic Preservation
The Saratoga County History Center is hosting a virtual town hall-style forum: “Does the Past Have a Future? Historic Preservation in Saratoga County.” The event, scheduled for 7pm on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 via Zoom and Facebook Live, is free and open to the public. Panelists are leading experts and professionals who will speak about their experiences, the obstacles they faced, the tough choices they made, and what we can expect in the future. Audience participation is encouraged.
Should a village’s century-old town hall be preserved or replaced? Should low-income housing be razed for upscale shopping? What happens when an historic fairground grandstand becomes unsafe? Who should pay for these changes? Who gets to decide? How do we create a community culture that values local history? These are the kinds of heart-wrenching questions that confront historic preservation professionals. Choices about which buildings and grounds get preserved, demolished, or transformed effect entire communities. Emotions, history, politics, and money are all part of the equation, and often decisions are made that change the very character of a location and make bold statements about wealth and power in that area. The panelists of “Does the Past Have a Future? Historic Preservation in Saratoga County” are all leading experts in the historic preservation process with many years of experience making tough choices and navigatingtroubled waters.
Samantha Bosshart, Executive Director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, promotes the preservation of historic resources of Saratoga Springs. She advocates for best preservation practices before the city’s land use boards; completes cultural resource surveys, including a survey of the Saratoga Race Course; provides technical assistance to building owners; partnered with the City of Saratoga Springs to restore the Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial; and fundraises for restoration projects, most recently raising $50,000 for the restoration of the stained glass windows of the 1855 First Baptist Church.
Carrie Woerner is the Assemblywoman for New York’s District 113. She is the chair of the Subcommittee on Agricultural Production & Technology, and a member of the Assembly’s committees on Agriculture, Local Governments, Racing and Wagering, Small Business and Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development.Before being elected to the NY State Assembly in 2014, Ms. Woerner led in the field of historic preservation as the Executive Director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation (2002-08), wherein she expanded membership and donations, published a walking tour guidebook, and raised funds to restore local landmarks. She also served as an appointed member on the Town of Malta Planning Board from 2008-2014.
Teddy Foster is the Director of Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga Springs’s newest performing arts venue. Since 2006, she has worked tirelessly to raise money and support (including partnering with Proctor’s) for the complete restoration and revitalization the 1871 Methodist Church on Washington Street. But her vision extends beyond UPH to Saratoga County and the greater Capital Region, hoping, through historic preservation and renovation, to make local sites year-round destinations for tourists, art-lovers, and history buffs.
John Scherer is Senior Historian Emeritus at the New York State Museum and Historian for the Town of Clifton Park. He represented the Commissioner of Education on the State Board of Historic Preservation until his retirement in 2009, and in 1992 formed a Historic Preservation Commission for the Town of Clifton Park. Clifton Park’s unique Preservation Program has been a model for other Towns in Saratoga County and the Capitol District.
The event will be moderated by Field Horne, a published author, historian, and member of the Board of Trustees for the Saratoga County History Center. The History Center is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that will act as the neutral host of the discussion.
