Transformations
"Sir William and the Indians,"
Landon, 1872.
Visitors to Saratoga Springs know that this "Spa Town" in upstate New York has a rich history tied to the mineral springs that first attracted Indian and European settlers. City lore even has it that Mohawk braves brought Sir William Johnson, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, to the "great medicine spring" in 1771 to treat a wound received in the Battle of Lake George in 1755. For some, this healing suggests a longstanding spiritual side to Saratoga.
Saratoga Springs' first cemeteries and houses of worship date to the early nineteenth century, when founder Gideon Putnam established a burying ground and deeded land to the first congregation that would build on it. As the town (chartered in 1819) emerged as a destination for tourists coming to take the waters and, by the 1860s, head to the races, new congregations formed with a mission to minister to all comers. The major Christian denominations--Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational and Catholic--built churches by mid-century within walking distance of Congress Springs. As R.F Dearborn observed in Saratoga, and How To See It (1872), the sacred houses long served both residents and visitors who sat "in the various pulpits of the village to listen to the most eloquent preachers of the day." During the "season" the "commodious" churches "built with special reference to the visiting population" also drew "distinguished divines from all sections of the country"--a phenomenon newsworthy enough for mention in the New York Tribune in August 1842.
Saratoga's sacred spaces, however, are not limited to imposing nineteenth-century edifices. Today, sites range from the Gideon Putnam Burying Ground, established by the town founder, to Temple Sinai, a Jewish congregation that converted a private home-turned-YMCA into a site of worship in the 1960s. Together, these sites contribute to a larger story about Saratoga's diverse religious communities and traditions, and their many transformations over the years. Learn more about eight of these sites by following the links...
Saratoga Springs' first cemeteries and houses of worship date to the early nineteenth century, when founder Gideon Putnam established a burying ground and deeded land to the first congregation that would build on it. As the town (chartered in 1819) emerged as a destination for tourists coming to take the waters and, by the 1860s, head to the races, new congregations formed with a mission to minister to all comers. The major Christian denominations--Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational and Catholic--built churches by mid-century within walking distance of Congress Springs. As R.F Dearborn observed in Saratoga, and How To See It (1872), the sacred houses long served both residents and visitors who sat "in the various pulpits of the village to listen to the most eloquent preachers of the day." During the "season" the "commodious" churches "built with special reference to the visiting population" also drew "distinguished divines from all sections of the country"--a phenomenon newsworthy enough for mention in the New York Tribune in August 1842.
Saratoga's sacred spaces, however, are not limited to imposing nineteenth-century edifices. Today, sites range from the Gideon Putnam Burying Ground, established by the town founder, to Temple Sinai, a Jewish congregation that converted a private home-turned-YMCA into a site of worship in the 1960s. Together, these sites contribute to a larger story about Saratoga's diverse religious communities and traditions, and their many transformations over the years. Learn more about eight of these sites by following the links...