Early History and Movement of Methodist-Episcopals to Saratoga Springs
In 1829, a Methodist Episcopal circuit was created amongst the towns of Malta Ridge, Wilton, Greenfield, and Saratoga Springs. The reverend, Orin Foote, would travel from town to town preaching to the Methodist Episcopal families in the area since the church had yet to gain popularity in Saratoga. In its first year, the circuit serviced only one family in Saratoga Springs, John and Diana Morrill. The Morrills, however, proved to be an influential family within the community, and the number of congregation members steadily grew over the next three decades. In only eleven years, the congregation swelled to a hundred. Within the next decade, the numbers almost tripled to 290, and by 1878, there were 662 members.
Methodist-Episcopal Church
The first Methodist-Episcopal was built in 1830 on the corner of Broadway and Greenfield Avenue, but was abandoned after 9 years due to the inconvenient distance from the center of town. J. D. Moriarty, the preacher appointed to Saratoga Springs, convinced the congregation to relocate, and on April 23, 1836, the church purchased a plot of land for $1000 at 25 Washington Street from Dr. John Clarke, the former proprietor of Congress Spring. In July 1840, the cornerstone was laid, officially beginning the current building’s creation. The cornerstone was hollow and contained a bible, hymnbook, discipline, a copy of the magazine Christian Advocate, and valuable documents regarding the congregation. The First Methodist Episcopal church (also known as M-E church) was officially dedicated and opened for service on July 23rd, 1841.
By 1870, the church had once again outgrown its space and renowned architect Elbridge Boyden drew up plans for a new building. The building could seat 1,500 people and is said to “exemplify the earliest and finest High Victorian Gothic architecture anywhere in the country.”
By 1870, the church had once again outgrown its space and renowned architect Elbridge Boyden drew up plans for a new building. The building could seat 1,500 people and is said to “exemplify the earliest and finest High Victorian Gothic architecture anywhere in the country.”
The Methodist Conferences
The intention behind creating a larger space was to hold state-wide, region-wide, and even national Methodist Conferences. The Troy Annual Conference was held in the building from 1872 until 1961. This annual conference brought together Methodists from upstate and western New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts to discuss relevant topics such as district boundaries, the state of their respective congregations and to hold religious orations. Later the building even held the Methodist General Conference in 1916, at which President William Howard Taft and William Jennings Bryan both spoke. Notable figures who spoke at other conference events included Henry Ward Beecher, Frederick Douglas and Senator Edward T. Brackett.
Falling into Disarray
The First Methodist Episcopal church suffered a major setback on December 27, 1903. After a pile of chopped wood near the furnace caught fire, the entire front section of the church and the southwest steeple were completely destroyed while other portions of the building were significantly damaged by smoke and water. The destruction had come just two days after the church officially paid off all debt that was owed for previous construction. Later during the 1950’s, although the congregation made many extensive repairs, they didn’t have the funds to maintain the building on a daily basis. This led to the sale of the building to the Universal Baptist Church.
Universal Baptist Church
The Universal Baptist Church, led by Reverend Minnie Burns, purchased the building for $18,000 on December 18, 1976. The congregation was dramatically smaller than the previous parish, and demographically made up of African Americans living on the West Side of Saratoga, a historically working class neighborhood. Due to the limited financial resources of this congregation, the church fell into further disrepair faster than before. Most notably, masonry fell from the steeple through the window of an adjacent house, causing significant damage increasing the congregation's debt.
Renovation
By 1998, the Saratoga Preservation Foundation had stepped in and hired an engineering study to determine the full extent of the damages. They determined the building was unsafe for habitation, and immediately called for the evacuation of the congregation. With the help of community members and the town itself, the church was designated as an official project of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Save America’s Treasures. This fund protected the building from destruction and opened doors to acquire much needed government funding. With the designation came a partnership between the town and the Universal Baptist Church to create a community space within the building for performance and events with a separate worship area for the Baptist congregation. This partnership officially changed the name of the building to the Universal Preservation Hall, which is run by a board of trustees that includes community members and religious officials.
Present Day
The building is now considered structurally sound, which allowed the congregation to return and resume services. Their chapel relocated to a small room on the first floor, instead of the sanctuary, which has now been allocated for the community. The upper floor is now designated to holding events such as weddings, dance performances, theater productions, and SaratogaArtsFest. Although the Hall won New York State’s Historic Preservation Award for renovation in 2007, construction is still ongoing as funds slowly trickle in. The building still requires a heating system, new floors, and windows but is slowly on its way to fulfilling the vision of the board of trustees for the space.Although the community does not recognize it as a space solely dedicated to religion, its rich history and importance to the community has made this building sacred to many Saratogians. It is a space that celebrates life, through marriage, the arts, local history, and community bonding. Thanks to the efforts of the Board and Rev. Dr. Minnie Burns, there is no question that the Universal Preservation Hall will continue to be a sacred space in Saratoga Springs.
What makes the Universal Preservation Hall sacred?
"The space itself, um, it has a feel. When you walk into the building, I think it has a feel to it. Just the grandeur of the building, the fact this has been here since 1871, has been used for several different uses through the years. I enjoy coming in here, and most days I am here completely by myself, I don't get visitors, anything like that, I come in here for the hours I am here, the four, five hours I am here, and I work on my own. Um, I am always comfortable here. There is something about the space. I think it might have to do with the fact that it has been a church since, if history is correct from the research that has been done, there has been a church on this spot, since roughly 1840, 1841. Um, that itself, I think, gives it a special feel. It wasn't a grocery store and then changed into something else. It has always been a church for over the last 100 years, the last 150 years. Um, so that is what makes it special for me, and um, I love the space. I don't know if I necessarily feel like it's…. religious to me. But I think sacred is a much better term."
-Mary Beth McGarrahan, 12/14/2012
-Mary Beth McGarrahan, 12/14/2012