Brookside Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Brookside
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East elevation and south profile, 2008
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Ballston Spa, New York |
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| Nearest city | Saratoga Springs |
| Area | 1.5 acres (6,100 m2) |
| Built | 1793 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001223 |
| Added to NRHP | 1975 |
Brookside Museum, also called the Aldridge House, is a historic wooden building in Ballston Spa, New York. It was built in 1792, making it one of the oldest houses in the village. Over the years, it has changed quite a bit!
This special building first served as an inn for people visiting the local springs. These springs gave Ballston Spa its name. Many famous guests stayed there. For example, it's said that James Fenimore Cooper wrote parts of his famous book The Last of the Mohicans while staying at the inn.
After being an inn, the building became many other things. It was a boys' school, a private home, a boarding house, a place for healing (a sanatorium), and even apartments. In 1970, the Saratoga County Historical Society bought the building. They turned it into a museum, which it still is today.
In 1975, Brookside Museum was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list recognizes important historical sites in the United States. It was the first of four buildings in Ballston Spa to receive this special honor.
Contents
Exploring the Brookside Museum Building
The museum sits on a triangular piece of land about 1.5 acres (0.6 hectares) in size. This land is where Front Street splits into Charlton and Fairground avenues. To the west, there's a wooded area with a small creek flowing through it. Other homes are nearby, and downtown Ballston Spa is to the east. There's also a small parking area on the south side.
How the House Was Built
The house itself is a two-and-a-half-story building. It was built in different stages over time. The main part of the house is at the front. Behind it, there's a long extension that's half the width of the front section. At the very back, there's another two-story part with a sloped roof.
The building is made of wood and sits on a fieldstone foundation. Its outer walls are covered with clapboard siding. The roof is steeply sloped and covered with cedar shingles. You can see three dormer windows and two brick chimneys sticking out from the roof. The two sections at the back have asphalt shingles.
Inside the Historic House
At the front of the house, four square pillars hold up a tall porch. When you go inside, you won't find much of the original wood or hardware. The main staircase, with its simple supports and narrow railings, was added around 1860. The wooden beams used for the house's structure were cut by hand. The ceilings inside are quite low, which was common for homes built a long time ago.
A Look Back at Brookside's History
Native American tribes in the area knew about the special carbonated spring waters for a long time. In 1767, they shared this secret with Sir William Johnson. He was a British general who had fought in wars in the region. At that time, the closest European settlement was at Ballston Lake.
Early Visitors and the First Inn
Later, important people like George Washington and Elkanah Watson visited the springs. They all wrote about the healing powers of the water. After the American Revolutionary War, a man named Benajah Douglas bought land near the spring. He wanted to attract the growing number of tourists.
Douglas built a simple log cabin on the spot where the museum stands today. This was the only dry area in what was mostly a swamp. Visitors had been camping there since Native American times. Later, a separate small house was built for cooking and other chores.
In 1791, another businessman, Micajah Benedict, built a fancier guest house a mile away. Douglas responded by building the main part of the current Brookside Museum two years later. It had a porch with columns, though not the exact one you see today. Douglas's inn was very successful, and soon other buildings were constructed nearby, starting the village of Ballston Spa.
Changes Over the Years
Benajah Douglas sold the property to Joseph Wescot, who then sold it to Josiah Aldridge in 1798. Aldridge owned the house for almost 40 years. During this time, he made many changes to the house and helped the village grow. Ballston Spa officially became a village in 1807.
Aldridge added the back wing to the house. He also built a north wing that had a ballroom, but this part was later removed and rebuilt as a separate home. He replaced the old porch with the grand columns you see today, giving the house a Greek Revival style. Inside, he completely updated the rooms. As a leader in the new village, he also worked to improve the area around the spring.
The Spring's Decline and New Uses
In 1835, the original spring stopped flowing. This probably happened because many new springs had been dug nearby. The next year, Aldridge's family sold the house. Ten years later, in 1846, the owners decided to use it only as a private home. This ended its time as a hotel. The following year, a new spring was dug just north of the house. It was called the Old Iron Spring, and it still flows today.
By this time, Saratoga Springs, a short distance north, had become a bigger attraction. It offered more fun activities and horse racing. Ballston Spa's economy then shifted to industry, with many small textile mills opening in the area.
In 1859, as the American Civil War was approaching, Brookside became a military academy. After the war ended in 1864, it went back to being a home. First, it was a single-family residence, and later it was divided into apartments. Eventually, the Saratoga County Historical Society bought it. They turned it into a historic house museum and their main office. Besides showing its own history, the museum offers craft classes and hosts an annual Oktoberfest event to raise money.
More to Explore
- Museums in New York State
- Historic Places in Saratoga County
