Saratoga Gas, Electric Light and Power Company Complex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Saratoga Gas, Electric Light
and Power Company Complex |
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Substation east elevation and south profile, 2008
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Saratoga Springs, NY |
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| Area | 7 acres (2.8 ha) |
| Built | 1873-1928 |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000579 |
| Added to NRHP | 2001 |
The Saratoga Gas, Electric Light and Power Company Complex in Saratoga Springs, New York, was once a very important place. It's a big area, about seven acres, with two old brick buildings. In the 1880s, this complex became the first power station for the busy resort city of Saratoga Springs.
These two buildings are the only parts left of a power plant that started in 1873. It made gas for over 50 years! One building is a special conical-roofed gasholder house. It's one of only 13 like it left in the Northeast. Digging around the site has also shown there was once a second gasholder building nearby.
The gas production stopped in 1928. But electric companies kept using the property for most of the 20th century. In 1992, Niagara Mohawk decided they didn't need it anymore. In 2001, this historic site was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
What Does the Property Look Like?
The old power plant site is shaped a bit like a trapezoid. It sits between East Avenue, Excelsior Avenue, and a divided section of US 9/NY 50. The land slopes down slightly from the road. Trees along that side help hide the site from cars passing by. A chain link fence surrounds the entire area.
Inside the fence, the ground is covered in loose gravel. There are no trees growing inside. The two main buildings are in different parts of this fenced-off area.
The Gasholder House
The gasholder house is in the northern corner of the property. It's close to where East Avenue meets routes 9 and 50. This building is round and made of brick. It is about 70 feet (21 m) across and has a cone-shaped slate roof. It doesn't have a normal foundation. Instead, its thick 18-inch (46 cm) walls go down 23 feet (7.0 m) into the ground. They rest on a layer of clay. There are also six brick supports, called buttresses, on the outside.
The roof is held up by wooden beams that spread out like spokes. It also has two large wooden arches. The floor inside is made of concrete. Windows, a vent, and a service door were added to the building later on.
The Substation Building
The substation building is about 200 feet (61 m) south of the gasholder house. It's closer to the south side of the property, near the only gate in the fence. This building is a two-story rectangle made of brick. It measures about 75 by 35 feet (23 by 11 m) and has a roof with a gable on each end. Its base is made of stone. Brick columns, called pilasters, divide the walls into sections. A decorative brick line, called a corbeled cornice, runs along the roofline. A large round window, called an oculus, is in the triangular part of each gable.
In the middle of the south side, there's a tall arched entrance. It has a service door and what's left of an old hoist. Inside, the building is open with a concrete floor. Steel beams support the floor. Two stone walls run inside, holding up the beams. Brick supports also help hold up the steel beams that once supported the hoist.
Outside this building, on the east side, are modern transformers and other equipment. Even though they are no longer used, they are fairly new. So, they are not considered part of the historic listing.
Because of studies done when the site was cleaned up, many old things have been found underground. These findings show where other buildings once stood. This means the entire site is important to the historic listing.
A Look Back: The History of the Power Complex
The Saratoga Gas Light Company started providing gas to Saratoga Springs in 1853. As the town grew after the American Civil War, it needed more services. The company had to build a new gas factory. They chose this location partly because they didn't want such a facility too close to the downtown area.
This site had other good points too. It was near the railroad line (now routes 9 and 50). A nearby stream, Village Brook, could provide enough water. Also, a deep layer of clay underground would create a perfect seal for the gas holders. Since the site was lower than the rest of the city, it would be easier to send gas through pipes, as gas naturally rises. The new plant started being built in 1873 and opened in 1874.
At first, the plant made gas by heating coal in a special oven called a retort. This process, called coking, released gas, which was then collected and stored. The new plant had a brick retort, a cleaning house, and two gas holders inside the round buildings. The thick walls helped stop the gas from getting cold and turning into liquid in winter. The cone-shaped roof was designed to fit the gasholder. This gasholder was like a set of telescoping cylinders that would rise as more gas filled it. Water at the bottom of the pit helped seal the gas in.
In 1886, the company started using a new way to make gas called the carbureted water gas process. This made gas production much more efficient. It also meant they needed more buildings, like a boiler house, oil and coal storage, and more gasholders. The next year, the company joined with another one to become the Saratoga Gas, Electric Light and Power Company. A dynamo at the site also started making electricity for the city's street lights.
In 1903, the electricity-making parts of the plant grew even more. They added the substation building, a steam boiler, and a 125-foot (38 m) smokestack. Power was made here for eight more years, until 1911. Then, another company merger created the Hudson River Water Power Company. This new company built a large system to send power from its dams all over the southern Adirondack region. With cheaper hydroelectric power available, it was no longer worth making power in Saratoga Springs.
The first gasholder was taken out of the building in 1919. Making gas from coal stopped completely in 1928. Most of the original buildings were torn down in the years that followed. The substation building kept being used. The companies that took over also used the area for storage and maintenance. Finally, Niagara Mohawk decided they didn't need it anymore. The utility still owns the land and buildings, and they remain fenced off.
The property had an environmental cleanup starting in 1995. The gasholder building was supposed to be torn down. But it was saved and moved in one piece to where it stands today.
Images for kids
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Old gasholder house as photographed for Historic American Engineering Record in 1998
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