After the Revolutionary War, the new nation’s earliest resorts were spas, following the tradition of those in England.
Ballston Spa in Saratoga County, NY was one of the earliest and soon eclipsed its rivals in terms of springs, hotels and amenities.
New York City‘s Nicholas Low was the most enterprising of the Spa’s developers.
By the 1830s, however, Saratoga Springs‘ resort had surpassed Ballston Spa, which continued, using its water power and railroad to establish the mills of the Industrial Revolution.
The Saratoga County History Center (SCHC) at Brookside Museum will host a virtual presentation by Theodore Corbett on “The Rise and Fall of Ballston Spa as Resort.”
This will be the 24th presentation in the Center’s popular speaker series “Experts Next Door” and will take place at 7pm on Thursday, March 21st through Zoom.
The event is open to the public. It is free for SCHC members, and $5 for non-members. Pre-registration is required through the website www.brooksidemuseum.org .
Ted Corbett grew up in upstate New York, an area which has been his life-long interest. He has taught at several universities and colleges, and is the former director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation and the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Museum Studies. He has published a dozen books including the award-winning No Turning Point, The Saratoga Campaign in Perspective and The Making of American Resorts.
The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the diverse histories of Saratoga County. The History Center offers a variety of programming.
Visit their website (www.brooksidemuseum.org) and social media accounts (@SaratogaCoHistory) for news and announcements. Brookside Museum is located at 21 Fairground Avenue in Ballston Spa at the intersection of Front Street, Fairground Avenue, and Charlton Street.
Illustration of early Ballston Spa provided.
