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It’s History and
Design
The Hall of Springs
was the first
building to have its
cornerstone laid
during the
construction of the
Modern Spa, 1933-35.
The building was
intended as a “Drink
Hall” patterned
after the European
example. Three
representative
“types” of water
(Geyser, Hathorn,
and Coesa) would be
piped into the Hall
for patrons to drink
while they listened
to live orchestral
music and strolled
inside or out.
Because the waters
lost carbonation in
storage and corroded
the copper-lined
storage tanks, this
scheme was never
fully realized.
The interior
atmosphere of grand
style was enhanced
by the marble floors
and columns, Belgian
crystal chandeliers,
and high vaulted
ceiling. The purpose
of the Hall of
Springs may be
better understood if
it’s compared with a
German Beer Hall,
with one major
difference; the
water was seen as
being healthy for
mind and body. But
the social reasons
for coming to a
drink hall were
comparable.
Some of the workers
involved in
constructing this
building were:
Russian ironworkers,
Italian plasterers
who worked on the
high vaulted
ceiling, and
Austrian stone
cutters who carved
the figures on the
front of the
building. A master
bricklayer from
Albany, Joe Skelly,
built the niches
over the colonnades.
The Hall of Springs
was where the
construction of the
Modern Spa began and
it was considered to
be the jewel of the
entire complex.
Dignitaries gathered
for the laying of
its cornerstone and
a great crowd of
VIP’s, including
Governor Herbert
Lehman, gathered for
the formal opening
of the new Saratoga
Spa on July 26, 1935
near this very spot.
Thousands of
residents of
Saratoga Springs and
the surrounding areas
came to the opening
and long lines of
cars lined the
gravel drives.
The build-up to this
event was long and
exciting. A “Get to
Know Your
Spa” campaign was
started that spring
by the Junior
Chamber of Commerce
and every week from
early Spring thru
July, the public was
invited to hear a
speech by someone
extolling the
virtues which the
Spa would bring to
Saratoga Springs. A
statement in the
June 14 edition of
The Saratogian said
that the Spa was the
first major project
to be finished under
the President
Roosevelt’s New
Deal.
Pierrepont Noyes,
President of the
Saratoga
Preservation
Authority which
handled financing for
the Spa, declared
that the Spa would
give health,
happiness
and increased years
to persons who
otherwise would not
have had them.
The steps and grass
mall in front of the
Hall of Springs was
the site of the
official opening of
the New Saratoga Spa
on July 26, 1935. |
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Hall of Springs
108 Avenue of
the Pines
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Tel (518) 583-3003 Fax (518) 580-0504
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