The Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust, in
keeping with one of its purposes to support cultural
programs in the Saratoga region, recently
awarded the Saratoga Springs Preservation
Foundation a $50,000 grant.
The funds will go toward the restoration of
the Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial
located in Congress Park. A partnership initiative
between the city of Saratoga Springs and
the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation
to restore, to the extent practical, the memorial
to its original 1915 design.
restoration project include the bronze Spirit
of Life sculpture, the masonry architectural
surround, and the landscape setting.
In the spring of 2013, two professional preservation consultants, Daniel J. Wilson and Martha Lyon, were hired by the city to complete Phase I of the project: conduct historic research, assess current conditions, and make recommendations for treatment for the masonry surround and landscape setting.
Wilson, a preservation architect with a practice in Albany, is finalizing plans and specifications for the masonry work, the next major phase of project.
The $50,000 grant from the trust will provide critical funding for the masonry restoration phase.
“The support of the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust through this generous grant at such a crucial time of the project is greatly appreciated,” said Commissioner of Public Works Anthony “Skip” Scirocco.
Foundation officials said restoration work for the masonry phase of the project will include: stabilizing and reconstructing the north portion of the east seating area; replacing damaged balustrades and coping stones; repointing of joints; removing all unsound stucco and repairing the stucco to a uniform finish; and addressing fountain infrastructure.
To date, major grants for the project have been received from the Saratoga Foundation, the Saratoga Springs Rotary Club, and the Greater Capital Region Community Foundation.
In addition, several individuals in the community have made generous gifts. The city allocated $75,000 toward the project as well as committed various in-kind services by the Department of Public Works. Additional funding is anticipated in the city’s 2015 capital projects budget.
With key support from these grants, the city and the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation will continue to seek the remaining funds, services, and materials needed to complete the restoration of not only the masonry architectural surround, but also the bronze Spirit of Life sculpture and the landscape setting, officials said.
“It is our the hope that area businesses will join the city and the Saratoga Springs Preservation in their efforts to restore the most iconic image of Saratoga Springs by contributing goods and in-kind services to help offset the significant cost,” said Samantha Bosshart, executive director of the foundation.
Significant additional funding will be needed to be raised in this year in order to remain on schedule to complete the restoration in June 2015, the centennial of the memorial, she said.
To learn more about the project or donate to the restoration effort, visit www.spiritofliferestoration. org or contact the foundation at 587-5030.
In 1913, Katrina Trask, philanthropist, Yaddo founder, and Saratoga resident, along with George Foster Peabody, commissioned the memorial to honor her late husband, Spencer Trask, and his efforts to protect and preserve Saratoga’s natural springs while further beautifying Congress Park. The work for the memorial was completed by sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon, who also designed the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
French created the bronze sculpture, Spirit of Life, while Bacon designed the masonry architectural setting. The surrounding landscape was designed by Charles Leavitt Jr., who designed the 1912 General Plan for Congress Park following the demolition of the Congress Hotel and the 1902 master plan of Saratoga Race Course.
The memorial was dedicated on June 26, 1915, the same year the city was incorporated. Founded in 1977, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes preservation and enhancement of the architectural, cultural and landscaped heritage of Saratoga Springs. www.saratogapreservation.org.