Do the right thing

Dozens of small white signs dot the Woodlawn Avenue properties running north from Greenfield Avenue. Their message is simple: Save 23 Greenfield Ave.

Residents living near the stately brick structure now owned by the Riggi Family clearly don’t want to see it demolished. Their signs offer an ironic welcome to the restoration crews that are tirelessly working to save an equally historic structure just a few blocks away.

The carriage house behind the palatial Victorian mansion at 719 North Broadway curiously hovers in the air, as a handful of workers slowly pull it from the clutches of certain demise. Weeds grow from its rotted eaves and parts of the ornate molding have crumbled away, making it hard to image how the building was raised instead of razed. Simply put, its ongoing restoration is nothing short of herculean.

But for once, it seems as though the owner of a historic property is taking great pains to do the right thing. The restoration of the former Jeffords Estate stands testament to what can be accomplished if a developer has an eye for preserving history. And it stands in direct contrast to the demolition-by-neglect process fomented by other notorious property owners like Bruce Levinsky, absentee landowner Joseph Boff and of course, the Riggi Family.

The Queen Anne-style home was once owned by Walter Jeffords Jr., an renowned horseman who served as vice president of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. His widow, Kay Jeffords, continued his legacy and was among the Spa City’s most notable socialites.

Correction via Field Horne, who did extensive research on this structure: “the Jeffords House is Italianate, not Queen Anne. It was built in 1875 by Dr Benjamin Walker King, a physician from Fort Edward.”

Walter Jeffords died in 1990 and was followed by his wife 13 years later. Before her death, her estate and all the various treasures she and her husband amassed at the North Broadway mansion were liquidated at auction. The empty house, already showing signs of neglect, was likewise sold for $700,000 in 2004.

What followed was a period of deterioration that brought the home and its ornate carriage house perilously close to the wrecking ball. But in 2007, the property was transferred to a limited liability corporation, which started restoring the main house later in the year. The principle of the corporation is Lance Bell, a shareholder in the state thoroughbred company, the New York Breeders' Sales Co.

The evident decay caught of the carriage house caught the eye of a local photographer and blogger, who lamented about its neglect.

“Not all buildings here are taken care of,” wrote the blogger in a 2007 entry. “This very unique Carriage House is being allowed to go to rack and ruin. And if you are actually standing here and looking at it, you can see that it is getting close to falling down.”

Not so much anymore. The property appears to be well on its way to being returned to its former grandeur. Workers have poured a new foundation for the carriage house and the main mansion appears to be nearing completion. When it is, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation should seriously consider giving Bell and his contractors an award.

They should also use him as a prime example of a conscientious resident who understands the value of these old homes and why they should be preserved no matter the cost. Records show the limited liability corporation took out a $630,000 loan before work began; an amount that is likely to be spent in its entirety to bring the property and all its structures into the 21st century.

Still, this is pittance to pay to preserve this city’s rich heritage, some of which disappears each year with neglectful property owners who don’t see the value in historic structures. Take for instance Boff’s property on Franklin Square. No amount of public shame or chiding seems to convince him of the value in keeping the Winans-Crippen house from the wrecking ball.

Even as city leaders were frantically trying to craft a moratorium to prevent the destruction of s different historic structure, the callous Floridian was thinking of ways to demolish his piece of heritage. Laughably, this out-of-state wretch claims he can’t afford to restore the house. Of course, he can afford to destroy it and build a new palatial structure in its place; an excuse that doesn’t hold water for even the most dim-witted of city officials. In fact, Boff should have told the city the truth, which is that he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about Saratoga’s rich history, historic structures or legacy that would bridge us to the past.

And he’s not the only one either. The Riggi family is preparing for another banner year on the social circuit by crafting a lawsuit against the city for enacting the moratorium. While their pending legal action may have merit in court, the shameful manifest destiny of their property boundary certainly doesn’t.

Both property owners should take a good look at the North Broadway project and then hang their collective heads in shame. It’s an example of a resident doing the right thing for a change, as opposed to the easy or inexpensive thing. Perhaps if city leaders made an example out of this work, they’d convince others to grow a conscience when it comes to owning and caring for historic buildings. And maybe –just maybe –one of them could buy Bell a cold one for a job well done.