The Arcade Building
Architecture and History of Saratoga blog series
by Commercial REALTOR® Olivia Huffman & Professor James Kettlewell
With a distinctive facade bearing its name on Broadway, the Arcade building has a stately influence along the city of Saratoga’s historic streetscape. The current Arcade building opened in 1907 as an impressive early commercial mall.
According to Professor James Kettlewell, a noted Saratoga historian, “At the time it was constructed, buildings with long interior avenues, which were lined with shops, were known as ‘arcades,’ because similar arcade structures were the shopping malls of ancient Rome.”
“A two-story columnar order of Roman Doric columns and pilasters gives the building importance and a striking design effect,” Kettlewell continues. “The top floor, fronted by an iron balcony is decorated by an order of Roman Doric pilasters in low relief. A fine but subtle aspect of this design is the pleasing proportions of the window openings.”
The tile-work and dark-wood gives a solid and elegant appearance to the building, and the beautiful entrance way is located on one of the most central blocks on Broadway. The location is highly visible in the heart of Saratoga’s award-winning downtown, and perfectly poised to capture foot traffic from seasonal shoppers and year round residents alike.
But before it was known as the Arcade building, 376 Broadway was simply an address. And like so many other addresses in Saratoga Springs, its history is marked by the famous fires that accompanied the early days of gas and electricity.
On June 9th, 1902, a devastating blaze broke out at 376 Broadway – home, at that time, to The Saratogian newspaper, the US Post Office, a bank, and a theater. Five people perished, and the Saratogian lost all of its records. The fire is still regarded as one of the worst in the city’s history.
Today, the Arcade building houses professional offices; the floor plan enables its tenants flexibility and a premium location on Saratoga’s prestigious Broadway. In July 2017, the Arcade’s historic neighbor, the Adelphi hotel (located directly across the street), is scheduled to reopen following extensive renovations by Richbell Capital.
Interested in office space, retail, or commercial real estate for rent in downtown Saratoga Springs? There’s commercial space available in Saratoga’s historic Arcade Building. Here’s some info:
376 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
map it | Google street view
rent: $1,200/month
details
Show me more commercial space for rent
About the Authors
Olivia Huffman is a commercial real estate agent at Roohan Realty with an interest in Saratoga’s history. Olivia’s Agent profile | Olivia’s Linkedin
Professor James Kettlewell graduated from Harvard Magna Cum Laude honors in the field of American Architecture. He began teaching at Harvard University and was a professor at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs for many years. He was also the curator at the Hyde Museum in Glens Falls. His book on Saratoga architecture (pictured above) is available at Lyrical Ballad bookstore on Phila Street in downtown Saratoga Springs and on Amazon. www.jameskettlewell.com | Get his book on Amazon
Our Architecture and History of Saratoga blog series will continue next month