County Strikes Agreement with Visitor Center in Schuylerville for Saratoga 250 Anniversary Campaign

BALLSTON SPA— With an eye on establishing a centrally located and easily accessible tourism destination in advance of a major regional upcoming anniversary, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 17 unanimously approved a cooperative agreement to lease the Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitors Center in Schuylerville to serve as a gateway for Saratoga’s 250th Anniversary Campaign. 

Referred to historians as the “turning point of the American Revolution,” the campaign marks the 250th anniversary of the 1777 battles at Saratoga, and the subsequent sword surrender (in the village of Victory) and British Troop surrender (in the village of Schuylerville). 

The grounds where those latter two events took place are each located within walking distance of the Visitors Center – which is owned by the Historic Hudson – Hoosic Rivers Partnership, a regional economic development organization.  

The County has been a longtime supporter of the construction and use of the Visitors Center, including a currently outstanding disbursement of $250,000, according to the resolution. 

The property, located at 30 Ferry St. in Schuylerville, consists of approximately 2 acres on the north side of NYS Route 29 East, bordered on the West by Fort Hardy Park. The plot once housed the Town Hall of the Town of Saratoga. That existing structure was demolished.

The County and the Partnership have agreed to fulfill the reimbursement of the $250,000 outstanding disbursement through a cooperative agreement to lease the Visitors Center at a cost of $2,000 per month for five years with an option to renew at a cost of $2,166 per month for an additional five years.