Does the Past Have a Future? Virtual Town Hall Sept. 22 features Local Expert Panelists

BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County History Center hosts a virtual town hall-style forum: “Does the Past Have a Future? Historic Preservation in Saratoga County.” 

The event will take place 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22 via Zoom and Facebook Live, and is free and open to the public.  Audience participation is encouraged.

Panelists include: Samantha Bosshart, Executive Director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation; Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner; Teddy Foster, Director of Universal Preservation Hall, and John Scherer, Senior Historian Emeritus at the New York State Museum and Historian for the Town of Clifton Park.  The event will be moderated by historian Field Horne.

Should a village’s century-old town hall be preserved or replaced?  Should low-income housing be razed for upscale shopping?  What happens when an historic fairground grandstand becomes unsafe?  Who should pay for these changes?  Who gets to decide?  How do we create a community culture that values local history?  These are the kinds of heart-wrenching questions that confront historic preservation professionals.  Choices about which buildings and grounds get preserved, demolished, or transformed affect entire communities.  Emotions, history, politics, and money are all part of the equation, and often decisions are made that change the very character of a location and make bold statements about wealth and power in that area. 

The panelists of “Does the Past Have a Future? Historic Preservation in Saratoga County” are leading experts in the historic preservation process with many years of experience making tough choices and navigating troubled waters.

For more information about the event, go to: brooksidemuseum.org.