history of canfield casino saratoga springs ny

However, anti-gambling sentiments increased in the first decade of the 20th century.Ĭanfield eventually closed his casino, paid a large fine and sold the refurbished property to what was then the village of Saratoga Springs for less than half of what he paid for it, $150,000, in 1911. He added a dining room, stained glass windows and an early form of air conditioning. It was then purchased by noted gambler Richard Canfield in 1883, who enhanced the building and the grounds of Congress Park. It remained a prime gambling spot until Morrissey’s death in 1878. In 1870, under the name Saratoga Club House, he ran the operation that drew worldwide visitors. He saw more opportunities to strike it rich and invested $190,000 to build Canfield Casino. When he arrived to Saratoga Springs in 1861, he operated a small gambling house on Woodlawn Avenue. The casino was built originally for gambling by Troy native John Morrissey, a founding member of Saratoga Race Course. “We’d want to get some people together who feel the same way we do about this building.” “We’re not sure how much longer the city can put this much money in,” Scirocco said. Revenue from weddings, conventions and events continue to be a good stream of revenue, which the city puts into its general fund. In the years to come, officials hope to create a non-profit or group to continue to raise money to keep the city-owned Canfield Casino in good shape. The city has budgeted $250,000 in the capital budget for repairs. After the renovations were completed, items can now be stored in the basement and conditions have improved. The building sits at the lowest part of the city, Scirocco said, which created years of drainage and excess water issues. “Where we are now, it’s a culmination of the projects over the years,” Public Works Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco said Wednesday.

Ryan Biggs also completed some of this work. The project was recently awarded Project of the Year in the “restoration, under $5 million” category by the American Public Works Association. The city spent $502,000 to bring the basement up to code and install moisture remediation to keep the area dry.

The city has been working on restoring the Canfield Casino for years, including the first floor reinforcement and basement moisture remediation.

History of canfield casino saratoga springs ny