WRITTEN by samantha bosshart, Saratoga springs Preservation Foundation
Photos provided by Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation
[From the 2025 Holiday Magazine]
“I love Christmas!”
shared Jessica Fleming. “My grandfather always made Christmas magical, and I have always tried to create that same magic of Christmas with my own family,” she continued. Each year, Jessica, with her husband Dan, who willingly embraced her love of Christmas, helps to decorate their home at 75 Ludlow Street from bottom to top.
As you enter the brick house, one immediately senses the holiday spirit. Holiday cards received surround the front door; a fire is going in the living room fireplace; gingerbread houses are aglow in the dining room; and hand-carved decorations are placed throughout.
Many of the hand-carved decorations were made by her parents, John and Susan Lynch. John, a wood carver, and Susan, a painter, together made birds, animals, and life-sized sculptures. However, once Jessica; her twin sister, Rebecca; and her brothers, Tim and Gavin; started their own families, her parents started to make ornaments, Santa faces, and manger scenes.
In addition to the hand-carved decorations, homemade gingerbread houses are prominently displayed. As her sister tells it, their mother once made them for her and her siblings. While Rebecca thought they were magical, her mother most likely did not – as she burned her fingers on the hot glue and the walls collapsed. When Rebecca’s daughters were young, she started a tradition of hosting gingerbread house parties. Jessica became as enthusiastic as her sister and began to host parties also. Today, between the two of them, they make 40-50 gingerbread houses each holiday season.
The setting for the holiday magic is a brick Colonial Revival at the corner of Ludlow and Caroline Streets. The house was designed by R. Newton Brezee. Brezee was a prominent local architect, who was born in Middleburg, New York in 1851. He moved to Saratoga Springs, where he was listed as a carpenter in the 1872-1873 city directory. After five years, he moved to Garden City, Long Island, where he worked as an apprentice under A. T. Stewart’s architect, Edward D. Harris. Not long after his return to Saratoga Springs in 1884, Brezee advertised himself as an architect and building superintendent. He became a prominent architect in Saratoga Springs, designing and overseeing the construction of nearly 50 buildings.
Brezee’s earlier residential designs were in the Queen Anne style, examples include 628 North Broadway, 203 Union Avenue, and 120 Circular Street. Brezee’s later designs were in the Colonial Revival style, a style that became increasingly popular throughout the United States after 1900. In addition to residences, he designed 487 Broadway, 511 Broadway, the Congressional Methodist Church at 21 Van Dam Street, and the Hawley Home for Children at 64 Ludlow Street. The Saratogian reported on June 6, 1905, that Brezee was made an honorary member of the Board of Managers of the Hawley Home for Children “in recognition of large donation of professional services.”
Lewis B. Wagman and his wife Elizabeth built 75 Ludlow Street in 1928. Despite being built more than 20 years later, their house was similar in design to the Hawley House located across the street. It was Brezee’s last project before he passed away at the age of 77. Typical of the Colonial Revival style, the façade of the house has symmetrically balanced windows with a center front door that is accentuated by sidelights; a crown with a curve below supported by slender columns that extends forward to form an entry porch; double-hung windows with multi-pane sashes; and a cornice decorated with modillions.
Lewis B. Wagman graduated from Saratoga Springs High School and attended Princeton University. On June 14, 1916, Lewis married Elizabeth, a graduate of Vassar College, at Elizabeth’s family home in Washington D.C. When the Wagmans moved to 75 Ludlow Street, Lewis was listed as the Treasurer of the Saratoga Water Corporation, the company known today for its distinctive blue water bottles.
He became a manager and later the secretary-treasurer of the G.F. Harvey Company, a pharmaceutical manufacturer headquartered in Saratoga Springs. Elizabeth was a patron and a member of the Board of Managers of the Hawley Home for Children and actively involved in the Presbyterian Church. The house is where Lewis and Elizabeth raised their children, Elizabeth Ann and Jonathan. It was home to many social gatherings throughout the years as seen in the social pages of The Saratogian.
On May 6, 1946, The Saratogian reported that the Wagmans had sold their home to Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Aitken, who resided at 129 Caroline Street, and purchased a year-round residence on Saratoga Lake. Donald and his brother Malcom operated Aitken Brothers, a casein plant on Church Street, manufacturing adhesives, glues, and paints. In August 1952, the Aitkens sold the house to Emil Steiner, who operated Steiner’s department store in Ballston Spa. He only owned the property briefly. Two years later, he deeded the property to his daughter, Marilyn Pachter.
Marilyn was married to Irving J. Pachter, who later operated Steiner’s. Based on research, Marilyn and Irving had three children – Linda Sue, James, and Teri Lee. James made the paper on more than one occasion. On July 22, 1954, James made The Saratogian when at age three he fell out a second-story window of 75 Ludlow Street, giving his mother a scare. Fortunately, he walked away unscathed. He also made the paper at age 16 when he failed to yield the right of way and his car collided with a Skidmore College bus with 17 students, causing it to spin and flip on its side. The Pachters sold the property in 1974 to Eleanor Samworth, a chemistry professor at Skidmore College.
Eleanor received a bachelor’s degree from Wilson College, a master’s and PhD from Johns Hopkins University in physical chemistry and also completed post-doc studies at Harvard University. In 1964, she took a teaching position at Skidmore College, where she later served as the Chair of the Chemistry/Physics Department. Eleanor remained at 75 Ludlow Street after she retired in 1994.
In 2006, Jessica and Dan were renting a house two doors down at 67 Ludlow Street. Jessica, a pharmaceutical representative, met Dan, a dentist, in 1999. Two years later they got married. “We were planning to build a new home at the time, but then we learned our neighbor, Eleanor, was selling her home at 75 Ludlow Street. I had always dreamed of living in a brick house,” said Dan. The symmetry of the house and its solid brick construction that required no painting attracted Dan to the house. In February 2006, Jessica and Dan acquired 75 Ludlow Street.
“We have done very little to change the house,” said Jessica. Upon moving in, they removed the solar panels on the roof that produced very little energy and were unattractive and removed the wall-to-wall carpet, exposing the beautiful wood floors. “At times, I have often wanted a larger kitchen and even explored it with an architect. However, my love of preserving the house and keeping its integrity has prevented me from doing it,” Jessica laughed. Jessica and Dan raised their daughter Erin in the home.
Over the years, Dan and Jessica have made repairs to the slate roof, replaced the flat roof of the garage and sun porch, installed new electrical and plumbing, as well as had custom windows made for the sunroom, replacing inappropriate aluminum storm windows. Most recently, they remodeled the bathrooms. However, they left the original bathroom on the first floor untouched.
“We love that our home is thoughtfully designed, well built, and has natural light that streams into the sunroom. It is so peaceful,” Jessica shared.
Wishing Jessica, Dan, Erin and everyone a peaceful holiday season!