Written by Carol Godette | Photos provided (Unless Noted)
[From the 2025 Holiday Magazine]
Michele and Bob’s 1884 Victorian sparkles with holiday spirit, its timeless design a favorite in Saratoga’s holiday lighting displays.
Photo by Angel Photo & Video
Every Christmas, Michele Erceg and Bob Giordano’s “hydrangea pink” 1884 Victorian house captures the attention of passersby and invites them to imagine the splendor inside. Each December, the couple adorns their Stick-style home with ornament-laced garlands and simple red bows draped along the porch railings. Michele’s favorite detail is the trio of horizontally hung Advent wreaths — a nod to her Danish heritage. Inside, garlands of tiny Danish flags are strung at the entryway to every room, as it’s customary in Denmark to display the flag for all holidays.
Michele and Bob embrace the season wholeheartedly. In 1992, Michele wanted to recreate the life-size playhouse her father had built for her as a child. Enlisting the help of Ed Sakos, the pair constructed the red-and-green Santa’s Cottage that has since become a beloved downtown Saratoga tradition. Bob helps Santa schedule his visits and, each year, carefully stores the cottage for the winter.
“After the holidays, I go into the cottage to clean up and make sure Santa got all his letters,” Bob said. “There’s always a note left for us from Santa. Last year it said, ‘I had a great time and I’m looking forward to coming back again next year. This year’s Victorian Streetwalk was even better than last year. Let me know the date for next time and I’ll make sure it’s on my calendar. Love, Santa.’
The same spirit of creativity and care that built Santa’s Cottage has guided Michele and Bob since they first fell in love with their 19th-century home.
When Michele decided to buy a house in Saratoga in 1980, she knew she wanted something Victorian, full of character, and within her price range. The gingerbread-trimmed home at 43 York Avenue fit the bill. Her father, a master carpenter and builder, ensured the house was sturdy and sound. Michele and Bob lovingly discovered there was no such thing as just a little restoration. It was all or nothing.
After completing the first phase of restoration — the exterior and the downstairs — Michele said, “I needed to know whose house this was once upon a time. I wanted to know who chose to build this house on this beautiful corner.” Around that time, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation launched its plaque program. Michele applied, and research volunteer Joan Walter soon uncovered a detailed history of the property.
Thanks to the Preservation Foundation’s historic plaque program, Michele Erceg and Bob Giordano discovered their 1884 home was built by jockey William Fitzpatrick—the very year he won the Travers Stakes.
Burleigh’s 1888 birdseye map
shows 43 York Avenue and its neighboring homes.
The house was built in 1884 by William Fitzpatrick, a well-known jockey. When Bob began volunteering at the National Museum of Racing, he learned even more about Fitzpatrick — including the fact that he won the Travers Stakes in 1884, the very year the house was built. “We have to assume that with Fitzpatrick’s Travers winnings, he had enough to build this house,” Michele said.
Over time, Bob researched “Daredevil Fritz,” as Fitzpatrick was nicknamed for his bold and aggressive riding. A newspaper account of his 1898 death noted, “He rode at times almost recklessly, but he was one of the best jockeys the American turf ever knew.” Today, Michele and Bob honor his legacy with a lawn jockey painted in silks matching their house colors, commemorating Fitzpatrick’s big wins.
Michele and Bob honor the history of the original owner,
well-known jockey William Fitzpatrick and his Travers win, with this lawn jockey.
If Michele and Bob’s story inspires you to uncover your own home’s past, start with the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. Their historic house plaque program connects homeowners with researchers who can help trace a property’s early owners, architectural style, and will provide a written history based on deed transactions, city directories, census data, maps, and more.
If you want to do your own research, online address searches at FultonHistory.com, Newspapers.com, or HathiTrust.org are easy places to start. Old city directories and maps in the Saratoga Room of the public library can also reveal fascinating details — and maybe even a story worth sharing next holiday season!