Edgar T. Brackett, a successful attorney and businessman, built the large house at the corner of North Broadway and Greenfield Avenue in 1885. He hired prominent local architect S. Gifford Slocum to design the residence for his family.

The Queen Anne style house features a steeply pitched irregularly shaped roof, a three-story tower, a variety of wall patterns and textures, a full-width porch with a solid paneled wood balustrade and round columns.  Making the primary façade of this house unique is the prominently placed decorative brick-patterned chimney and the half-timbered detailing that extends from the second-floor bay into the front gable.  This is perhaps the only Queen Anne style residence in Saratoga Springs with half-timbering, which is not surprising since only about five percent of Queen Anne houses built in the United States have this unique detail.

Edgar T. Brackett was born on July 30, 1853, in Wilton, New York. After spending his youth in Iowa, he returned to Saratoga Springs in 1872. That same year, he married Mary Emma Corliss. He began the study of law at the office of Pond & French and was admitted to the bar in 1875. The following year, he became a member of the firm where he had studied.  The firm was renamed Pond, French, and Brackett, where he practiced law for 12 years.  

In 1888, Brackett formed the firm of Brackett, Butler, and Baucus. Four years later, he practiced law alone. Brackett expanded his career into politics. He was elected to the New York State Senate in 1896, serving for a decade. In 1909, he was reelected and served another three years. That same year, Brackett, with financier Spencer Trask, established the legislation that preserved the springs of Saratoga and resulted in the establishment of the State Reservation at Saratoga Springs, today known as the Saratoga Spa State Park. Gates to the entrance of Congress Park were erected by the citizens of Saratoga Springs shortly after the creation of the State Reservation, as an expression of their appreciation for his efforts.  

In 1889, Brackett, along with Sidney Rickard and G.F. Harvey, incorporated the G.F. Harvey Company, which became a successful pharmaceutical manufacturer in Saratoga Springs that made hundreds of kinds of pills, granules, tablet triturates, fluid extracts, powders, suppositories, tinctures, syrups and elixirs. In 1901, Brackett established the Adirondack Trust Company where he served as president until his death. In 1921, he built McGregor Links Golf Course.  

Brackett resided at 605 North Broadway with his wife Emma and their two sons, Edgar Jr. and Charles. Unfortunately, Edgar died at a young age as a result of a Fourth of July accident. Charles went on to have a very successful career as a film writer and producer.  Charles was best known for his work with Billy Wilder, which included the Academy Award-winning “The Lost Weekend” and “Sunset Boulevard.”  He also won an Academy Award for his work on “Titanic,” and in 1957 won an Honorary Oscar for Outstanding Service in the Industry.

Senator Brackett passed away at his residence on February 27, 1924, after nine months of illness. The following day, the Ballston Spa Daily Journal wrote - 

Senator Brackett’s death, (he was always hailed as Senator) will be a real loss to the community, the county, and the state. For a quarter of the century, he has been recognized as one of the big men of the Republican party and as one of the most able lawyers in the state. He was a man firm in his convictions, and once he believed he was right, he backed the opinion with all his dynamic energies. He was long known as a warm friend willing to make any sacrifice; on the other hand, he was a legal and political antagonist who gave no quarter and expected none. He was the veteran of many a hard-fought battle in politics and court.

The house remained in the Brackett family following Senator Brackett’s death until 1935 when it was sold to Mrs. Elizabeth Winde, who converted it to the Beverly Manor Rooming and Tourist Home. She operated the Beverly Manor until 1969 when she defaulted on her mortgage. In 1970, Nellie S. Gordon purchased it and continued to operate The Beverly until 1980 when Patrick Pease purchased the house and returned it to a single-family residence.   

Harry Quadracci, founder of Quad/Graphics, purchased the house in 1984 - the same year that his company built a large printing plant in Saratoga Springs at Grande Industrial Park.  

Harry’s father operated a small printing press behind the family’s Italian grocery in Wisconsin. His father co-founded W.A. Krueger Company and Harry joined his father in 1962. In 1971, he, along with eleven others, founded Quad/Graphics, Inc., which today is one of the largest providers of print and related multichannel solutions in the Americas with many locations, including Saratoga Springs. Harry Quadracci and his wife Betty were generous patrons of the arts, contributing $10 million dollars to construct an iconic sculptural addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum.

In 1987, three years after Harry Quadracci purchased 605 North Broadway, he acquired the circa 1885 carriage house that at some point had been subdivided from the property and made into four apartments. The original carriage house was much smaller than it is today. The Quadraccis built two additions. The most recent addition, made in 1998, includes the walled garden and a garage, which earned a New Contextual Design Award from the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. The unique space provided a place for Quad/Graphics to host retreats, special events, and overnight guests.  

Following Harry’s unexpected passing in 2002, his youngest son Joel eventually took over the family business. Joel undertook an extensive restoration of the home. The Foundation assisted Joel with the application for federal rehabilitation tax credits, which helped to offset the cost of the restoration. It was then that layers of red paint were removed from the exterior brick and a clear coat was applied; an inappropriate garage addition was removed; the rear porch was constructed; and many of the original fixtures were restored. Supportive of Quadracci’s efforts, residents of Saratoga Springs returned items that had been removed over the years.  

In 2021, the house and the carriage house properties were sold to Ed and Lisa Mitzen. Ed is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who in 2008 founded Fingerpaint Marketing, a full-service advertising agency that specializes in biopharma. Today, Fingerpaint Marketing, established in Saratoga Springs, has 800 employees around the world.  In 2020, the Mitzens established the nonprofit Business for Good, whose mission is to invest in people to build better businesses, stronger communities, and a more equitable world. Since Business for Good was established, the organization has supported over 150 businesses and community organizations, including the Bread Basket and Hattie’s where all profits are donated to local charities. Ed recently wrote “Wealthy and White: Why Guys Like Me Have to Show Up, Step Up, and Give Others a Hand Up,” which chronicles the early stages of Business for Good and its mission to build wealth in disadvantaged communities. 

The Mitzens’ generous support of our community and others in the Capital Region and their continued stewardship of this important historic property is appreciated.