Robert Newton Brezee

Robert Newton Brezee (1851–1929), usually referred to as R. Newton Brezee or Newton Brezee, was an American architect chiefly active in Saratoga Springs, New York and surrounding areas.

Robert Newton Brezee in 1892

Professional

Brezee came to Saratoga Springs in 1867. He worked as a carpenter, and left Saratoga for a while to work on the planned community of Garden City, Long Island built by Alexander Turney Stewart.[1] A self-taught architect, he returned to Saratoga Springs and opened an office in 1884.[1] He is credited with the design of more than fifty buildings.[2]

Personal

Brezee was born on September 26, 1851 in Middleburgh, New York. He married Jennie M. Carr (1855-1950) on July 25, 1881 in Saratoga Springs.[3] The couple had four daughters: Edna Winford Brezee (1882-1971), Claire M. Brezee (b.1885) (Mrs. Samuel J. Mott), Elizabeth L. Brezee (1887-1989), and Dorothy Newton Brezee (1897-1949).[4]

Brezee died in 1929; he and Jennie are buried in Greenridge Cemetery in Saratoga Springs.

Buildings designed

Brezee designed primarily in the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles. Many Brezee-designed buildings have been preserved in the Union Avenue Historic District and the East Side Historic District in Saratoga Springs. The following is a partial list of these and of his other works:

City	Street	Building type	Date	photo
Saratoga Springs	105 Lake Ave.[5]	Single-family home	1884	105 Lake Avenue
Ballston Spa	George West Office Building, within Union Mill Complex, Milton Ave. (NY 50)[6]	Queen Anne-style 2-story brick office building	1884	George West Office Building is 2-story building at lower center in this view of the Union Mill Complex
Saratoga Springs	159 Division Street	Single-family home	1884–85	159 Division Street in 2014
Raquette Lake	Antlers	Hotel	1885
Saratoga Springs	75 Caroline Street	Single-family home	1885-86	75 Caroline Street
Saratoga Springs	10 Fifth Avenue	Single-family home	1886	10 Fifth Avenue
Saratoga Springs	156 Caroline Street	Summer home	1886-87	156 Caroline Street
Saratoga Springs	109 Caroline Street[7]	Single-family home	1887	109 Caroline Street
Saratoga Springs	511 Broadway	Office and residence of Dr. Douglas C Moriarta	1887	511 Broadway
Saratoga Springs	487 Broadway	Residence of Davis Coleman	1887	487 Broadway
Saratoga Springs	167 Grand Avenue	Single-family home	1887
Saratoga Springs	628 North Broadway	Single-family home	1887	628 North Broadway
Saratoga Springs	170-172 Spring Street	Duplex	1887
Saratoga Springs	203 Union Avenue	Single-family home	1888	203 Union Ave, a Queen Anne style home
Saratoga Springs	114 Caroline Street	Single-family home	1888	114 Caroline Street
Saratoga Springs	34 Clark Street	Single-family home	1888–89	34 Clark Street
Saratoga Springs	59 State Street	Single-family home	1888–89
Saratoga Springs	5 Fifth Avenue	Single-family home	1889	5 Fifth Avenue
Saratoga Springs	119 Caroline Street	Single-family home	1891	House of architect R. Newton Brezee
Saratoga Springs	153 Phila Street	Single-family home	1892–93
Saratoga Springs	179 Caroline Street	Single-family home	1896
Saratoga Springs	86 Court Street	Residence	1896	86 Court Street
Saratoga Springs	190-194 Grand Avenue	Row houses	1896	190-194 Grand Ave.
Saratoga Springs	91 Circular Street	Residence	1896
Saratoga Springs	135 Lake Avenue	Single-family home	1896
Saratoga Springs	16 Marion Place	Single-family home	1896	16 Marion Place
Saratoga Springs	22 Marion Place	Single-family home	1896	22 Marion Place
Saratoga Springs	21 Van Dam Street	Church	1897	21 Van Dam Street
Saratoga Springs	136 Circular Street	Single-family home (expansion)	1898	136 Circular Street
Corinth	First Baptist Church[8]	Church	1898	First Baptist Church, Corinth
Saratoga Springs	5 Madison Avenue	Single-family home	1898
Saratoga Springs	19 Marion Place	Single-family home	1899	19 Marion Place, the "Wills S. Kendrick House"
Saratoga Springs	96 Lake Avenue	Single-family home	1899–1900
Saratoga Springs	112 Spring Street[9]	School	1900	112 Spring Street, "School #4"
Saratoga Springs	55 Union Avenue	Single-family home	1901	55 Union Avenue
Saratoga Springs	Church Street at West Avenue	Saratoga Golf Club—club house	1902	Demolished
Saratoga Springs	205 Broadway	Single-family home	1902	Demolished
Saratoga Springs	90 Lake Avenue	Single-family home	c.1902
Saratoga Springs	9 Marion Place	Single-family home	1902
Saratoga Springs	122 Regent Street	Carriage house	1902	Douglas Mabee stables, 122 Regent St.
Saratoga Springs	120 Circular Street	Residence	1903
Saratoga Springs	28 Union Avenue[10]	Single-family home	1903	28 Union Avenue
Saratoga Springs	56 Union Ave.[11]	Single-family home	1903	56 Union Avenue
Saratoga Springs	142 Lake Avenue	Single-family home	1904
Saratoga Springs	687 North Broadway	Single-family home	1904	687 North Broadway
Saratoga Springs	64-66 Ludlow Street[5]		1905	64-66 Ludlow Street, the former "Hawley Children's Home"
Saratoga Springs	25 Fifth Avenue	Single-family home	1906	25 Fifth Avenue
Lake George	Triuna Island	Summer retreat of Spencer and Katrina Trask	1906-7
Saratoga Springs	Union Avenue	Yaddo— "West House"	1906–12
Corinth	611 Palmer Avenue	Palmer Avenue School	1908	Palmer Avenue School, Corinth
Round Lake	US Route 9	Summer home	1908	Charles Frederick Cluett home, Round Lake
Barkersville	Administration building and Pavilion number 1 Saratoga County Sanitorium[12]	Sanitorium	1913
Saratoga Springs	75 Ludlow Street	Single-family home	ca.1928

References

1. Holmes, Timothy (2008). Saratoga Springs, New York: A Brief History. Charleston, SC: The History Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-59629-452-3.
2. Holmes, Timothy A.; Stonequist, Martha (2000). Saratoga Springs: A Historical Portrait. Arcadia Publishing. p. 69. ISBN 0-7385-0438-6.
3. Durkee, Cornelius E. "Reminiscences of Saratoga". Saratogian. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
4. "Miss Dorothy Brezee Dead; Known as Nurse" (PDF). Saratogian. January 14, 1949. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
5. "Spa Preservation Foundation Slates Series on Architecture". Schenectady Gazette. April 23, 1983. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
6. Youngken, Richard (January 1982). "National Register of Historic Places nomination, Union Mill Complex". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
7. "Spa Preservation Foundation Plans House Tour". Schenectady Gazette. April 23, 1983. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
8. Clothier, Rachel (2009). Corinth. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-6574-3.
9. Preservation League of New York State. "2007 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award Recipients". Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
10. "Welcome to Alumni House" (PDF). Empire State College. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
11. "Fire Strikes Union Avenue House, in Saratoga Springs". Schenectady Gazette. August 3, 1984. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
12. Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors, Saratoga County, New York. Coronet Press. 1913.

Further reading

• Burns, Kathryn Ann. "An inventory and analysis of the work of architect R. Newton Brezee, Saratoga Springs, New York (1884-1929)".