The High Rock Spring is located across Maple Avenue from The Olde
Bryan Inn. Tradition says that Native Americans of the Saratoga region visited the High
Rock Spring as early as 1300 to gain strength from the "Medicine Spring of the Great
Spirit." As to the identity of the first white man to visit the springs we cannot be
certain. There is reason to believe that an ailing French officer from Fort Carillon, near
Rensselaer, was carried to the spring by the Native Americans in the late 1750’s.
However, the first visitor to attract special attention to the area was Sir William
Johnson in 1771. Johnson was suffering from a wound received in the Battle of Lake George
and was carried from Johnstown to High Rock Spring by a Mohawk tribe. After a stay of
several days, his health improved noticeably so that he was able to walk during a portion
of the return trip. Due to Sir William’s distinguished stature, the reputation of the
spring grew quickly.
In 1773, Dirck Schoughten of Waterford built a crude log cabin on the bluff overlooking
the spring. He fell into disfavor with the Native Americans in the region and left that
same summer.
In 1774, John Arnold and his family took over the cabin, improved it and operated an
inn for visitors to the spring. Sixteen Native American dwellings were also located near
the spring at this time.
In 1777, Sam Norton purchased the inn. After only one year of operating the inn, the
outbreak of the Revolutionary War and the subsequent advance of "Gentleman
Johnny" Burgoyne forced him to flee. Upon the cessation of hostilities, Norton’s
son returned, took over the inn and successfully operated it for ten years.
General Phillip Schuyler constructed a log road from Schuylerville to the High Rock
Spring. In 1783, he erected a tent and stayed several weeks with his family at the spring.
The following year he built a two room summer home where he spent every summer for the
remaining years of his life.
The same year Schuyler erected a tent at the Spring, George Washington, Alexander
Hamilton and Governor Clinton of New York visited General Schuyler to see the Saratoga
Battlefield at Bemis Heights. The distinguished party was taken to the High Rock Spring,
but most likely stayed in General Schuyler’s tent rather than Norton’s crude
inn. George Washington became so excited with the spring that he later attempted to
purchase the land, but titles had already been secured by Livingston and Walton.
In 1787, Norton sold the inn to Gilbert Morgan who in turn sold it to Revolutionary War
hero Alexander Bryan. Bryan purchased the inn to operate in his retirement. He erected a
blacksmith shop and an additional log house across the street which he operated as a
tavern and inn until the turn of the century. It is generally recognized that Alexander
Bryan was the first permanent resident of Saratoga Springs and his inns were the only
Saratoga hotels until 1801 when Gideon Putnam built the famous Grand Union Hotel.
In 1825, John Bryan built a stone house on the site of his father’s tavern and it
remained as a single family residence in the Bryan family until the 1900’s.
In 1925, the home was purchased by the LaMountain family. A brick addition was added to
the stone structure and the famous Burnhams hand laundry was founded and operated until
1954 and was a landmark for Saratoga visitors.
In 1954, the Veitch family bought the home and lived here until 1979 when Dave Powers
and Joe Wilkinson purchased it with the intent of restoring it to the old inn.
In 1981, Steve Sullivan joined the partnership with Dave and Joe and together they ran
The Olde Bryan Inn. Dave and Steve opened Longfellows Restaurant in 1996 in a restored
dairy barn near Saratoga Lake. In 1998, Longfellows Inn was opened adjoining the
restaurant. A 32 room addition to Longfellows Inn and Restaurant, with a conference center
and training facility, will be completed in July of 2003.
Alexander Bryan was a hero of the Revolutionary War. Born in
1733, he lived 92 years and died April 9, 1825. Bryan operated his first inn two miles
north of Waterford, New York. During the revolution, his inn was visited by partisans of
both sides and Bryan was so discreet that he was trusted by the British. Due to his trust,
he was appointed by American General Gates to the dangerous duty of spying on the British
troops near Fort Edward.
Bryan entered the British camp of Burgoyne and stayed until he learned of the British
plan to cross the Hudson River at Stillwater and surprise the greatly outnumbered American
garrison. On September 15, 1777, he was discovered and chased on horseback for three days.
He was forced to abandon his horse and hide in a river with only his mouth above water,
narrowly escaping detection. He managed to report his findings to General Gates which
allowed the Americans to prepare for the engagement of September 19, 1777 and ultimate
victory on October 7, 1777. This encounter came to be known as the Battle of Saratoga and
the turning point of the American Revolution.
