News:

Carpet Kings

Group formed to preserve Amsterdam landmark

By RICHARD NILSEN, The Leader-Herald

Published on Sunday, March 25, 2007

Those big old barns along Route 30, across  from Amsterdam Memorial Hospital, may not demand attention now, but they once were the crown jewel, a landmark owned by Amsterdam’s favorite son.

The barns, grounds and falling-down split-rail fences once were part of the elegant Hurricana Stud Farm owned by Amsterdam businessman Stephen Sanford.

L.F. “Sam” Hildebrandt Jr. is president of Friends of Sanford Stud Farm, which is a not-for-profit organization trying to preserve the farm as a national treasure.

“We are dedicated to preserving the legacy of an historic thoroughbred family from this region,” Hildebrandt said. “Stephen Sanford and his descendants played an important role in the formative years of Saratoga thoroughbred racing in the 19th century.”

Hildebrandt said Sanford built his farm in Amsterdam and raced his horses at Saratoga to win important races like the Hopeful Stakes, Alabama Stakes and the Saratoga Cup. Today’s Sanford Stakes at Saratoga is named in his honor, Hildebrandt said.

Hildebrandt’s father was a jockey at the Sanford Stud Farm, and he wrote of the experience in a father-son project published as “Riders Up” covering Sr.’s life on the horse racing circuit from 1936 to 1947.

According to the Sanford Stud Farm Web site:

“In the 1870s, carpet-manufacturing innovator Stephen Sanford was advised by his physician to “buy a farm and a couple horses” and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of life in the country in order to escape from the stressful environment of his busy internationally acclaimed carpet business.  It was a “therapeutic” decision that would lead to one of the largest and most recognized thoroughbred breeding facilities in the nation.”

Stephen Sanford’s father John Sanford came to Fort Johnson in 1821 from Connecticut and taught school in Mayfield and Glen, according to Hugh P. Donlan’s “Annals of a Mill Town” history of Amsterdam. He then became a grocer at Main and Market streets and was successively town supervisor, village president and then a U.S. Congressman. Donlan states that although “biographical details... are rather sketchy,” son Stephen was born in 1826 and went to West Point Military Academy before returning to Amsterdam.

By 1844, Stephen was back in Amsterdam to help his father “at the carpet mill” and after an 1855 fire, John Sanford retired and left Stephen with rebuilding the mill which became “more productive” with blocks of buildings, stores, offices and apartments all growing out of the carpet business, according to Donlan.

At the peak of the mills’ production between 1916 and 1918, more than 3,000 employees worked for Sanford.

County Historian Kelly A. Yacobucci Farquhar said Stephen Sanford was quite a philanthropist.

“The [Sanford] family was very philanthropic for Amsterdam,” Yacobucci Farquhar said. “[Stephen Sanford] donated to the Home for Women and the Sanford mansion is now City Hall. It was donated when the first city hall was torn down during urban renewal. Stephen wasn’t just an industrialist.”

As to the Sanford Stud Farm, also known as Hurricana Farm, Yacobucci Farquhar said, “It would be a shame to lose it,” referring to the deterioration of the once 1,000 acre horse farm and barns that contributed winners to tracks from Saratoga to Hialeah.

Much of what was once the 1,000-acre farm stretching from the property across from Amsterdam Memorial Hospital all the way to Wallins Corners has been sold and developed. Only 1.4 acres remain with the broodmare barn, foaling barns, blacksmith shop and outbuildings.

“We’re in [the] process of raising money for the farm’s preservation,” Hildebrandt said. “The town of Amsterdam owns the property the barns are on and we’re working with the town in cooperation to see this landmark doesn’t fall into worse ruin.”

A tour of the broodmare barn interior showed roof leakage and enough deterioration that Hildebrandt feared sections of the barn might not be able to be saved in time to be preserved.

A member item through state Sen. Hugh T. Farley’s office apparently brought $17,500 to the project, but Hildebrandt said many thousands more would be required to complete the project.

Hildebrandt said one of the sad events of the recent history of the farm were the removal of stone and concrete monuments to famous horses that were “picked up and dumped in the dark of night.” His Friends project hopes to keep further destruction like that from happening.

“Those monuments are now dumped behind the ‘south lane’ area,” Hildebrandt said. “This was once a huge, beautiful farm. Even after the largest barn was burnt in 1939, an aerial picture from 1941 shows the grandeur of the place.”

Hildebrandt’s efforts to preserve the 132-year-old farm are outlined on the Web site www.sanfordstudfarm.org.

“We’re looking for new members,” he said.

Richard Nilsen is a general assignment reporter. He can be reached at g@leaderherald.com.