As America prepares to mark 250 years since declaring independence—and Saratoga readies to commemorate the pivotal Battles of Saratoga—one local landmark reminds us that our city’s history began well before 1776. We’re talking about the Olde Bryan Inn, the restaurant that’s been serving Saratogians warm soup and cold beer since 1979. But the beloved restaurant is only the latest iteration of a building whose site predates the American Revolution and whose walls hold stories that stretch far beyond the battlefield.
Located on a strategic perch above the High Rock Spring, the site that’s now OBI once drew Native Americans and early settlers seeking the water’s fabled curative powers. While historical records sometimes tell different stories, all agree that the first structure on the site was a crude log cabin, built as an “Indian trading post” in 1773 by Dirck Schoughten of Waterford and later purchased by Revolutionary War hero Alexander Bryan, who wanted to run an inn in his retirement. But the construction date of the limestone building we know today as the Olde Bryan Inn is less certain.
The New York State historic marker near the building, unveiled by the local Daughters of the American Revolution in May 1938, declares that Alexander’s son John Bryan built the house in 1832. But later research by City Historian Beatrice Sweeney, Skidmore professor James Kettlewell, and a descendant of Alexander Bryan points to an earlier date. Their findings suggest that after Alexander’s death in 1825, John took over the property and built the limestone structure—Federal in style—the very next year. Family papers note, “In Nov. 1826, John Bryan received a mortgage on the property.” This convincing evidence anchors the earlier date.
After the Bryans, Wilton farmer Daniel Gailor and his family made the house their home, putting on a brick addition sometime before 1888. In 1925, the Lamoutain/Burnham family purchased the property, and the house returned to commercial life as Burnham’s well-known hand laundry moved its operations there. An advertisement for help confidently promised, “Strictly first-class work guaranteed.” The hand laundry added machines, and ladies did mending and ironing in the front room.
Saratogian Karen Veitch Perrino’s great-grandmother Pearl operated the laundry, as did her grandmother Beatrice. “When Beatrice passed, she left the house to my grandfather Sid, my uncle Don, and my father, Robert,” Karen says. “My dad bought them out.”
Robert Veitch purchased the property in 1954, and lived there with his wife, Rosemary; three daughters, Karen, Nancy, and Kelly; and two sons, Robin and Kevin, for more than two decades. Desiring to move to South Carolina, Robert and Rosemary listed the house for $85,000 in 1978. At that time, few could have imagined that a seven-bedroom, 2.5-bath family home would soon be transformed into a mainstay Saratoga restaurant.
However, business partners Dave and Sharon Powers and Joe Wilkinson were searching for a historic property with character to house a tavern-style restaurant. The Veitch property checked all the boxes—thick stone walls, deep-set windows, and a location steeped in local lore. The partners completed the purchase in 1979, and Steve “Sully” Sullivan joined the ownership team two years later.
Just like that, the Olde Bryan Inn, as it came to be known, was born. The restaurant was furnished with pews from St. Peter’s Church, which also happened to be undergoing a renovation at the time. The repurposed pews blended seamlessly into the building’s historic atmosphere and helped set the stage for a dining experience rooted in tradition. Adding to the charm of the place? The original fireplaces once used by John Bryan himself.
Of course, converting a residence into a restaurant is a massive undertaking, and making structural changes to a designated local landmark only complicates the process. Over the years, numerous applications for necessary changes have been submitted to Saratoga’s Design Review Commission, and—in keeping with the building’s historical integrity—signage, a sizable addition, an enclosed brick staircase, a seasonal awning, and a handicap-accessible bathroom have all been approved.
Today, the Olde Bryan Inn is still flourishing, having become a Saratoga favorite for locals and visitors alike. Menus have evolved with the times, yet certain dishes—like chicken and biscuits—remain as a nod to the cuisine of Alexander Bryan’s day. For one special occasion, the restaurant even featured an “Alexander Bryan Dinner,” inspired by foods of the Revolutionary War era. Saratogians today can visit a monument memorializing Bryan as Saratoga’s first permanent settler and a key player in the Battles of Saratoga at Greenridge Cemetery.
Beyond its menu, the Inn’s enduring legacy is its generosity, from donating meals for charitable causes to helping feed the needy during the holidays. In other words, more than 250 years after that crude log cabin was built to accommodate travelers to the region that would later become the Spa City, the spirit of hospitality first offered on the hill above High Rock Spring endures.
