Todd, Hiram Charles, House
Also known as: Marvin-Sackett-Todd House
Why it's listed
Standing on Franklin Square in central Saratoga Springs, this Greek Revival house was probably built about 1837 by Thomas Marvin, nephew of the original owner of the United States Hotel and later its joint proprietor. The hotel backed onto the square, and the Marvin family sold land there that brought the railroad into the center of town. The house has a square central block, a T-shaped wing, a cupola, a full-height pedimented portico and a wooden frame with brick infill behind clapboard siding. Inside are a double staircase, a long drawing room divided by a semi-elliptical arch, and a semi-octagonal music room. Marvin's son-in-law William Sackett, a congressman, later lived here, and the Todd family inherited it in 1927. Hiram Charles Todd, a New York lawyer, led a Tammany Hall graft investigation in 1930. The house is valued for its scale, quality and design, its minimal alteration, and its role anchoring a group of 19th-century buildings around the square.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites the house's place in 19th-century social history, its location on a village square, and its fine Greek Revival design. It is tied to the United States Hotel and the arrival of the railroad in the village. It is described as remarkably unaltered and among the most important examples of Greek Revival domestic architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 72000911, listed May 31, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 4 Franklin Sq., Saratoga Springs |
|---|---|
| County | Saratoga County |
| Listed | May 31, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000911 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Marvin (builder/original owner) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rated in fair condition, with only minor alterations; the form states it was unoccupied, with plans for a two-family house. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Franklin Square Historic District |
| Coordinates | 43.08247, -73.78940 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 72000911.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5769090
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.