Petrified Sea Gardens | |
 Cambrian Period undersea grotto near park entrance, 2008 | |
   | |
| Location | Petrified Sea Gardens Rd.,Saratoga Springs, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°4′58.97″N73°50′40.16″W / 43.0830472°N 73.8444889°W /43.0830472; -73.8444889 |
| Area | 25 acres (10 ha)[1] |
| Built | 1825 (1825) |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000631 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | January 20, 1999[2] |
| Designated NHL | January 20, 1999[3] |
| Designated NNL | April 1967 |
Petrified Sea Gardens, also once known asRitchie Park, is aNational Historic Landmark on Petrified Sea Gardens Road inSaratoga Springs,New York. It preserves a bed of ancientstromatolites in aCambrian rock layer, which were the first to be recognized and understood for what they are. The site was a private park open to the public for many years, but is now closed. The site was designated aNational Natural Landmark in 1967, and a National Historic Landmark in 1999.[3][4]
The Petrified Sea Gardens site is located at 42 Petrified Sea Gardens Road, about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) north ofN.Y. 29, in far westernSaratoga Springs, New York. The site is about 25 acres (10 ha) in size, although the outcrops of interest occupy only about 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) of the largely wooded site. The outcrops are a part of a larger geological formation known as theHoyt Limestone, which is also exposed in Lester Park, a public park operated by theNew York State Museum about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of this site. Although stromatolites can be found more widely, they are rarely exposed in this area because of later glacial action.[1]
The structures now identified as stromatolites, which are marine algae growths, were first identified on this site in 1825, but what they were was unknown and the subject of scientific debate.James Hall (1811–1898), the first State Paleontologist of New York, identified them as being organic and placed stromatolites in a new genus. Pioneering female paleontologistWinifred Goldring (1888–1971), was the first to identify the creatures responsible for creating the structures found, and described those found here among the finest surviving specimens. Samples from this site were later compared to stromatolites of more recent construction found inAustralia.[1]
In 1924, Robert F. Ritchie, a stonemason and amateur geologist who owned the property, opened a park to show them to the public.[1] The site was a childhood inspiration for paleontologistStephen Jay Gould.[1] The site was most recently open as an educational site operated by a non-profit, the Friends of Petrified Sea Gardens[1] until 2006. It is currently closed to the public.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help) andAccompanying 2 exterior photos from 1998, plus image of Winifred Goldring, undated (550 KB)Year designated: 1967
