Get Your Toolbelt: Technology Entrepreneur Opens Community Woodworking Center

In March, John Haller acquired the building at 69 Caroline Street for $2 million. The 8,700 sq. ft. structure will be the new site of Saratoga Joinery, a nonprofit woodworking center and gallery. 

Overcoming Hurdles

Beginning this fall, woodworking classes and tools will be available to hobbyists, enthusiasts, and trade professionals at the Saratoga Joinery.

“It adds to what is available to people in the community,” said Haller.

“A lot of people have varying degrees of interest in, and engagement with woodworking, but there can be steep barriers for them when it comes to space, cost, and machine maintenance.”

Opportunities for Hands-on Learning 

For 21 years, the two-story structure (built in the 1880s) was home to the Saratoga Children’s Museum (which will be relocating to the Lincoln Baths building at Saratoga Spa Park). 

By becoming Saratoga Joinery, this building will continue to be a place for learning by doing.

Haller was attracted to the building’s substantial square footage, proximity to downtown foot traffic, and large 25-vehicle parking lot, as well as its historic roots. Since 2019, he has been a board member of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. 

“Saratoga Springs is a community with rich historic resources and has been a leader in the preservation movement. The Saratoga Joinery has the potential to play an important role in promoting the preservation trades in our community and beyond,” said the Foundation’s Executive Director Samantha Bosshart.

Building Assets

The interior renovations are currently planned to include a main floor public woodworking gallery and exhibition space for completed projects. 

The first floor will also feature a workshop (with tools including; table and band saws, a planer, jointer, drill presses, routers, and sanding equipment). Upstairs in the Bench Room, there will be space for the planning, layout, and assembly of projects.

Saratoga Joinery is hoping to attract beginners to the space by offering a variety of smaller projects that can be completed in one or two class periods.

To follow along with Saratoga Joinery as they prepare to open, find them on Facebook, Instagram, and at saratogajoinery.org

To read more of this story visit saratogabusinessreport.com