Evelyn Barrett Britten
Journalist, History Enthusiast, Civic Leader
Born in 1891, Evelyn Barrett graduated as valedictorian from Saratoga Springs High School in 1909, serving as the editor of The Recorder, the school’s yearbook. While still in school, she started working at the Saratoga Sun newspaper. After studying at Albany Teachers College, Evelyn began working as a reporter for The Saratogian. She remained a writer for the paper until her official retirement in 1952.
Having become active with the Saratoga Springs Historical Society in the early 1920s, by 1924 Miss Barrett was appointed Secretary, starting a key relationship that was to continue for 46 years. For 25 of those years she also served as City Historian.
Not only did Evelyn keep the Society’s minutes, she published monthly newspaper articles detailing the Society’s programs and attendees, and wrote additional articles on local history under the nom de plum “Jean McGregor.” A collection of those articles, published as the Chronicles of Saratoga, provide views of the past that, while they may not pass every test of historical accuracy, remain good reading. A 15-minute radio program carried more of her stories to a wider public each Sunday.
Evelyn supervised the transfer of furnishings from Pine Grove, the Walworth mansion, into rooms on the third floor of the Canfield Casino, which opened as the Walworth Museum in 1955. That same year the Chamber of Commerce named her “Woman of the Year.”
Mrs. Britten spearheaded a campaign for members to vote against the referendum to attach a hotel to the Casino, noting that the Society favored a modern hotel near Congress Park, but not there. The area should be “preserved as a public park for our children and our children’s children so that they too may be inspired to a new Spirit of Life,” she wrote. Evelyn was also at the forefront of the drive to restore the Casino in the 1960s. She passed away in 1969.