Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Heading out East

Going to the coast of Maine in September, and staying overnight in Utica. Is there anything Savage left there?

The buildings became the Charles Town Mall, it's been abandon for 25+ years, it appears many of the buildings were still standing as of 2015, here are links to a couple videos that are dated 2015 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZDG3C-FKfM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTw6RHi9cCA

Here's an aerial view, don't know the date - /charlestown+mall+utica+ny

... so it appears that there is still a lot left... unless LBK has still been hauling out bricks the last few years....

If you could take a few good pictures from the roof tops I think we all would appreciate seeing them.

Turner street building 2011


Blecker street building 2016

Not sure where you'll be in Maine, but there's a few stores worth hitting. Kittery Trading Post, LL Beans, Cabela's in Scarborough. Probably a bunch of smaller gun stores if you have time.

Beautiful country, great food!

Hire a kid with one of those mini-drones to do some fly-overs!!

I'm an hour east of Utica, if you know your schedule I can meet you there with bolt cutters coffee

I wonder if they used old left over 1895 barrels as re-bar when they poured the foundation? Might want to take a sledge hammer along too.

(Only half joking. The gov't was notorious for using Trapdoor and Krag barrels as re-bar in some CCC Projects during the 1930's.)

I've "googled" those buildings before. Maybe we all could chip in some cash and rent some floor space for the ultimate Savage Fest at the old Utica plant? Maybe even hold it in the old warehouse if it is still standing. Wouldn't that be cool!

Now there's an idea! Or even a couple large party tents set up on the grounds (which would entail setting up and tearing down displays twice, but so what). After all, next year is the 120th Anniversary of the M1899 Savage. Hint hint.

Would that be enough of a draw to get a passel of the Left Coast guys to come back east?

I bet we could even get the city to sponsor/contribute. They do for Hunter Arms (L.C.Smith Collectors Association) reunion/get togethers.

Hint, Hint, Hint!!! This could be "Wagons East"!

If you're going for the city to contribute, I'd aim for a city venue that's air conditioned and just a tour of the buildings.


Back to Dave's trip.. might call the Utica city offices and see if there's a historical society that might spend time with you looking through old "stuff".

PM Marshfellow, he's a local resource and well of historical firearm knowledge.

Never been there, but if I was I would do a drive by on Turner Street to see the place that Arthur Savage built in 1902 and largely where it all began.
To see the building, the doors Mr. Savage walked through as well as thousands of others over the years.
Beyond that, Savage hasn't been there for ~70 years and the place has been re-purposed many times so there really isn't anything "Savage" left except for the romance of what it once was.
As GeneB has demonstrated, one can get a sense of the building, the place, the history from the comfort of your chair sitting in front of your PC searching Utica, Onieda, Mohawk Valley history.

[/quote]Never been there, but if I was I would do a drive by on Turner Street to see the place that Arthur Savage built in 1902 and largely where it all began.
To see the building, the doors Mr. Savage walked through as well as thousands of others over the years.
Beyond that, Savage hasn't been there for ~70 years and the place has been re-purposed many times so there really isn't anything "Savage" left except for the romance of what it once was.
As GeneB has demonstrated, one can get a sense of the building, the place, the history from the comfort of your chair sitting in front of your PC searching Utica, Onieda, Mohawk Valley history.

[/quote]

Ouch! Not really trying to stir anything up here but my sentiments are just about opposite, though I would argue that the history of place is equally significant for both locales and both are deserving of attention from those interested in all things Savage.

There was another large multistory building complex on the site just to the right of the Blecker Street building pictured above (had it originally as 'left'... I better not try going there... I will probably get totally lost!), I think that may have been one of the original factory building, I am not sure which buildings were there in 1905 when Arthur was still there. Here is an older aerial view that shows that complex as almost a skeleton.



I think this shows all the buildings -

Your google-fu is most impressive Gene

Dave,

There is an Oneida County Historical Society on Genesee St in Utica. Nice place very rich in history but they have virtually nothing on Savage Arms. It's unbelievable that a company which was so important to the Utica community and war efforts is barely represented in the historical society. They have one thin manilla folder with a smattering of stuff about Savage and some info about a local athlete named Savage with no connection. I was told that there were a couple of original Savage catalogs in the folder at one time but those "walked away" with some crumball. The city directories are somewhat helpful with dates of some people's residency in the area.
If you're staying in Utica visit the train station & the Utica Brewery. Both worth seeing after you do a driveby of the old Savage grounds which you will enjoy seeing whats left there.
Tom www.foxriversporting.com

Thanks for the info. This has been an on again/off again trip for the last three weeks. As of right now, it is on again!