The Best Way to See Historic Downtown Albany

Hi everyone! The City of Albany Heritage Area Visitor Center has begun to give free tours of downtown Albany (NY) the first Saturday of every month, May through October. Since we both enjoy history and architecture, my sweet husband and I decided to take part in the very first tour of this kind (since the 1980’s) on May 1st.

Our tour guide, a delightful adjunct professor named Hank, gave a terrific tour of our fair city, which predates the pilgrims. Its colorful history is rooted in the 1609 Dutch discovery of the region, which they called “Beverwyck.” Much of the area is part of a National Historic District. The tours begin at the Visitor Center on Broadway, next door to the Olde English Pub (formerly the Quakenbush House).

Named after the Dutch family that lived here for over 150 years, Quackenbush House was built during the 1730’s. Ironically, it is now a popular British-style pub. It is the oldest Dutch colonial building in the city.

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While in college and during my 20s, I attended many concerts at the Palace Theater. On the corner of North Pearl and Clinton, it opened  in 1931. The fabulous vintage-style marquee replicates the Theater’s original.

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Right across from the Palace you find Clinton Square, containing McGeary’s, a hangout for state legislators and their staff, and the former home of author, Herman Melville (the pink building to the left of McGeary’s).

Continuing south along Pearl Street, you run into Lodge’s, Albany’s oldest, continuously operating dry goods store (1867-present).

The old Kenmore Hotel (now offices), was built and owned by a wealthy African American, Adam Blake, Jr. His father was a slave to Dutch patroon (manor lord) Stephen Van Rensselaer III. (The Van Rensselaers owned much of Albany and Rensselaer counties.) The Kenmore has a fascinating history, including a Rainbow Room similar to the one in NYC.

The golden front door surrounded by beautiful marble (and me reflected in the glass).

Turn right off of Pearl St. onto Steuben St. and you find the YMCA building, built in 1886 in the Romanesque Revival style. Now home to the Steuben Club (once men only), it contains one of the first indoor swimming pools in the country and was the site of the first game of basketball outside Springfield College, the sport’s birthplace.

We walked up Steuben Street on the original, 17th century cobblestones, which made it to America from Europe as ship ballast.

I can’t remember the significance of this building, but I loved its Romanesque Revival style and the buttercup yellow color.

Constructed of granite and limestone, this stone balustrade lines the Albany County Courthouse all along Steuben St.

The imposing ionic columns of the Court of Appeals (highest court in NYS) were completed in 1843 in the Greek Revival style.

This building, original home of the Albany Academy, sits on a peaceful plot of land alone and undisturbed. It now serves as the main office of the Albany School District.

Built in 1867 in the Italianate Romanesque Revival style, St. Mary’s is second in age only to St. Peter’s in NYC.

Complete with a fully function carillon, Albany City Hall was constructed in the Romanesque Style in 1883.

As evidenced by its towering, ornate entrance.

Though construction on the capitol began in 1867, the project was not completed until 1898, some thirty-one years later. The building reflects a number of different architectural styles–French Renaissance Revival and Beaux Arts, for example–due to the changing tastes of legislators and the variety of architects hired over the years.  (Note: Free guided tours are available M-F, 11 am and 1 pm, call ahead 474-2418.)

At the corner of State and Eagle Street, you can find this plaque, noting that Eagle Street had once been named “Duke Street,” after the Duke of Albany, for whom the city of Albany was named. (Under Dutch rule, Albany was known as “Beverwyck,” indicating the importance of “beaver” fur to the founding of the city.

Built in 1870 in the French Gothic style, St. Peters contains a beautiful rose window by Tiffany.  Just below the peak of the bell tower you can see two of the three (3 ton) gargoyles that extend out 8′ from the walls of the tower.

I cannot remember the details about this building located on State Street near St. Peter’s, but I love the turrets.

Built in 1904 and designed by famous architect, Marcus T. Reynolds for the First Trust Company, this fascinating, triangular building on the corner of State and Broadway, is now home to the Research Foundation of State University of New York (SUNY).

Also designed by Marcus T. Reynolds in the Gothic style after the Cloth Tower in Belgium, the D & H Railroad headquarters was purchased by SUNY in 1973 as its first permanent home.