Boundries of Capitol Hill:
West-Washington Park; North-State Street; Eagle Street;
South-Lincoln Park.(Candeub, Fleissig,1962,p19)
"As Albany grew over the course of the 19th century, the summit of
Capitol Hill evolved." A noble grouping of public buildings
dominated the site by the late 19th century. A monument was
erected in honor of General Philip H. Sheridan. The parading
general in full military dress, hat held in his outstretched
hand, still stands in front of a masterpiece of civic
architecture and decorative design that is the
State Capitol Building (Waite,1993,p.67-69). Just across the
way is the ten-story terra cotta Italian Renaissance structure
that was originally called the Albany Main Telephone Building. In
the mid 1960's when New York Telephone wanted to expand again,
the adjoining gigantic Empire State Plaza project was in its
infancy (Waite,1993,p.70).
Across the East Capitol Park, on the corner of Eagle Street is
the Romanesque City Hall, which was built after a fire, destroyed
the prior Greek revival City Hall of 1829-32. The carillon was
equipped in 1927 with sixty bells made by John Taylor Company of
England. This was the first city carillon in the United States.
There are abundant intricate carvings secondary to the massive
simplicity of the overall design. In front of City Hall is a
sculpture of General Philip Schuyler who was a quartermaster
general of the Northern Department of the Continental Army during
the Revolution (Waite,1993,p.71-72).
The Neo-Classical county courthouse built of granite and
limestone is four stories at the front and six at the rear and is
built on the slope of Eagle and Columbia Streets. "1-3 Columbia
Street was the studio of sculptor Erastus Dow Palmer and a focal
point of the Albany artistic community in the 1850's." "Angled and
sloped Columbia Street is lined with 19th century row houses,
many of which date from the Greek revival period." The remarkable
scale of the homes on Elk Street were the homes of notable Albany
figures from bishops to merchants and politicians. These homes
were the first step as fashionable Albany moved from the Pastures
up the hill (Waite,1993,p.74-78).
The originally controversial project for the complex known as
the Mall or The Empire State Plaza on South Swan Street between
State Street and Madison Avenue was Nelson A. Rockefeller's
lasting architectural legacy to Albany. It consists of ten
buildings set up on a six-story platform, which forms the plaza.
It has three reflecting pools and is bordered on the west by four
Agency buildings and on the east by the tall Tower and the Egg
(Waite,1993,p81) and (Verizon Telephone Directory,2001-2002,p.9).
Today the Plaza has many cultural and entertainment festivals and
celebrations as well as concerts and provides a place for Albany
residents and visitors to enjoy the City.
Boundaries of the Pastures:
North - Madison Avenue; South - S. Perry Street; East - Dongan
Avenue, West -
South Pearl Street (NRC 2002 Booklet)
Boundaries of the Mansion area:
North - Madison Avenue & Hamilton Street; South - Warren and
Arch Streets; East Trinity Place; West - Eagle Street (NRC
2002 Booklet)
The Pastures used by the Dutch as grazing land is said to have
been named by General Philip Schuyler. In the early part of the
century, this was home to great jazz bars and the red light
districts. 100 Madison Avenue in the Pastures, is the oldest
surviving structure and one of the oldest in Albany itself.
Spencer Stafford, a wealthy Albany merchant, constructed this
home. 82-94 Madison Avenue is home to row houses constructed in
1814, four of which were initially owned by Dudley Walsh, Founder
of Union College. 96 Madison, which was constructed in 1811, was
considered to be the most elegant private residence of its size
in the City. This was the home of Joseph C. Yates 1823-24 while
he served as Governor. Although the northernmost section of the
South End underwent significant changes after 1960 with the
construction of 787 and the Empire State Plaza, much of its
history and old charm remain (Waite,1993,p.119).
The Mansions are examples of Greek revival row houses,
including high stone basements covered with curved stoops,
recessed entries and simple lintels. 2 Ashgrove Place, once the
home of Samuel Schuyler, a ship captain who was one of Albany's
most prominent and wealthy men, is an example of this type of
architecture (Waite,1993,p.119).
The Executive Mansion was constructed around 1856 as a private
residence. The Italianate-style Olcott house had a gabled roof,
an impressive wrap-around porch and elaborate wooden detailing.
In 1886 the Mansion was completely overhauled and expanded and
the appearance changed adding Queen Anne details
(Rittner,2000,p.108).
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on the corner of
Eagle Street and Madison Avenue was constructed between 1848 and
1852. It was the second Roman Catholic cathedral built in the
state and was erected to house the seat of the Albany Diocese.
The design inspiration came from the Cologne Cathedral in
Germany. Today the Cathedral is a mass of iron scaffolding
housing its ongoing renovations. St. Anthony's Roman Catholic
Church was constructed between 1908 and 1915 and it accommodated
the large Italian population that resided in this section of the
South End (Kennedy,1983,p.235). "The parish remained strong
throughout the mid-20th century and the famous Italian street
festivals with parading statues with dollar bills pinned to them
(Interview with former resident - Darlene Benedetto)." These
festivals were held on Grand Street through the 1950's. "It was
also an unusual occurrence for the bakers to put steaming pizzas
in the bakery store windows for the children of the neighborhood
to purchase (Interview with former resident - Dennis
Gervasio)."
 The Cathedral is being renovated today. St.
Anthony's Roman Catholic Church was constructed between 1908 and
1915 to accommodate the large Italian population that resided in
this section of the South End. The parish remained strong
throughout the mid-20th century and Italian street festivals were
held on Grand Street through the 1950's. 72-79 Grand Street were
constructed in 1853 and these eight buildings originally had
identical Gothic Revival facades. They may be the earliest
surviving work of James Eaton, who built rows in this
neighborhood and sold them to individuals (Waite,1993,p.122).
The South End Revitalization had its first anniversary
celebration on April 20th, 2002. This was a joint effort of
community leaders, city officials, non-profits and residents to
inspire community revitalization in the South End. Some of the
key elements of the strategy will be the demolition of high rise
public housing and replacing it with low-rise housing and other
uses, reuse of abandoned warehouse and row house for housing,
commercial buildings or open space, establishment of residential
parking permit system, addition of day care and youth programs
and addition of owner occupied housing in stable residential
areas. South Pearl Street reconstruction is presently underway.
The Pastures Town homes (a row of nine row houses on S. Pearl
Street near Madison Avenue) have sat unfinished for years (Neighborhood
Revitalization,2002).
Improvement of the South End is a challenge at all levels of
government, private investors, and businesses.
Boundries of Center Square:
West - Hackett Blvd.; North- Holland Avenue; South - I-87; East:
Oneida Terrace(NRC 2002 Booklet)
These buildings date from Albany's most prosperous years between
1850 and 1900. In 1957 the Center Square Association name by a
small group of concerned residents, was formed to encourage
preservation of the six blocks between State St. and Lancaster
Street and later the north side of Jay Street
(Waite,1993,p.125).  67 Dove Street was the rooming house where it is
said that the murder of the notorious bootlegging gangster "Legs
Diamond" occurred. The murder still remains a mystery today
(Kennedy,1983,p.205). In the early 19th century when the Rutten
Kill still coursed through this neighborhood men were employed to
fill the Rutten Kill from Hawk to Lark Street. A new gorge
threatened the neighborhood in the late 1960's when early plans
for the Empire State Plaza included an arterial that would have
sliced through this area along the path of the old Rutten Kill.
In 1972 the Center Square Association was instrumental in halting
the roadwork. Traffic now exits north on South Swan or doubles
back under the Plaza superstructure. A charming surprise in this
urban setting, are a pair of four-bay-wide 1850's brick row
houses with two-story double porches with unusual lattice work at
347-349 Hudson Avenue.
Although the trolley ceased operating in 1946, two surviving
towers from the 1890's are in front of 401 Hamilton Street. This
was the 1960's route of horse drawn and later electrified
streetcars (Waite,1993,p.144).
Boundaries of Washington Park:
North - Spring Street; South - Madison Avenue; East - Willett
Street;
West - South Lake Avenue (NRC 2002 Booklet)
Near the Madison and New Scotland Avenue side of Washington Park
stands the well-know sculpture of Moses Smiting the Rock. This is
an early work of Scottish sculptor, J. Massey Rhind. This
colossal bonze Moses stands, with staff in hand, on a large rock
formation that depicts Mount Horeb. The smaller figures
surrounding Moses are said to personify the four stages of life -
infancy, youth, adulthood and old age.(Waite,1993,p.158).
The Lake House that stands in the Park today was opened only
days prior to the stock market crash. It is a Spanish Revival
structure that replaced an earlier structure that was constructed
in 1876 (Rittner,2000,p.120-122). The elaborately detailed
interior has pink terrazzo floors, green terrazzo baseboards,
pilasters and wrought-iron chandeliers. The two towers have iron
balconies and above the stage loons a twenty-foot high arched
recess of Guastavino tile (Waite,1993,p.158). The Lake House is
now home to the Park Playhouse during the summer months. Lights
in the Park is a Holiday display of colorful holiday lighted
figures that is a fundraiser event for the local police
department and there is a great Columbus Day parade and
celebration that ends at a festival held at the Lake House each
year.
Boundaries of Pine Hills:
North-Washington Ave.;South-Cortland St.,Woodlawn,East-Lake
Ave;West-Up to Manning Blvd;West Lawrence. (NRC 2002
Booklet)
Boundaries of the Melrose area:
North-Washington Ave;South-WesternAve;East-Winthrop
Ave;West-Brevator St.(NRC 2002 Booklet)
Fashionable residential areas west of Lark Street eventually
sprung up at the opening of Washington Park. The Elouise
Apartments that still stand adjacent to the Park entrance on
South Lake, were originally constructed in 1927. They were
renovated in 1985 and represent an eight-story Classical Revival
building. The Elouise Apartments still accommodate 100 apartments
today. 55 South Lake Avenue is a rare example of Art Deco in
Albany. It is built with receding bays on the north and
contrasting bands of brick and glass blocks at the entrance. 116
South Lake Avenue was the official city residence of Erastus
Corning II and his wife, Elizabeth, during Corning's tenure as
Mayor. Mrs. Corning donated this home to the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Albany and it now serves as the residence of the
bishop. (Waite,1993.p.207-209)
Once farmland, the area known as Winchester
Gables or "Little Hollywood" is an example of Spanish inspired
stucco, tiles and towers on Woodlawn, South Main, and Hansen
Streets. Construction of these homes began in 1928 and were
advertises as "an exclusive development of distinctive
custom-built bungalows" (Waite,1993,p.215). The original plan of
builder, Dan Winchester, was to build sixty such homes. He only
actually completed construction of 27 homes in the development
and rented out seven of them until 1944. The remainders of the
lots were auctioned and new brick homes were subsequently built
there (Waite,1993,p.215) . The Spanish theme of the homes is
carried out in the interiors with stuccoed walls and decorative
iron lighting fixtures. The homes are L shaped, some with square
or octagonal towers and the roofs are covered with pan tiles.
This small grouping of houses still brings a certain ambiance to
the neighborhood of wonderful times past.
Melrose Avenue features older style homes, similar to the
Victorians, Federals, Greek Revivals, Queen Anne's, Colonials and
Dutch Colonials, Capes, Tudors and Spanish Style. To the north,
the majority of single-family homes are large brick, slate and
fieldstone ranches set on roomy parcels with expansive front
lawns. Most of these homes have retained their gracious porches,
while some have been enclosed for year round use (
Times Union,Ingram,1996.) .
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