128-630: The water source for the city of Troy, New York , is the Tomhannock Reservoir , a man-made reservoir 6.5 miles (10.5 km) northeast of Troy in the town of Pittstown . The reservoir is 5.5 miles (8.9 km) long, and holds 12.3 billion US gallons (47,000,000 m) when full. Water quality is good to excellent. Licensed fishing (both warm-weather and ice fishing ) is a popular recreational activity. The reservoir supplies water to about 50,000 residents in Troy, as well as to about 85,000 residents in
256-497: A city in 1816. With River Street getting built out, banks began taking advantage of the street plan and locating on First Street, previously a residential area. By 1807, another visitor from abroad, British painter John Lambert, described a town that had already grown considerably from what de la Rochefoucauld saw a dozen years earlier: Troy is a well built town, consisting chiefly of one street of handsome red brick houses... There are two or three short streets which branch off from
384-505: A humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ). The average temperature throughout the year is 50.9 °F (10.5 °C), with the highest average temperature in July being 74.9 °F (23.8 °C), and January being the coldest month with an average temperature of 25.5 °F (−3.6 °C). The annual precipitation is 42.09 inches (1,069 mm). The highest temperature in New York State
512-516: A public relations writer at nearby General Electric . His 1963 novel, Cat's Cradle , was written in the city and is set in Ilium. His recurring main character, Kilgore Trout, is a resident of Cohoes , just across the Hudson River from Troy. Like many old industrial cities, Troy has had to deal with the loss of its manufacturing base, loss of population and wealth to the suburbs, and to other parts of
640-425: A " Silicon Valley of the 19th century." The district boundary was drawn to include the highest concentration of historic resources. The street plan dates to 1787 and the most recent historic building dates to 1940, making those years the period of significance. While some newer buildings are inevitably located within the area, the boundary, where possible, excluded significant mid and late 20th-century buildings like
768-458: A First Street stable and eventually consumed much of the extant village. A column at 225 River Street bears a stone indicating that this was where the fire was stopped after it had gone on for weeks. Unlike its classical namesake , Troy rebuilt quickly, with newer brick homes and commercial buildings, built to stricter standards, replacing the old ones and expanding again. The Hart-Cluett Mansion , an 1827 Federal style house on Second Street,
896-500: A city in 1816. In the post–Revolutionary War years, as Central New York was first settled, a strong trend to classical names existed, and Troy's naming fits the same pattern as the New York cities of Syracuse, Rome, Utica, Ithaca, and the towns of Sempronius and Manlius, and dozens of other similarly named towns to the west of Troy. Troy's Latin motto is Ilium fuit, Troja est , which means "Ilium was, Troy is". Northern and Western New York
1024-458: A community then called West Troy. After the Civil War , the steel production industry moved west to be closer to raw materials. The presence of iron and steel also made it possible for Troy to be an early site in the development of iron storefronts and steel structural supports in architecture, and some significant early examples remain in the city. Troy was an early home of professional baseball and
1152-566: A few churches, RPI's buildings and governmental structures like the county courthouse and post office . No industrial use, past or present, is within the district, with the notable exception of the Gurley Building, and even that has been scaled back in recent years. In 2014 the State Historic Preservation Board considered a boundary adjustment that removes a small area at the northeast corner but adds far more, primarily at
1280-454: A group of brick houses, some of them blighted , along the south side of Washington Street between First Street Alley and River; a rowhouse and community garden on the corners of Adams Street and Second Street Alley; and another group of rowhouses along the west side of Fifth Street between State and Congress Streets. The only areas proposed for removal are large portions of the blocks on the west side of Sixth Avenue on either side of Fulton. At
1408-528: A highly decorated cast iron storefront and curved windows showing the influence of the Queen Anne Style . Further down Second Street, industrialist Jonas Heartt's house built that same year is one of the best residential applications of the same style. Cummings explored the Richardsonian Romanesque mode in several of his buildings at Russell Sage. The Paine Mansion at 49 Second Street applied
SECTION 10
#17328525486211536-559: A large area. The city is on the central part of the western border of Rensselaer County. The Hudson River makes up the western border of the city and the county's border with Albany County. The city borders within Rensselaer County, Schaghticoke to the north, Brunswick to the east, and North Greenbush to the south; to the west, the city borders the Albany County town of Colonie , the villages of Menands and Green Island , and
1664-762: A new, central district. The NPS accepted the application and entered the new district on the Register in 1986. Troy's downtown began reviving. In 1993, Martin Scorsese used the Second Street area, particularly the Paine Mansion, and some of the Russell Sage buildings as locations for his adaptation of Edith Wharton 's The Age of Innocence , since they replicated the appearance of 1870s Manhattan . River Street became home to many antique stores. Developers began buying
1792-484: A process that presaged the later use of fiberglass, Kevlar, and carbon-fiber composites. In 1900, Troy annexed Lansingburgh, a former town and village whose standing dates back prior to the War of Independence, in Rensselaer County. Lansingburgh is thus often referred to as "North Troy." However, prior to the annexation that portion of Troy north of Division Street was called North Troy and the neighborhood south of Washington Park
1920-647: A region popularly called the Capital District . The city is one of the three major centers for the Albany metropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 1,170,483. At the 2020 census , the population of Troy was 51,401. The area long had been occupied by the Mohican Indian tribe , but Dutch settlement began in the mid-17th century. The Dutch colony was conquered by the English in 1664, renamed Troy in 1789 and
2048-435: A resident of nearby Brunswick , who represented the district that included the city. He steered state grants towards the rehabilitation of the buildings that now house state government offices, as well as school aid that helped the city keep its property taxes low. City officials say his help has been vital and will be missed following his 2008 resignation. RPI has acquired several significant downtown properties, such as
2176-561: A small valley at the south end of the city. The industry first used charcoal and iron ore from the nearby Adirondack Mountains. Later, ore and coal from the Midwest were shipped via the Erie Canal to Troy and were processed before being sent down the Hudson River to New York City. The iron and steel also were used by the extensive federal arsenal located—as it is today—across the Hudson at Watervliet ,
2304-530: A supplemental 30 inches (76 cm) cast iron main was installed to stabilize the city's water supply. Facilities for chlorination, metering and the addition of lime to the water were added in 1952. In 1960, a study determined that the Tomhannock Reservoir could serve the city of Troy and the region immediately adjacent to the city (East Greenbush, North Greenbush, Brunswick, a portion of Schaghticoke, and West Sand Lake) in southern Rensselaer County . During
2432-518: A unified facade fronting on a park reserved exclusively for residents, whose deeds require a monthly maintenance fee. It retains its integrity despite some later alterations and damage and is one of only two privately owned urban parks in New York. In 1843, another group of planned Greek Revival townhouses was built at 160-168 Second Street. Unusual for urban houses, they featured one-and-a-half-story porticos on their front facades, with Ionic columns , and (originally) side yards. Another house
2560-545: A village. The name Troy, after the legendary Greek city of Troy made famous in Homer 's Iliad , was adopted in 1789, before which the tiny community had been known as Ashley's Ferry. The area was formed into the Town of Troy in 1791 from part of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck . The township included today's towns of Brunswick and Grafton . Troy became a village in 1801 then was chartered as
2688-414: Is 86.8% whereas the number of persons with a bachelor's degree or higher is 26.8%. Additionally, due to the increasing age of the internet, the percentage of households with a computer from 2015 to 2019 has increased to 88.5% and those with a broadband Internet subscription lies at 81.5%. The city is also home to numerous churches (Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant), three synagogues, and one mosque. Troy
SECTION 20
#17328525486212816-639: Is among the oldest synagogue buildings still standing in the United States, the oldest Reform synagogue in New York, and one of the most significant religious buildings in the district from this period. In 1875, George B. Post won a competition to build a new home for the Troy Savings Bank , with an upstairs auditorium . While his building was in the Renaissance Revival style of the time, its forms and decorations anticipated his later work in
2944-470: Is an irregularly shaped, 96-acre (39 ha) area of downtown Troy , New York, United States. It has been described as "one of the most perfectly preserved 19th-century downtowns in the [country]" with nearly 700 properties in a variety of architectural styles from the early 19th to mid-20th centuries. These include most of Russell Sage College , one of two privately owned urban parks in New York, and two National Historic Landmarks . Visitors ranging from
3072-492: Is expected to cost $ 40 million and is estimated to take 18 to 24 months to complete. Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and is the county seat of Rensselaer County, New York . It is located on the western edge of that county on the eastern bank of the Hudson River just northeast of the capital city of Albany. Troy has close ties to Albany, New York and nearby Schenectady , forming
3200-413: Is helping Troy develop a small high-technology sector, particularly in video game development . The downtown core also has a smattering of advertising and architecture firms, and other creative businesses attracted by the area's distinctive architecture. Uncle Sam Atrium is an enclosed urban shopping mall, office space, and parking garage in downtown Troy. RPI is the city's largest private employer. Troy
3328-469: Is home to Victorian and Belle Époque architecture . The Hudson and Mohawk Rivers play their part, as does the Erie Canal and its lesser tributary canal systems, and later the railroads that linked Troy to the rest of the Empire State , New York City to the south, and Utica, New York , Syracuse, New York , Rochester, New York , Buffalo, New York , and the myriad of emergent Great Lakes ' cities in
3456-505: Is known as the "Collar City" due to its history in shirt, collar, and other textile production. Until the early 1990s, Troy was home to several textile manufacturers, including Cluett, Peabody, a subsidiary of the nation's largest publicly held textile manufacturer West Point-Pepperell Inc. The detachable collar was first established in Troy in 1820 by a Mrs. Montague. Her husband was a prominent blacksmith who complained to his wife that after coming home from work he had no clean white shirts for
3584-411: Is known for its success in the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the marketplace. Through much of the 19th and into the early 20th centuries, Troy was one of the most prosperous cities in the United States. Prior to its rise as an industrial center, it was the transshipment point for meat and vegetables from Vermont and New York, which were sent by the Hudson River to New York City. The trade
3712-497: Is one of the best surviving buildings from this era. Although it was previously attributed to Philip Hooker , new research has determined that the house's architect was Martin Euclid Thompson and the builder was John Bard Colegrove. In 1824, a gazetteer of the state echoed earlier accounts in calling River Street "the mart of business". The same year, RPI was founded on the hill to the east of downtown, to train engineers for
3840-603: Is planning Troy's redevelopment. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 11.0 square miles (28 km ), of which 0.6 square miles (1.6 km ) (5.44%) is covered by water. Troy is located several miles north of Albany near the junction of the Erie and Champlain canals, via the Hudson River, and is the terminus of the New York Barge Canal . It is the distributing center for
3968-551: Is said to have supplied all the Union Army 's horseshoes , and another local ironworks supplied the USS Monitor ' s hull plating . Its owners would later produce the first Bessemer process steel in the United States after the war. In 1862 Troy suffered another major fire , the worst in its history. A locomotive 's spark ignited the wooden Green Island drawbridge that existed at the time, and when that could not be contained to
Tomhannock Reservoir - Misplaced Pages Continue
4096-412: The sachem —the political leader of the indigenous people—at the time. In total, more than 75 individual Mohicans were involved in deed signings in the 17th Century. The site of the city was a part of Rensselaerswyck , a patroonship created by Kiliaen van Rensselaer. Dirck Van der Heyden was one of the first settlers. In 1707, he purchased a farm of 65 acres (26 ha), which in 1787 was laid out as
4224-641: The Beaux-Arts vein. The Panic of 1873 put a damper on this growth, and in the interim the city's steel industry began to decline, squeezed by competition from newer, more efficient producers in Western Pennsylvania and the Midwest on one side and labor unrest at home. But the textile industry remained strong, and even grew. Accordingly, its residents continued to embrace new movements in architecture. The 1880 pharmacy building at 137 Second Street featured
4352-633: The Cannon Building in collaboration with Alexander Jackson Davis . Greek Revival residences were first built in Troy along Second Street in the late 1820s. In 1839, six local businessmen bought a parcel of land between Second and Third at the south end of what was then the developed area of the city and created Washington Park. Modeled on contemporary British residential squares such as those found in London 's Bloomsbury neighborhoods, its first phase, on Washington Place, featured rows of townhouses with
4480-555: The Classical Revival county courthouse at 80 Second Street, the third to occupy the site, the following year. A short distance away three years later, the Renaissance Revival Hart Memorial Library was built of Vermont marble , joining the similarly styled 1895 Frear Mansion, also on Second Street. As the 20th century dawned, builders and architects concentrated their efforts in the northern half of
4608-739: The Corinthian Courthouse constructed of gray granite; the Troy Public Library, built in an elaborate Venetian palazzo style with high-relief carved white marble; the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, designed in the Second Empire style, with a recital hall with highly regarded acoustic properties. There is a rich collection of Colonial , Federal , Italianate , Second Empire , Greek Revival , Egyptian Revival , Gothic Revival and other Romantic period townhouses surrounding
4736-561: The Duke de la Rochefoucauld to Philip Johnson have praised aspects of it. Martin Scorsese used parts of downtown Troy as a stand-in for 19th-century Manhattan in The Age of Innocence . In 1986, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), superseding five smaller historic districts that had been listed on the Register in the early 1970s. (Two years later, in 1988,
4864-712: The Erie and Champlain canals , which opened new markets to the north and west, while the Troy Steamboat Company's debut did likewise for the south. The access to iron ore mines in the Adirondack Mountains also got some local businessmen into iron refining . In 1835 the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad brought that technology to the city, and in 1842 the completion of the Schenectady and Troy Railroad linked Troy to
4992-514: The McCarthy Building led to them being placed on the then-new National Register. In the early 1970s, the five predecessor historic districts were recognized and added as well, along with some other structures. Urban renewal programs are funded in part by federal grants . The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 , which created the NRHP, requires that federal agencies give consideration to
5120-545: The Tomhannock Reservoir . A 30-inch cast-iron main was added in 1914. In 2023, the city completed the first phase of installation of two 36-inch pipes totaling approximately 8 miles between the reservoir and the city's Water Treatment Plant as part of a multi-year project to fully replace the existing century-old transmission line. [1] The project began in 2021. [2] [3] [4] When the iron and steel industry moved westward to Pennsylvania around Pittsburgh to be closer to iron ore from Lake Erie and nearby coal and coke needed for
5248-409: The 1960s, when most business had either gone out of business or moved south for cheaper land and labor costs. At one point, Troy was also the second-largest producer of iron in the country, surpassed only by the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . Troy, like many older industrial cities, has been battered by industrial decline and the migration of jobs to the suburbs. Nevertheless, the presence of RPI
Tomhannock Reservoir - Misplaced Pages Continue
5376-481: The 19th century, some as early as the Federal period. Some have intact storefronts. It also has the only significant industrial building in the proposed expanded district, the former Lusco Paper Works on the northwest corner of Fifth and Liberty streets. The area has begun to see some restoration efforts, such as some Greek Revival rowhouses on Liberty Street near Fourth, which will benefit from state tax credits should
5504-421: The 2020 census The racial makeup of the city increased in the percentage of African Americans to 17.5% whereas the number of White residents decreased to 63.5%. The rest of the population was reported to be 0.1% Native American, 4.8% Asian, 9.6% Latino or Hispanic, and 7.3% two or more races. The majority of Troy's population consists of women (51.4%) whereas males makeup the remaining 48.6%. Troy residents under
5632-456: The Bessemer process, and with a similar downturn in the collar industry, Troy's prosperity began to fade. After the passage of Prohibition , and given the strict control of Albany by the O'Connell political machine, Troy became a way station for an illegal alcohol trade from Canada to New York City. Likewise, the stricter control of morality laws in the neighboring New England states encouraged
5760-824: The Division I level and won various championships including the national title in 1954 and 1985. The Hudson Valley CC Vikings participate in Region III of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and in the Mountain Valley Athletic Conference. Russell Sage College's Gators compete at the NCAA Division III level in numerous sports and in, among various conferences, the Empire 8 Conference. In 1892, poll watcher Robert Ross
5888-452: The Gurley and Rice buildings and Proctor's Theater, and renovated them to make homes for programs such as its Lighting Research Center, now housed in Gurley. In the early 2000s, it put $ 2.5 million into its Neighborhood Renewal Initiative, which has been used to help homeowners renovate homes and improve the city's infrastructure. The private sector has also played a large role in revitalizing
6016-482: The NRHP by the state's Historic Preservation Office but not yet submitted to the National Park Service (NPS), which administers the Register, local preservationists realized that the existing historic districts did not fully embrace all of downtown's historic properties. Instead of applying for boundary increases or nominating more individual properties to the Register, the city decided to merge all five into
6144-508: The Night Before Christmas"). The poem was published anonymously. Its author has long been believed to have been Clement Clarke Moore , but now is regarded by some as having been Henry Livingston Jr. Scientific and technical proficiency was supported by the presence of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), one of the highest-ranked engineering schools in the country. RPI originally was sponsored by Stephen Van Rensselaer , one of
6272-491: The Paine mansion) , Scent of a Woman , The Bostonians , The Emperor's Club , and The Time Machine . In addition, the television series The Gilded Age filmed in Troy. There are many buildings in a state of disrepair, but community groups and investors are restoring many of them. Troy's downtown historic landmarks include Frear's Troy Cash Bazaar, constructed on a steel infrastructure clad in ornately carved white marble;
6400-498: The Troy Downtown Marina. As home to many art, literature, and music lovers, the city hosts many free shows during the summer, on River Street, in parks, and in cafes and coffee shops. The executive branch consists of a mayor who serves as the chief executive officer of the city. The mayor is responsible for the proper administration of all city affairs placed in his/her charge as empowered by the city charter. The mayor enforces
6528-474: The W. & L. E. Gurley Company factory, which later that year was replaced by the new W. & L. E. Gurley Building , now a National Historic Landmark : Gurley & Sons remains a worldwide leader in precision instrumentation to this day. Troy's one-time great wealth was produced in the steel industry, with the first American Bessemer converter erected on the Wynantskill Creek, a stream with falls in
SECTION 50
#17328525486216656-431: The age of 5 were reported to be 5.2%, under the age of 18 were 19.6%, and 65 years and over were 11.4%. People with a disability, under age 65 years were 13.3% and those without health insurance (under age 65 years) was outlined to be 5.9%. The population of veterans in 2020 was 1,907, which coincided with those who had disabilities. The number of foreign born persons, between 2015 and 2019, was 8.0%. Economically in 2020,
6784-483: The area be added to the district. On the west side the boundary would be extended a block, from First to River Street at the Congress Street Bridge approaches, between Division and Ferry streets. This includes a large brick dorm complex built by Russell Sage College (RSC) in the early 1960s. It was the college's last large-scale construction project in the city; with its inclusion all of RSC would be within
6912-596: The area of the original five districts, two National Historic Landmarks , nine properties listed on the National Register in their own right, and several other noteworthy contributing properties among its 679 total historic resources. The city has recognized the historic district in its zoning code. It divides the area into six separate districts — the Riverfront, First, Second, Third, Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue local historic districts. The Riverfront district includes
7040-410: The area, even without public aid and incentives. Developers have been attracted to the historic buildings and their surrounding neighborhoods, calling it the city's strongest asset, although they have complained about past stalemates in city government. One initiative has often led to others. River Street's development into a center for antique stores came about without any public effort or intent, and
7168-699: The arrival of Europeans, the Mohican Indians had a number of settlements along the Hudson River near its confluence with the Mohawk River . The land comprising the Poesten Kill and Wynants Kill areas -- "kill" being the Dutch word for "creek" or small stream—were owned by two Mohican groups. The land around the Poesten Kill was owned by Skiwias and was called Panhooseck. The area around the Wynants Kill, known as Paanpack,
7296-540: The bridge it spread to the east, ultimately devastating 507 buildings over a 16-block area. As before, the city rebuilt quickly, with the area along Fifth between Broadway and Grant Street, where Cummings built a row of houses between Fifth and Sixth, most strongly reflecting this era of rapid construction and reconstruction. The Gurley Building, too, rose in just eight months from the ashes of its predecessor. The nearby neighborhood also became desirable, with many local businessmen moving into newly built homes along Fifth. As
7424-542: The burgeoning United States. Natives of Troy expressed their passion for building, using the following materials, for an array of building features: Tiffany and La Farge created magnificent stained-glass windows, transoms and other decorative stained-glass treatments for their customers in Troy. With many examples of intact 19th-century architecture, particularly in its Central Troy Historic District , this has helped to lure several major movies to film in Troy, including Ironweed , The Age of Innocence (filmed partially in
7552-463: The cities of Watervliet and Cohoes. To the northwest, Troy borders the Saratoga County village of Waterford within the town of Waterford . The western edge of the city is flat along the river, and then steeply slopes to higher terrain to the east. The average elevation is 50 feet, with the highest elevation being 500 feet in the eastern part of the city. The city is longer than it is wide, with
7680-504: The city hall, low-income housing projects , and the Uncle Sam Atrium , a large shopping mall downtown. All of the original five historic districts are included in full, along with other historic neighborhoods, for a total of 10% of the city's area. It is centered around the axes of US 4 and NY 2 , both of which divide into one-way streets (Third and Fourth, and Congress and Ferry, respectively) to facilitate traffic flow through
7808-673: The city subsequently had no team for seven seasons. Then, from 1879 to 1882, Troy rebounded as home to the National League 's Troy Trojans . They not only were competitive in the league, they fielded a young Dan Brouthers who went on to become baseball's first great slugger. Today's sports scene is quite different.The Tri-City ValleyCats, a minor league professional baseball team, calls the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium at Hudson Valley Community College home. The RPI Engineers are an NCAA Division III sports participant except in ice hockey where it plays at
SECTION 60
#17328525486217936-400: The city's burgeoning industrial sector. The relationship between the city and university would later become significant in preserving the historic district. This growth would continue due to transportation improvements in the 1820s. Troy's businessmen had already built a turnpike to Schenectady , the path followed today by Route 2 from Troy to Colonie . These trade routes were enhanced by
8064-424: The city's economy with an increased demand for textiles and all other products it could make. After the war ended, the textile mills, faced with competition from producers in the lower-wage South , closed or left. After a brief postwar increase, Troy's population began a continuing decline. The city began the first of several urban renewal plans shortly after adopting its 1962 master plan . Those plans called for
8192-422: The city's median household income had increased to $ 45,728 per family, with each family reporting to have 2.25 persons residing in them. The per capita income in past 12 months (in 2019 dollars), taken 2015–2019 was $ 25,689 with 24.4% of the population living in poverty. The poverty rate overall has decreased 3.3% since 2013. The education rate of Troy locals, 25 years or more, with a high school graduate or higher
8320-448: The city. Monument Square, the center of Troy since the late 19th century, along with all the buildings around it (save for the late 20th-century brutalist City Hall, demolished in 2011 ) are located within its northwestern corner. At its western end it is partially bounded by the Hudson River and the former River Street Historic District. To the south it includes the older buildings of Russell Sage College , Washington Square Park and
8448-620: The country. This led to dilapidation and disinvestment until later efforts were made to preserve Troy's architectural and cultural past. As of 2014 , Troy is updating its citywide comprehensive plan for the first time in more than 50 years. The two-year process is known as "Realize Troy" and was initiated by the Troy Redevelopment Foundation (with members from the Emma Willard School, RPI, Russell Sage College , and St. Peter's Health Partners). Urban Strategies Inc. (Toronto)
8576-471: The demolition of its landmark 1894 predecessor, is the district's most notable building of the 1930s. Its stripped-down Classical Revival style shows the influence of Art Deco in its smooth, finished surfaces. The enameled metal facade on a Third Street storefront, dating to 1940, makes it the only building in the district to show any trace of the Streamline Moderne style. World War II sustained
8704-407: The demolition of many buildings downtown, to be replaced by a new arterial road, large public housing projects and a shopping mall . After various delays, those projects were either scaled back or abandoned entirely. In the interim many businesses either closed or moved out of downtown. In the late 1960s, public opposition to the planned demolition of some of the historic structures downtown like
8832-551: The development of openly operating speakeasies and brothels in Troy. Gangsters such as " Legs Diamond " conducted their business in Troy, giving the city a somewhat colorful reputation through World War II. A few of the buildings from that era have since been converted into restaurants, such as the former Old Daly Inn. Kurt Vonnegut lived in Troy and the area, and many of his novels include mentions of "Ilium" (an alternate name for Troy) or surrounding locations. Vonnegut wrote Player Piano in 1952, based on his experiences working as
8960-474: The district contribute to its historic character. Two of Troy's four National Historic Landmarks, the Gurley Building and Troy Savings Bank , are located within its boundaries. Nine other buildings are listed on the Register in their own right. Among the architects represented are Alexander Jackson Davis , George B. Post , Calvert Vaux and Frederick Clarke Withers . There are many buildings designed by
9088-568: The district into today's architecturally diverse downtown. Prior to independence , there had only been a few scattered Dutch farmers settled on the Hudson above Albany. In 1787, a group of New Englanders headed west and persuaded one Jacob Vanderhyden to sell them a large tract which they then subdivided and named Troy. The dividing line between two of the family's farms was called Grand Division Street, later shortened to Grand Street. They based its grid-like street plan on Philadelphia 's, with numbered north-south streets running inland from
9216-584: The district's mixed-use character, by encouraging both residential use and businesses that serve consumers, particularly retailers , and providing tax incentives for the rehabilitation of historic homes. Troy's ordinances designate its Planning Commission as the Historic District and Landmarks Review Commission. Property owners in the district must get special permission from the commission for any work on their properties beside ordinary maintenance (and even for that in some cases), to make sure it leaves
9344-464: The district's best examples of that style. The latter building, built in 1907, was also the first large-scale apartment building in the city. The Colonial Revival style would also leave its mark in Troy with several buildings. Most notable among them is the Hendrick Hudson Hotel on the east side of Monument Square, a six-story structure that was the largest building ever built in the city at
9472-473: The district, primarily on commercial structures as the downtown area was no longer popular as a place for new residences. Monument Square, created in 1891 when a statue of Columbia was erected atop the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in the triangular area formed by the intersection of Broadway, River and Second streets, became a new focal point of development. There the McCarthy Building on Monument Square, and
9600-487: The district. To its south another proposed extension reaches across a small park on First to include the 1905 Beth Tephilah synagogue , a neoclassical brick structure that retains most of its integrity. Two other changes take in other significant buildings. Along the north side of Ferry at the district's east, just north of the Eighth Ward addition, the boundary would be extended east, taking in another set of rowhouses on
9728-485: The downtown area, as it was continuing to grow as the city's commercial district and residential area for the well-to-do of the time along Second Street. With the newer money and newer neighborhoods came newer architectural trends. St. Paul's Episcopal Church , built in 1827, is an early Gothic Revival church, based on Ithiel Town 's Trinity Church in New Haven , Connecticut . Eight years later, Town himself would design
9856-516: The early 1960s a treatment plant was constructed, which provided filtration and additional supplementation with alum, carbon, potassium permanganate and fluoride. On May 10, 2021, construction began to replace the 33-inch main and the 30-inch main from the reservoir to the water treatment plant off of Northern Drive with twin 36-inch water mains that would increase the existing capacity of the mains from around 32 million to 35 million gallons per day to 42 million to 45 million gallons per day. The project
9984-502: The east of the district Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Troy's most notable institution of higher learning, is situated on a low rise overlooking downtown. RPI has played an increasing role in the district in recent years, and now owns several notable buildings. The entire district is densely developed, primarily residential in its northern and southern portions, with commercial use concentrated in central blocks near Monument Square. The only significant open spaces within it are
10112-478: The edges of town, some architects began exploring that style's Picturesque mode. A new row of townhouses at Washington Park went up, and another Second Street row followed in 1855. The following year, St. John's Episcopal Church, at First and Liberty Streets, was the first use of that style for a city church. During the Civil War , Troy's industries played a key role in supporting the Union cause. The Burden Ironworks
10240-595: The expansion. The most significant change to the district is the extension on the southeast, to the boundary of the city's Eighth Ward in 1870. Between Adams and Ferry streets, three blocks would be added, with the new boundary following the west side of St. Mary's Avenue, excluding a newer house at the northwest corner of the Washington Avenue intersection, and then rear property lines to Kennedy Lane and Hill Street just south of Adams. Two-story rowhouses predominate in this area, many built as worker housing during
10368-522: The extension of the previous River Street Historic District north of Federal Street was added separately to the NRHP as the Northern River Street Historic District .) In late 2014, the State Historic Preservation Board began considering an adjustment to the district's boundaries that would be a net expansion, particularly in its southeast; that increase was made official in 2016. Most of the buildings, structures and objects within
10496-456: The historic character of the property and the surrounding buildings intact. In 1989, the state added most of the district to Troy's Empire Zone. This economic development incentive gives businesses that locate in the included areas tax credits and exemptions to encourage them to locate there. The state has also moved some of its employees into the district, through the interventions of former State Senate majority leader Joseph Bruno ,
10624-468: The historical home of Uncle Sam, who is buried in the historic Oakwood Cemetery located on the northern outskirts of the city and the burial site of numerous local luminaries. The iconic Uncle Sam caricature was created by political newspaper cartoonist Thomas Nast . On December 23, 1823, The Troy Sentinel newspaper was the first publisher of the world-famous Christmas poem " A Visit from St. Nicholas " (also known as "The Night Before Christmas" or " 'Twas
10752-527: The houses on Adams Street, the district's southern boundary. The mostly regular southeastern boundary follows Clinton Street until it reaches Ferry. Then it becomes ragged and irregular, reaching the district's northernmost extent at the former Grand Street Historic District. This extension allows it to include as well the Gurley Building and its surrounding neighborhood, formerly the Fifth Street-Fulton Street Historic District. To
10880-472: The immediate downtown. The Hart-Cluett Mansion displays a Federal facade executed in white marble, quarried in Tuckahoe, New York . Often with foundations of rusticated granite block. Medina sandstone , a deep mud-red color, from Medina, New York , was also used. As with many American cities, several city blocks in downtown Troy were razed during the 1970s as a part of an attempted urban renewal plan, which
11008-453: The industry when, in 1933, Sanford Cluett invented a process he called Sanforization , a process that shrinks cotton fabrics thoroughly and permanently. Cluett, Peabody's last main plant in Troy, was closed in the 1980s, but the industrial output of the plant had long been transferred to facilities in the South. In 1906, the city supplied itself with water from a 33-inch riveted-steel main from
11136-497: The largest industry in town, with a variety of products including detachable collars, arrow shirts, and other apparel. Around the early 20th century, Troy was responsible for making 90% of the collars worn in America. This was also the birthplace of the "white collar" social class, which was a more upscale working class community and the "blue collar" social class, which consisted of mostly factory workers. The industry had mostly died out by
11264-606: The latter operating from Albany–Rensselaer station , directly opposite downtown Albany on the east side of the Hudson River. The end of rail passenger service to Troy occurred when the Boston and Maine dropped its Boston–Troy run in January 1958. The Troy Union Station was demolished in 1958. In addition to the strong presence of the early American steel industry, Troy also was a manufacturing center for shirts, shirtwaists, detachable collars and cuffs. In 1825, local resident Hannah Lord Montague
11392-565: The laws of New York State as well as all local laws and ordinances passed by the city council. She or he exercises control over all executive departments of the city government, including the Departments of Finance, Law, Public Safety, Public Works, Public Utilities, and Parks and Recreation. The mayor's term of office is four years, and an incumbent is prohibited from serving for more than two consecutive terms (eight years). Central Troy Historic District The Central Troy Historic District
11520-506: The main one, but it is in the latter that all of the principal stores, warehouses and shops are situated. It also contains several excellent inns and taverns. The houses are all new and lofty and built with much taste and simplicity, though convenience and accommodation seem to have guided the architect more than ornament. The deep red bricks, well pointed, give the buildings an air of neatness and cleanliness seldom met in old towns. Little of that Troy remains due to an 1820 fire which started in
11648-519: The most prominent members of that family of Dutch colonial origins. RPI was founded in 1824, and eventually absorbed the campus of the short-lived liberal arts-based Troy University , which closed in 1862 during the Civil War. Rensselaer founded RPI for the "application of science to the common purposes of life," and it is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world. The institute
11776-477: The nearby municipalities of Brunswick , East Greenbush , Halfmoon , Menands , North Greenbush , Poestenkill , Rensselaer , Schaghticoke and Waterford . Construction of the reservoir began in 1900 as a successor to the Oakwood, Brunswick and Lansingburgh Reservoirs. The reservoir went into service in 1906 with a 33-inch riveted steel main. After eight years of repairs to the original 33 inches (84 cm) main,
11904-638: The neighborhood to the northwest listed on the National Register as the Northern River Street Historic District . The other five are roughly aligned with the eponymous streets, with the First Street district consisting of two detached areas, the Second and Third street districts taking up most of the central area and the other two occupying the northeastern corner of the district. The city has also made some grants and tax exemptions available to qualified property owners. The city's current master plan calls for enhancing
12032-491: The next day. Mrs. Montague solved this problem by cutting collars off of her husbands shirts, and reattaching clean ones for him to wear when needed. This created the important industry of detachable collars and shirts in Troy. It also created the need for buttons, as a detachable collar often left gaps between the shirt and the collar, and buttons were used to snap collars in place. Other types of apparel invented in this time were Bishop collars, which were an upright modification of
12160-450: The old buildings and adapting them to contemporary uses. RPI began buying properties such as the Rice and Gurley buildings, moving students and faculty into them. In 2006, The New York Times described the city as having "one of the most perfectly preserved 19th-century downtowns in the United States." The district's success led to the proposed expansion in 2014. The district includes all
12288-422: The one-block Washington Park near its southern end and Seminary Park, the main quad at Russell Sage. Most of the major streets and the central area of the district are lined with multi-story dwellings that are primarily commercial but with a mix of office and residential space on their upper floors. On the side streets, there are smaller-scale residential townhouses . Institutional use is limited to Russell Sage,
12416-508: The opinions of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in assessing the impact their actions will have on listed properties and consider alternatives to any action that would destroy or significantly affect them. The listings of downtown Troy's districts and buildings therefore had the practical effect of preventing their demolition for urban renewal. By the 1980s, after a Troy Downtown Historic District had been declared eligible for
12544-399: The population. The median household income in 2013 was $ 37,805 (NY average of $ 57,369), and the median family income was $ 47,827 (NYS average of $ 70,485). The median per capita income for the city was $ 20,872 (NY average of $ 32,514). About 27.3% of the population were living in poverty as of 2013. Since then, Troy's population size has increased to 51,401 with 19,899 households, taken from
12672-526: The postwar years yielded to the Gilded Age , Troy's prosperity continued. The wealth created by its industries built some of the city's most notable Victorian buildings. Frederick Clarke Withers designed First Street's Rice Building in 1871, a five-story flatiron-shaped building representative of his Victorian Gothic style. The Cannon Building got a contemporary mansard roof after two fires. Cummings' 1870 Congregation Berith Sholom Temple on Third Street
12800-400: The regionally significant architect Marcus F. Cummings . The downtown street plan was borrowed from Philadelphia , and one neighborhood, Washington Square, was influenced by London's squares of its era. The district reflects Troy's evolution from its origins as a Hudson River port into an early industrial center built around textile manufacture and steelmaking . During this period it
12928-493: The river after River Street, the city's first commercial center. Lots there, at the time, ran all the way to the river's waterline, giving their owners the unusual advantage of river and street frontage. The sloping bluff also allowed them to build multi-story warehouses and granaries closer to the unloading points along the river. In 1793, the new settlement was designated the Rensselaer County seat . Two years later,
13056-557: The same style, with arcaded entrance loggia and corner tower, to a home. The brick drugstore annex at 155-157 River Street is a particularly representative commercial example of the style. In 1893 the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago popularized the Classical and Renaissance revivals and Beaux-Arts style. They came to Troy very quickly when Marcus Cummings and his son Frederick designed
13184-457: The similar National State Bank and Ilium buildings on Broadway, all built in 1904, show the decorative influence of the era's revival styles. Proctor's Theater , ten years later on Fourth Street, continued the tradition. Other architects chose the era's simpler styles, like Arts and Crafts , as a contrast. The marble-and-brick 1905 YMCA building on Second Street, and the six-story Caldwell Apartments at State and Second streets are two of
13312-418: The southeast. It would include a total of 200 new contributing properties and extend the district's period of significance to 1978, to take into account the city's urban renewal era. Most of the new areas had been found to be consistent with those already included in the district or accidentally excluded when the district was originally designated. Two years later the National Park Service officially approved
13440-486: The southern part wider than the northern section of the city (the formerly separate city of Lansingburgh). Several kills ( Dutch for creek) pass through Troy and empty into the Hudson. The Poesten Kill and Wynants Kill are the two largest, and both have several small lakes and waterfalls along their routes in the city. Several lakes and reservoirs are within the city, including Ida Lake, Burden Pond, Lansingburgh Reservoir, Bradley Lake, Smarts Pond, and Wright Lake. Troy has
13568-422: The state of New York, encourage and subsidize property owners who maintain and restore historic buildings. These efforts have paid off with increased attention from developers , the revival of much of the area, and praise from visitors to the city. With the collaboration of nearby Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Troy is hoping to make the district a center for the development of cutting-edge technologies,
13696-521: The time the district was established, they were occupied by large industrial buildings, both of which were later demolished and replaced by parking lots. The history of the Central Troy Historic District is, particularly in its earlier years, the history of Troy itself. Until the later 19th century, the present downtown area was the city. Two devastating fires, along with changes in the economy brought about by industrialization , shaped
13824-490: The time. Projects of similar scale, and the city's annexation of the village of Lansingburgh to its north, helped swell its population to over 72,000 in 1930, its alltime peak. New construction almost halted when the Great Depression began in the 1930s. As a result, there are few buildings in the district in that era's architectural styles. The post office at Fourth and Broadway, built despite much public outcry over
13952-401: The turn-down collar, dickeys, detached shirt bosoms, and separate cuffs. This industry also gave rise to the laundry industry, when the first laundry store Troy Laundry was opened at 66 North Second St (Fifth Avenue today), and later on, the laundry industry in Troy would spark the creation of the first female union in the country. For close to a hundred years, Cluett, Peabody & Company was
14080-407: The vast network that reached as far west as Buffalo . The stage was set for Troy's industrialization . The development of the detachable collar by Hannah Lord Montague in 1827 had given the city the product that still lends it its "Collar City" nickname. Plants were built to manufacture them commercially, as well as cuffs and other textile products. Most of these were located to the north of
14208-407: The visiting Duke de la Rochefoucauld noted the "neat and numerous houses" and active businesses engaged in river-based trade. "The sight of this activity is truly charming", he said, in one of the earliest published descriptions of the city. In 1798 Troy incorporated as a village . The village's population more than tripled in the first 15 years of the new century, leading it to reincorporate as
14336-498: The west side of Fifth and the city's former jail and sheriff's office at the northeast corner of Ferry and Fifth. On the north, the Uncle Sam Atrium shopping mall and parking garage complex, occupying most of the block between Broadway and Third, Fourth and Fulton streets would now be included. Built in 1978, it is the only significant example of modern architecture in the district and the last large-scale project built in downtown Troy. Other, smaller areas proposed for inclusion are
14464-466: Was a theater of the War of 1812 , and militia and regular army forces were led by Stephen Van Rensselaer of Troy. Quartermaster supplies were shipped through Troy. A local butcher and meatpacker named Samuel Wilson supplied the military, and according to local lore, stamped the meat barrels "U.S." which alternately was interpreted as "United States" and " Uncle Sam ," meaning Wilson. Troy has since claimed to be
14592-551: Was absorbed by Cluett, Peabody & Company . Cluett's Arrow brand shirts still are worn by men across the country. The large labor force required by the shirt manufacturing industry also produced in 1864 the nation's first female labor union , the Collar Laundry Union , founded in Troy by Kate Mullany . On February 23, 1864, 300 members of the union went on strike. After six days, the laundry owners gave in to their demands and raised wages 25%. Further developments arose in
14720-558: Was built around 1850 on the south side of State between Fourth and Fifth. Following the dictates of the Washington Park-area deeds, the houses were built with a unified facade as well as a central parapet . The Uri Gilbert Mansion on Second Street west of Washington Park is the most significant detached Italianate home from that era. Russell Sage built a row of Gothic Revival houses on Second Street in 1846 that survives, albeit without some of their original ornamentation. On
14848-416: Was built at 170, several years later, in a similar style. They were widely imitated elsewhere in the city. The city's industries reached their peak in the 1850s, and the wealth it created explored new architectural trends. The emerging Italianate style began to make its mark, particularly in commercial buildings around Monument Square and along "Bankers' Row", First between State and River. St. Paul's Place
14976-559: Was constructed c. 1903 . A short New York Central branch from Rensselaer connected at Troy. Also serving the station was the Boston and Maine Railroad to/from Boston and the Delaware and Hudson Railroad to/from Canada. The railroads quickly made obsolete the 1800s-constructed canals along the Mohawk. The former NYC operates today as CSX for freight service and Amtrak for passenger service,
15104-592: Was incorporated as a town in 1791. Due to the confluence of major waterways and a geography that supported water power, the American Industrial Revolution took hold in this area, making Troy reputedly the fourth-wealthiest city in America around the turn of the 20th century. As a result, Troy is noted for its Victorian architecture. Troy is home to a number of institutions of higher learning, including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Hudson Valley Community College and Russell Sage College . Prior to
15232-423: Was never successfully executed, leaving still vacant areas in the vicinity of Federal Street. Today, however, there have since been much more successful efforts to save the remaining historic downtown structures. Part of this effort has been the arrival of the "Antique District" on River Street downtown. Cafes and art galleries are calling the area home. Residents and visitors can access the area via boat and utilize
15360-449: Was owned by Peyhaunet. The land between the creeks, which makes up most of today's downtown and South Troy neighborhood along the Hudson River, was owned by Annape. South of the Wynants Kill and into present-day Town of North Greenbush , the land was owned by Pachquolapiet. These parcels of land were sold to the Dutch between 1630 and 1657, and each purchase was overseen and signed by Skiwias,
15488-484: Was rebuilt twice in the wake of two devastating fires , resulting in its mix of architecture styles. After the decline of its industries in the mid-20th century, downtown Troy was threatened by urban renewal efforts that galvanized local preservationists , leading to the early NRHP listings and eventually the creation of the district. Today, the city of Troy protects and preserves the district with special provisions in its zoning and programs which, with assistance from
15616-450: Was recorded in Troy on July 22, 1926, when it reached 108 °F (42.2 °C). At the 2010 census , 50,129 people, 20,121 households and 10,947 families were residing in the city. The population density was 4,840.1 people/sq mi, with 23,474 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 69.7% White, 16.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.4% Asian, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 7.9% of
15744-632: Was referred to as South Troy. To avoid confusion with streets in Troy following the annexation, Lansingburgh's numbered streets were renamed: its 1st Street, 2nd Street, 3rd Street, etc., became North Troy's 101st Street, 102nd Street, 103rd Street, etc. Lansingburgh was home to the Lansingburgh Academy . In the early 1900s, the New York Central Railroad was formed from earlier railroads and established its "Water Level Route" from New York City to Chicago, via Albany. A Beaux-Arts station
15872-430: Was shot dead and his brother was wounded by operatives of Mayor Edward Murphy, later a U.S. senator, after uncovering a man committing voter fraud. The convicted murderer, Bartholomew "Bat" Shea, was executed in 1896, although another man, John McGough, later admitted he had been the shooter. The initial emphasis on heavier industry later spawned a wide variety of highly engineered mechanical and scientific equipment. Troy
16000-506: Was the home of W. & L. E. Gurley, Co. , makers of precision instruments. Gurley's theodolites were used to survey much of the American West after the Civil War and were highly regarded until laser and digital technology eclipsed the telescope and compass technology in the 1970s. Bells manufactured by Troy's Meneely Bell Company ring all over the world. Troy also was home to a manufacturer of racing shells that used impregnated paper in
16128-464: Was the host of two major league teams. The first team to call Troy home was the Troy Haymakers , a National Association team operating in 1871–72. One of its major players was Williams H. Craver , a Civil War veteran who was a noted catcher and also managed the team. Its last manager was Jimmy Wood , recognized as the first Canadian to play professional baseball. The Troy Haymakers team folded, and
16256-458: Was tired of cleaning her blacksmith-husband's shirts. She cut off the collars of his shirts since only the collar was soiled, bound the edges and attached strings to hold the false collars in place. This also allowed the collars and cuffs to be starched separately. Montague's idea caught on and changed the fashion for American men's dress for a century. Her patented collars and cuffs first were manufactured by Maullin & Blanchard, which eventually
16384-539: Was vastly increased after the construction of the Erie Canal , with its eastern terminus directly across the Hudson River from Troy at Cohoes in 1825. Another artery constructed was the Champlain Canal. In 1916, Troy Federal Lock opened as one of the first modern locks along the present-day canal system. Troy has nearly been destroyed by fire three times. What was known as the Great Troy Fire of 1862 burned down
#620379