48 Hudson Avenue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Van Ostrande–Radliff House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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48 Hudson Avenue undergoing preservation and restoration in 2009
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 48 Hudson Avenue, Albany, New York |
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| Built | 1728 |
| Architectural style | Dutch Colonial |
| Part of | Downtown Albany Historic District |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000291 |
| Added to NRHP | January 10, 2008 |
48 Hudson Avenue, also known as the Van Ostrande–Radliff House, is the oldest building in the city of Albany, New York. It was built way back in 1728!
For a long time, people thought the house was built later, around 1759. But a historian named John Wolcott did some amazing research. He found old records showing that Johannes van Ostrande lived there between 1728 and 1734. A mortgage for the house even called it "formerly van Ostrande."
To be super sure about the age, scientists from Columbia University used a special method called dendrochronology. This is like reading the rings inside a tree to find out its age. They took a small wood sample from the building. Their tests confirmed that the building was indeed built in 1728.
Because it's so old and important, 48 Hudson Avenue was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 10, 2008. Before that, it was already recognized as a special part of the Downtown Albany Historic District.
A Look Back: The History of 48 Hudson Avenue
Johannes van Ostrande built 48 Hudson Avenue in 1728. Back then, it was just outside the city's protective walls, near the old Fort Orange. Van Ostrande was an important person in Albany. He was a member of the Albany Common Council, which helped run the city.
In the 1750s, van Ostrande sold the house to Johannes Radliff, who was a shoemaker. Later, in the 1800s, the building became the home and then the factory of Jared Holt. He made special waxed thread that was used to sew leather items. Imagine a house that was once a factory!
What the Future Holds for 48 Hudson Avenue
48 Hudson Avenue is located in an area where the Albany Convention Center is planned. This means a big new building for events and meetings. The people in charge of the Convention Center are working hard to protect this historic house.
They are working with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Their goal is to make sure the building is saved and that any old artifacts buried nearby are found and protected. They have also talked with the owner of 48 Hudson Avenue about how to keep the building safe for many more years.
Looking at the Building's Structure
When it was first built, 48 Hudson Avenue was a one-and-a-half-story building. It had a very steep roof, angled at fifty-four degrees. The house was about 23 feet wide and 33 feet long. Inside, it had one big room on the first floor and two smaller rooms upstairs.
The bottom part of the house was made of brick. The top part was made of pine shakes, which are like wooden shingles. This building has many special features that are hard to find in other old buildings from its time. These include:
- A special type of wooden beam called a molded anchor beam.
- The outline of a "jambless fireplace," which means it didn't have the usual sides.
- Wide pine boards on the outside.
- Wide floorboards inside.
- Steeply angled roof beams.
- Its original brick walls.
These features help us understand how buildings were made almost 300 years ago!
