Old Albany Academy Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Albany Academy
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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East (front) elevation with statue of Henry, 2015
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Albany, NY |
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| Area | 1 acre (4,000 m2) |
| Built | 1815 |
| Architect | Philip Hooker |
| Part of | Lafayette Park Historic District (ID78001837) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000515 |
| Added to NRHP | February 18, 1971 |
The old Albany Academy building is a historic brownstone building in downtown Albany, New York. It was built in the early 1800s in the Federal style. Today, the City School District of Albany owns it and calls it Academy Park.
This building is very important to history. In 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Later, it became part of the Lafayette Park Historic District, a special area with many historic buildings.
When it was first built, the building was home to The Albany Academy, a school for boys. The famous architect Philip Hooker designed it. It is the oldest public building in Albany and one of his best-preserved designs.
A very important scientist, Joseph Henry, did experiments here in the 1820s. He helped discover how electricity works, which was key to inventing the telegraph. This discovery also helped create modern communication like phones and the internet! A statue of him stands outside the building to remember his work.
Another important person, T. Romeyn Beck, was the school's principal for 30 years. He wrote important books about forensic medicine, which is using science to solve crimes.
In the 1930s, The Albany Academy moved to a new building. The city of Albany bought the old building. Since 1986, the city's school district has used it for its main offices. The building has stayed mostly the same over the years.
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Exploring the Old Academy Building
The old Albany Academy building sits in Academy Park. This park is about one acre in size. It is located between Eagle, Elk, and Hawk streets in Albany. The park is also part of the Lafayette Park Historic District.
The building is near many other important government buildings. Across Lafayette Park is the large New York State Education Building. The beautiful Cathedral of All Saints is also nearby.
To the southwest, you can see the state capitol building. This is a very famous landmark. Other important buildings nearby include the county courthouse and Albany City Hall.
What Does the Building Look Like?
The building faces Elk Street, but its main entrance is on the east side. It has two stories and is made of brown sandstone. The basement level has a rough, textured stone look. The first floor of the side wings also has this rough stone.
On the main part of the building, tall, decorated columns (called pilasters) go up both floors. These columns have Ionic tops. Between these columns are large windows with many small panes of glass. On the second floor, the windows are arched.
The roof has a fancy edge with decorative blocks. Above this is a decorative railing. The roof is gently sloped and has two brick chimneys. In the middle of the roof is a green cupola, which is a small dome-shaped tower. It has arched vents and smooth columns. A weathervane sits on top of the cupola.
There are two entrances on the east side. The main entrance has double wooden doors with glass panels on the sides and a fan-shaped window above. Below this, a smaller entrance leads to the basement. In front of the building is a statue of Joseph Henry on a gray stone base.
The two side wings of the building are simpler. Their first floors have the rough stone look. The windows on both floors have many small glass panes. The decorative railing from the main roof continues along the wings.
A Look Back: History of the Academy
The Albany Academy was started by the city council in 1813. It was a private school for the sons of important families in Albany. They learned subjects like classics, math, and science. Classes began in 1815 in a rented building.
In 1815, Philip Hooker, a famous architect in Albany, was chosen to design the new school building. He had already designed other important buildings in the city. The mayor, Philip S. Van Rensselaer, helped lay the first stone for the building.
Hooker's design was in the Federal style, with many classical decorations. This style matched the school's focus on classic learning. The building was finished in 1817. It even had a chapel on the second floor, which is still there today.
Important People at the Academy
When the new building opened in 1817, T. Romeyn Beck became the new principal. He led the school until 1848 and made it very successful. He also wrote an important book in 1823 called Elements of Medical Jurisprudence. This was one of the first major books on forensic medicine in America.
Beck also hired Joseph Henry, a talented former student of the Academy, as a science teacher. Henry had studied at Union College. While teaching, Henry also did his own research.
In 1827, Henry started experiments with electromagnetism. He found ways to make electromagnets stronger. He also discovered electrical inductance. This discovery was very important. He would show students how to make a bell ring using a wire around the classroom. This was like an early electric doorbell!
Henry's work helped Samuel F.B. Morse create the first practical telegraph. The same ideas are still used today for sending information over long distances. Joseph Henry later became the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
The Academy Moves On
The school stayed in Hooker's building for the rest of the 1800s. But by the 1920s, the school needed more space. They bought a large piece of land in a newer part of Albany.
Just before the Great Depression in the 1930s, the city of Albany agreed to buy the old building for $450,000. This would be millions of dollars today!
Marcus T. Reynolds, another famous Albany architect, oversaw the changes to the building. He designed the new Academy building. His changes to the old building were mostly inside, like adding a new marble staircase. He also replaced the original wooden cupola with a copper one that looked exactly the same.
The statue of Joseph Henry was placed in front of the building, and the building was renamed in his honor. In the 1930s, the Albany City School District moved into the building. They have used it as their main offices ever since.
