Rapp Road Community Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rapp Road Community Historic District
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Front elevations, 67 and 68 Rapp Road, 2012
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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 | 14 acres (5.7 ha) |
| Built | 1930 |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001620 |
| Added to NRHP | December 27, 2002 |
The Rapp Road Community Historic District is a special neighborhood in Albany, New York. It is located in an area called the Pine Bush. This neighborhood is about 14 acres in size and is a residential area. In 2002, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a place with important history that should be protected.
The community started in the 1920s. It was founded by Reverend Louis W. Parson, an African American minister, and his wife. They had moved north from Mississippi during the Great Migration. This was a time when many African Americans moved from the rural South to cities in the North. The Parsons first settled in Albany's South End.
Other members of his church group followed him to Albany. But many of them, including the Parsons, did not like city life very much. So, Reverend Parson bought land along Rapp Road. Many people from his church moved there.
In the 1970s, the state needed half of the original land for road projects. But the other half, which is now the historic district, still has many of the first buildings. Most of the families who first lived there still have descendants living in the community today. It is a rare and special example of a "chain migration" community. This means many people from the same area moved together to a new place.
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Where is the Rapp Road Community?
Rapp Road is in a long, narrow part of Albany called the Pine Bush. The historic district is on Rapp Road, between Pine Lane and Washington Avenue Extension. It is just north of the border between Albany city and the town of Guilderland.
To the southeast, you can find Crossgates Mall. Woods on the east and west side help separate the historic district from the mall and other businesses. The community is also separated from other neighborhoods by major highways, I-87 and I-90. These highways are part of the New York State Thruway. The land in the area is mostly flat.
The district includes 27 land lots that were part of the original purchases. There are 21 buildings on these lots. Almost all of them (19 out of 21) are considered "contributing properties." This means they help show the history and character of the district. One property also has two stone pillars at its driveway. These are called "contributing objects" because they are also part of the historic feel. The buildings are all homes made of wood. They are a mix of small cottages and traditional "shotgun houses."
History of Rapp Road Community
Early Times in the Pine Bush
The land where the Rapp Road Community was built is part of the Albany Pine Bush. This is one of the world's largest inland pine barrens. When Europeans arrived in the early 1600s, the Pine Bush was used by Native American groups. The Mohawk nation used it for hunting. The Mahican people also used the land.
The Great Migration and Rapp Road
Reverend Louis W. Parson and his wife moved to Albany from Shubuta, Mississippi in 1927. He started the First Church of God in Christ in Albany. Reverend Parson made four trips back to Mississippi. He encouraged his friends and family to move to Albany and join his church. Many friends and family did so during the 1930s and 1940s. Some were sharecroppers who worked on farms and owed money to their landlords. Eventually, most African Americans from Shubuta moved to Albany.
They were part of the first wave of the Great Migration. This was when nearly 1.5 million African Americans left the South. They moved to northern and midwestern cities. They were looking for better jobs and opportunities. They also wanted to escape violence and unfair treatment. From 1940 to 1970, another 5 million African Americans moved from the South. Many went to the West Coast for jobs in the defense industry.
Even though the city government was worried about unemployed people during the Depression, Parson kept encouraging people from Shubuta to come to Albany. However, many of the new arrivals did not like living in the South End. They felt that the bars and gambling houses in the neighborhood did not fit their religious beliefs. Since they came from rural areas, they found city life hard to get used to. Some even moved back to Mississippi.
Between 1930 and 1933, Reverend Parson found two 14-acre pieces of undeveloped land. These were west of Albany in the Pine Bush. This became the site for his new community. Other people from Shubuta moved to this location. They saved their money and built their own houses. They made them similar to the homes they knew in Mississippi.
The land purchases were fully completed in 1942, two years after Parson passed away. After that, families began building their own homes. Friends and family helped each other over the next few decades. Many families started growing crops and raising animals on their land. This helped them become more self-sufficient. During World War II, it was hard to get building materials. This was because materials were needed for the war effort. One family found they could only finish a small shotgun house, not the larger house they had planned.
At its busiest time, 23 families lived on Rapp Road. The community stayed together until 1971. That year, the state planned the Washington Avenue Extension. This new road would help connect Albany with its growing western suburbs. The state used a process called eminent domain to buy the northern part of the community's land. Most of the homeowners had to move away. One homeowner, whose house was in the middle of where the new road would be, chose to have her house moved instead. Today, it is at the north end of the street, at 8 Rapp Road. It is about 300 feet (90 meters) south of its original spot.
The Rapp Road community has continued to thrive despite this big change and the growth around it. Many descendants of the first homeowners have returned to raise their own families there. Every year, the community holds a "family reunion." Every other year, they have another celebration in Shubuta for relatives who still live there. As of 2008, 15 of the original 23 families still have members living in the community.
In 2002, the state of New York named the community a "New York State Historic District." In 2003, it became a National Historic District. In 2006, the state Department of Education approved the Rapp Road Historical Association. This group was formed to protect and share the history of the area.
