Downtown in Albany in Albany County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
NYS Capitol & Albany City Hall
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 12, 2017
1. NYS Capitol & Albany City Hall Marker
In 1885, American Architect and Building News named "The Best Ten Buildings in the United States."
Two of those selected were the New York State Capitol and Albany City Hall, before you and to your right. The Capitol was chosen despite the fact that it was still more than a decade away from completion.
By the time it was finished in 1899, the NYS Capitol was the most costly building ever constructed in the United States, and at 32 years, took longer to build than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
Original 1867 design for the NYS Capitol by architects Thomas Fuller and Arthur D. Gilman.
Note the differences from the finished product, namely the center tower that was never built, owing to both its tremendous weight and cost.
Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886)
Renowned architect H. H. Richardson had a hand in creating both the NYS Capitol and Albany's City Hall. Richardson was one of four prominent architects to contribute to the design of the Capitol, and City Hall was his vision alone. The building is a model of his distinctive style, Richardsonian Romanesque, and was designed at the height of his career.
Albany's Bells
Housed atop City Hall's 202-foot tower are Albany's carillon bells, the first municipal carillon in
this page online
Albany's 49 bells range from a massive 10,953 lbs. to just 27 lbs. The first recital was played on September 18, 1927, to a crowd of more than 50,000.
Today, regular concerts are held during the summer and at noon on most Wednesdays year round.
Erected 2016 by Albany Cultural Heritage and Tourism Partnership, New York State Museum, Downtown Albany and SUNY.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture.
Location. 42° 39.084′ N, 73° 45.312′ W. Marker is in Albany, New York, in Albany County. It is in Downtown. Marker is on Eagle Street north of State Street (New York State Route 5), on the right when traveling north. Marker is a composite plaque, mounted on a waist-high pole, between the sidewalk and the street, just north of the intersection on Eagle Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 125 State Street, Albany NY 12207, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fort Frederick (within shouting distance of this marker); The King's Highway (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Fort Frederick (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Fort Frederick (within shouting distance of this
2. American Architect and Building News, 1855, "Ten Best Buildings in the United States"
Also see . . .
1. Albany City Hall.
Following the 1880 fire, Henry Richardson secured the commission for the replacement city hall after a limited competition between six architects. Richardson had been a frequent visitor to Albany over the prior four years, having been one of the lead architects on the state capitol. The new city hall design dates from the period that is typically regarded as Richardson's architectural peak. With the leadership of William Gorham Rice in 1927, a carillon was added to the tower; it contained sixty bells (though it could produce only 47 different notes since top notes have double bells) made by John Taylor & Co in England. It cost $63,000 ($8.95 million in modern dollars) and was the first municipal carillon in the United States. (Submitted on April 22, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
July 12, 2017
3. NYS Capitol & Albany City Hall Marker (wide view; marker visible near bottom right)
2. New York State Capitol.
The present Capitol was built between 1867 and 1899. Three teams of architects worked on the design of the Capitol during the 32 years of its construction. They were managed by: 1867–1875: Thomas Fuller, 1875–1883: Leopold Eidlitz and Henry Hobson Richardson, 1883–1899: Isaac G. Perry. Fuller, the initial architect, was an Englishman who also designed the Canadian Parliament buildings of Parliament Hill, Ottawa. It was Richardson who dominated the final outcome of the grand building, which evolved into his distinguished Romanesque style. (Submitted on April 22, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. H.H. Richardson - American Architect.
Henry Hobson Richardson, (1838-1886), American architect, the initiator of the Romanesque revival in the United States and a pioneer figure in the development of an indigenous, modern American style of architecture. Richardson’s Romanesque revival design won him a national reputation, many imitators, and so many New England commissions that it became desirable to move to the Boston area. He designed houses, community libraries, suburban railroad stations, educational buildings, and commercial and civic structures. (Submitted on April 22, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
4. Albany City Hall - National Archives
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 12, 2017
4. Albany City Hall & Carillon Tower
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 12, 2017
5. New York State Capitol (view from marker - southeast side)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 12, 2017
6. New York State Capitol (southwest side view emphasizes missing tower)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 22, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 413 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 22, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
