Center Square & Hudson/Park in Albany in Albany County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
119 Chestnut Street
Photographed by Trudi Jacobson, August 2, 2026
1. 119 Chestnut Street Marker
First owner Charlotte Throop
1896
Erected by Historic Albany Foundation Inc.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.
Location. 42° 39.26′ N, 73° 45.773′ W. Marker is in Albany, New York, in Albany County. It is in Center Square & Hudson/Park. It is on Chestnut Street just east of Dove Street, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 119 Chestnut Street, Albany NY 12210, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York and in the Capital District. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Birthplace of Erastus Corning II (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); 168 Chestnut Street (about
this page online
Additional commentary.
1. Charlotte W. Throop
There are many historic plaques in this brownstone-filled area of Albany, indicating date of construction, first owner of the house if known (otherwise a later owner), and, for some, their profession. Plaques naming a woman as the first owner or occupant are far less evident. This is the only one on Chestnut Street. I am researching these women to learn more about the lives behind the names on the plaques.
Charlotte Williams Gridley Throop (18291899) was the daughter of Philo Gridley, a New York State Supreme Court justice, and Susan Williams Gridley. In 1854 she married Montgomery Hunt Throop (18271892), a prominent Albany attorney and legal writer. They had two sons, one of whom died in 1873. In 1896, four years after
Photographed by Trudi Jacobson, August 2, 2026
2. 119 Chestnut Street and Marker
Charlotte was also a watercolorist. A surviving album contains paintings of flowers she encountered during carriage rides and hikes in Switzerland and Scotland in the summers of 1877 and 1879, mostly in the vicinity of Pontresina, Switzerland. The album, now held by the New York State Library's Manuscripts and Special Collections, preserves an aspect of her life largely absent from contemporary biographical accounts. A facsimile of the album was published in 2018 by Charlotte's great-great-grandson, James A. Shaw.
Another glimpse of Charlotte comes from an 1886 letter to former New York governor Samuel J. Tilden. Writing from 302 State Street to seek a contribution toward completion of an Albany cathedral,* she reminded Tilden of the pleasant summer we spent together abroad. She also referred to an earlier request that he help secure an appointment in Rome for her husband. Tilden apparently had not answered. Charlotte observed tartly that she still thought her husband would have been much fitter than the man who was sent there & had to return.
*The cathedral was probably the Episcopal Cathedral of All Saints in Albany. Its cornerstone was laid in 1884, and the cathedral was dedicated in 1888, placing Throop's April 1886 fundraising request during its construction.
Sources:
Episcopal Diocese of Albany History including the Cathedral of All Saints. https://albanyepiscopaldiocese.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/150th-final-may-3-2018.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. "Throop, Charlotte W." New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed August 17, 2026. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/62d2d380-c5c7-012f-338c-58d385a7bc34
Shaw, James A. The Artwork of Charlotte W. Throop. CreateSpace. 2018. ISBN: 978-1985636309.
Throop, Charlotte W. < i> Watercolor studies taken during two summers in Switzerland, 1877 & 1879 [title taken from inscription written on first page of the album] and pencil sketches of Montgomery H. Throop. New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections. Accessed August 17, 2026. https://nyst.sirsi.net/uhtbin/cgisirsi/?ps=4UFnlCrtl9/NYSL/X/123
— Submitted August 17, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York.
Additional keywords. Watercolor artist
Credits. This page was last revised on August 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 17, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on August 17, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York. 2. submitted on August 29, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
