Ten Broeck Triangle in Albany in Albany County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
13 Ten Broeck Street
Photographed by Trudi Jacobson, October 24, 2026
1. 13 Ten Broeck Street Marker
Pres. of Hilton Bridge
Company
Erected by Historic Albany Foundation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. In addition, it is included in the Historic Albany Foundation series list.
Location. 42° 39.336′ N, 73° 45.062′ W. Marker is in Albany, New York, in Albany County. It is in Ten Broeck Triangle. It is on Ten Broeck Street 0.2 miles north of Clinton Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13 Ten Broeck St, Albany NY 12207, 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: 25 Ten Broeck Street
this page online
Regarding 13 Ten Broeck Street. According to Albany Architecture: A Guide to the City, 13 Ten Broeck Street was built in 1858 for William G. Thomas, a partner in the lumber firm of Hill, Thomas and Company. The authors describe the house as one of the grandest on the street, noting its imposing brownstone faηade and elegantly carved entrance and window lintels. Several houses in this neighborhood featured especially elaborate woodwork, reflecting the wealth and businesses of Albany's lumber merchants.
The house later became the residence of Elnathan Sweet (18371903), a distinguished civil engineer and New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1884 to 1887. Born in Cheshire, Massachusetts,
Photographed by Trudi Jacobson, October 24, 2026
2. 13 Ten Broeck Street with Marker
Sweet's most celebrated local engineering achievement was the Hawk Street Viaduct, constructed in 18891890 by the Hilton Bridge Construction Company, of which he was president. The bridge connected Capitol Hill with Arbor Hill across the deep ravine now occupied by Sheridan Avenue. Approximately 1,000 feet long and rising 79 feet above the street below, it was an important engineering innovation, recognized for its pioneering use of the cantilever arch design.
The viaduct was both an engineering achievement and a significant improvement in Albany's transportation network. It provided a direct connection between neighborhoods previously separated by the ravine. Although extensively repaired in 1925, the bridge eventually deteriorated, was closed to automobile traffic in 1968, and was dismantled in July 1970. Its significance is documented
Photographed by Trudi Jacobson
3. Hawk Street Bridge During Demolition
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HAER, Reproduction number HAER NY,1-ALB,20- (no restrictions on use)
The house's later history offers a striking contrast to its nineteenth-century associations. Advertisements published in The Spotlight in 1961 identify 13 Ten Broeck Street as the location of Reina Deitz's doll-repair business, which offered repairs, restoration, restringing, wigs, and costumes. The Albany Institute of History & Art's Morris Gerber Photograph Collection also preserves a substantial group of interior and exterior photographs of the building.
Sources
Albany Directory. 1863. Entry for William G. Thomas, Hill, Thomas & Company, residing at 13 Ten Broeck Street.
Albany Institute of History & Art. Morris Gerber Photograph Collection, Box 43, folders 18, accession numbers 1993.010.94891993.010.9525.6.
Albany Society Directory. 1896.
Harsha, David Addison. Noted Living Albanians and State Officials: A Series of Biographical Sketches. Albany: Weed, Parsons and Company, 1891, pp. 393398.
Historic American Engineering Record. Hawk Street Viaduct, HAER NY-10. Library of Congress, documentation prepared in 1969.
The Spotlight. November 9, 1961. Advertisement for Reina Deitz's doll-repair business.
Waite, Diana S., ed. Albany Architecture: A Guide to the City. Albany: Mount Ida Press, 1993, p. 188.
Also see . . . Hawk Street Viaduct, Albany, Albany County, NY. There are 10 photographs of the bridge, including several taken during demolition,
"These records were prepared as part of the Mohawk-Hudson Area Survey, a pilot study for the Historic American Engineering Record which was established in 1969 under the aegis of the Historic American Buildings Survey."(Submitted on November 3, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 3, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
