Center Square & Hudson/Park in Albany in Albany County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
353 Madison Avenue
Photographed by Trudi Jacobson, October 14, 2026
1. 353 Madison Avenue Marker
Alfred Conckling, U.S. Judge
Third story added c.1925
1827
Erected by Historic Albany Foundation, Inc.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Law Enforcement. In addition, it is included in the Historic Albany Foundation series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1827.
Location. 42° 39.059′ N, 73° 45.885′ W. Marker is in Albany, New York, in Albany County. It is in Center Square & Hudson/Park. It is on Madison Avenue (U.S. 20) 0.2 miles west of Dove Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 353 Madison Avenue, 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
this page online
Regarding 353 Madison Avenue. The Conkling-Wing House
Built in 1827 for Alfred Conkling* (1789–1874), United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York, this late Federal-style residence is among the oldest surviving houses in Albany's Center Square-Hudson Park neighborhood. Originally two stories high, it stood on a ridge along Lydius Street (renamed Madison Avenue in 1867), surrounded by gardens and an orchard.
Conkling had served in the United States House of Representatives from 1821 to 1823 before his appointment to the federal bench by President John Quincy Adams in 1825. He remained a district judge until 1852 and subsequently
Photographed by Trudi Jacobson, October 14, 2026
2. 353 Madison Avenue Marker
The extensive front lawn is a vestige of the land it used to sit on.
During the nineteenth century, the house also served as a Catholic seminary. It returned to private ownership in 1867, when it was purchased by Albert Wing (1815–1887), a prominent Albany wholesale grocer. Wing had established his grocery business in 1841, and his sons James C. and Albert J. subsequently joined the firm. His wife was Maria Carle Wing, and the couple also had a daughter, Kate A.
The 1876 Albany City Directory lists Albert Wing & Son, grocers, at 388–392 Broadway, with Albert's residence at 353 Madison Avenue. His son James C. was also listed at the address. At that time, the property extended from Madison Avenue through to Hamilton Street.
After Albert Wing moved to 281 State Street in 1882, the family subdivided the extensive Madison Avenue frontage, developing two rows of Queen Anne-style houses. The western row, 355–363 Madison Avenue, was constructed in 1885, followed by the eastern row, 349A–349E, in 1887. These developments transformed what had once been a freestanding, country-like residence into part of a densely built urban neighborhood.
Around 1920, when the Wing family sold the original house, a third story and rear addition were constructed. Despite these alterations, the building remains an important surviving example of Albany's early nineteenth-century residential development.
* Although the marker includes a second "c" in his name, other sources do not.
Sources
Albany City Directory. 1876. Entries for Albert Wing & Son and James C. Wing.
Federal Judicial Center. "Conkling, Alfred." Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges. https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/conkling-alfred.
Landmarks of Albany County, New York. Syracuse: D. Mason & Company, 1897. Biographical sketch of Albert J. Wing.
National Register of Historic Places. Center Square/Hudson-Park Historic District, Albany, New York. Nomination documentation, 1980.
United States House of Representatives. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Entry for Alfred Conkling. https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/11304.
Waite, Diana S., ed. Albany Architecture: A Guide to the City. Albany: Mount Ida Press, 1993, pp. 146–147.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 8, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York. This page has been viewed 13 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 8, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
