Downtown Albany Historic District (Boundary Increase/Decrease)

Downtown Albany's historic district covers 66 acres on the west bank of the Hudson River, on the site of the original Dutch settlement. It runs between two filled-in ravines and is organized around Broadway, which runs north-south, and State Street, which climbs east-west toward the State Capitol. Its 160 buildings are mostly commercial, with small residential pockets on Columbia Street and upper Pine Street. Most date from 1880 to 1930, though a few go back to the 1820s. Styles range from Greek Revival, Romanesque and Queen Anne to Beaux Arts, Gothic Revival and Art Deco, and buildings stand from four to twenty stories, the tallest on State Street. Brick is the main material, with granite, marble, terra-cotta and cast iron on many facades. Narrow streets such as Maiden Lane and Columbia recall the stockaded settlement, while wide Broadway and State Street open views of landmarks including the D&H Building. The district was listed because this variety shows Albany's successive periods of growth, prosperity and renewal.