Knox Street Historic District

Knox Street in Albany's Park South neighborhood is lined with 24 brick buildings, most of them attached row houses, built largely between 1875 and 1886 as Washington Park was taking shape nearby. The Walsh Brothers, John and Edmund, carpenters and speculative builders who had lived on the street, are believed to have built most of them. The houses mix Italianate, early Queen Anne and modest Romanesque Revival details, including corbelled brick, projecting bays, ornate lintels and heavy wooden cornices. One freestanding house at 137 Knox has a rural character, and an older Federal-style house at 74 Morris Street dates to about 1838, built for nurseryman James Wilson. Surrounded mostly by frame houses, the street stands out for its uniform scale, setback and materials. It was recognized for the architectural quality and cohesion of this small group of rowhouses. Today many of the buildings keep much of their original character, and most are divided into apartments.