First Trust Company Building
Why it's listed
Dominating the northwest corner of the Plaza in downtown Albany, this six-story bank building sits at State Street and Broadway. Its trapezoidal plan and rounded, domed southeast corner respond to the shape of the lot. Marcus T. Reynolds designed it for the Albany Trust Company, which bought the site in 1902; the five-bay corner section was finished in 1904. In 1908 Reynolds added a matching two-bay building for the neighboring First National Bank, and further bays followed the banks' 1926 merger. Light stone pilasters form a tall first-floor base beneath red brick upper walls laid in Flemish bond, topped by a slate mansard roof and a dome covered in stamped sheet metal. The site earlier held a stagecoach office and museum building, and a replacement used by Western Union. Reynolds echoed their massing and cornice lines, so the corner looks much as it did for generations. The building is also valued as part of the Plaza group.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an imaginative early twentieth century design in which Reynolds combined classical elements such as a dome, cornice and pilasters with stone piers that opened the first floor for windows. His rounded corner and dome resolved the awkward trapezoidal lot. It is also one of the essential elements of Albany's Plaza area, alongside the Delaware and Hudson Building and the Albany Federal Building.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73001156, listed January 18, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 35 State St., Albany |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | January 18, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001156 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1904-1908 |
| Architect / builder | Marcus T. Reynolds |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition and occupied; the form records the building as altered and on its original site. It houses a bank's offices. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Albany Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 42.64927, -73.75099 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73001156.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5453926
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.