Menand, Louis, House
Also known as: Component No. 15
Why it's listed
This two-story farmhouse at 40 Cemetery Avenue, near the entrance to the Albany Rural Cemetery, combines Queen Anne and Stick style details. The front section was built in 1881 and incorporates an earlier rear section from about 1840. Clapboards cover most of the front, fish-scale shingles fill the gable ends and form a band at mid-height, and a wraparound porch has bracketed piers. Original interior woodwork, fireplace, doors and hardware remain. The 3.92-acre parcel includes three sheds, a garage and greenhouse foundations from the family nursery, along with exotic plantings such as gingko trees. Louis Menand, a French-born horticulturist who had been curator of the Botanical Gardens in Paris, came to the United States in 1837 and bought the property in 1870. His son Louis Menand Jr. lived in the house. The family ran nurseries and greenhouses here, conducting experiments and developing new hybrid flowers. The suburb that grew nearby took the name Menands. The house is the only surviving structure tied to the family.
Significance in brief: It is the only surviving structure associated with the locally prominent Menand family. Louis Menand, a noted horticulturist, ran nurseries and greenhouses on the property and developed new flower hybrids. The surrounding suburb later took the name "Menands" from the family.
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 85002742, listed October 3, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 40 Cemetery Ave., Colonie |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | October 3, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002742 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne/Stick style |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good; still used as a residence, with surviving outbuildings and greenhouse foundations. |
| Acreage | 3.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.70290, -73.72293 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 85002742.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6687810
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.