Newtonville Post Office
Also known as: First Baptist Church
Why it's listed
Standing on a hilltop beside Route 9, the old road from Albany to Saratoga, this red brick building began as the First Baptist Church of Newtonville. John Newton, who settled the area around 1840 and gave the crossroads its name of Newton's Corners, built it in 1852 after the congregation organized in 1849. An inscription, now hidden under cement, names J.H. Lockrow and I. Waterman as builders. Tradition says Rev. William Arthur, father of President Chester A. Arthur, preached there while living in the village from 1855 to 1863. The church congregation was short-lived, and the building later served as a school, bus garage, farm machinery sales office and, for about thirty years, the post office. Alterations include enlarged and later reduced garage openings, concrete over the fieldstone foundation and a new cedar shingle roof in 1972. It was listed as a simple, well-proportioned vernacular building that has kept notable integrity in a now suburban setting.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a landmark with some architectural and historical merit. Its well-proportioned, simple vernacular design is tied to prominent figures in the village's early history, including John Newton, who built the church. Tradition holds that Rev. William Arthur, father of President Chester A. Arthur, preached there between 1855 and 1863.
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 73001162, listed March 14, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 534 Loudonville Rd. (NY 9), Newtonville |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | March 14, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001162 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1852) |
| Architect / builder | Builders J.H. Lockrow and I. Waterman (per an inscription said to read thus) |
| Architectural style | Simple vernacular design |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Fair condition and altered; the eastern two-thirds of the interior is used by the Post Office. The roof was re-shingled in 1972. Owned by the Town of Colonie. |
| Acreage | 5.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.72227, -73.75685 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 73001162.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7891010
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.