Old Post Office
Also known as: United States Government Building
Why it's listed
Standing at the northeast corner of Broadway and State Street in Albany, this granite building was erected as the city's United States Government Building and post office. Congress authorized it on March 21, 1872, partly because Albany sat on river, canal and railroad routes. Costs rose well past the $350,000 limit, reaching $627,148 including the site, and the shortfall led designers to drop an elaborate Gothic scheme for the present Italian Renaissance design. The cornerstone was laid on May 7, 1879, with Masonic ceremonies. Revenue officials moved in during December 1883, the post office followed on January 1, 1884, and other government offices joined later. Edward Ogden, George H. Sear and Walter Dickson oversaw construction. Load-bearing masonry walls, slate mansard roofs and a central light well define the structure, and both interior and exterior remain largely unaltered. Now known as the Albany Federal Building, it still serves federal offices and anchors a notable group of buildings in downtown Albany.
Significance in brief: The building resulted from an 1872 act of Congress to provide federal facilities in Albany, a hub for river, canal and railroad transport. Financial difficulties forced a switch from an elaborate Gothic plan to the present Italian Renaissance design. It is largely unaltered and, with the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Building and the First Trust Company, forms one of the major urban compositions in Albany.
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 72000814, listed January 20, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NE corner of Broadway and State St., Albany |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | January 20, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000814 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | Edward Ogden (superintendent after the foundation was laid); George H. Sear (put up the basement); Walter Dickson (completed superintendence of construction) |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; continues to function as a hub of Federal Government activity in Albany, known as the Albany Federal Building. Interior and exterior appear unaltered except for utility improvements. |
| Within district | Downtown Albany Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 42.64908, -73.75026 (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 72000814.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7084762
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.