Quackenbush House
Why it's listed
Standing at the corner of Broadway and Quackenbush Street in downtown Albany, this two-and-a-half-story brick house is described as the earliest known remaining example of an urban building type once common in the city. Its gable end faces the main street in the Dutch manner, and the second story retains eighteenth-century floor boards, hand-wrought nails and half-timbered walls filled with brick. The exact construction date is unknown, but a house that appears to be this one shows on a 1740s engraved view of Albany, and building could date from about 1736, when Wouter Quackenbush left the property to his family. The family ran brick kilns nearby, and the house sat just outside the town stockade. The first floor was later remodeled as a store, a tavern and a bakery, and the family sold the house in 1868. Demolition of the surrounding blocks for an elevated road has left the old house standing alone once again, in deteriorated condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the earliest known remaining example of an urban architecture once characteristic of Albany. Its Dutch-style gable-end roofline and layout recall the Dutch settlement of colonial Albany. Its second-story framing clearly dates from the eighteenth century, and it was reputedly used as a headquarters in the French and Indian War.
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 72000816, listed June 19, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 683 Broadway, Albany |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | June 19, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000816 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Dutch-influenced colonial urban architecture |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as deteriorated and the building as unoccupied; it stands alone after surrounding nineteenth-century buildings were demolished for an elevated access road. |
| Coordinates | 42.65285, -73.74896 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 72000816.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7268241
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.