Burden Ironworks Office Building
Why it's listed
Built between 1881 and 1886 at the foot of Polk Street in Troy, this one-story brick office building served the Burden Iron Company, successor to the Troy Iron and Nail Factory. The company's best-known figure, Henry Burden, became superintendent in 1822 and invented machines for making nails, railroad spikes and horse and mule shoes. During the Civil War the firm filled large War Department orders for shoes. The office was constructed during a period of expansion after the company was incorporated in 1881. It has a cruciform plan, load-bearing brick walls with raised ornamental brickwork at window arches and quoins, a gabled and hipped roof, and an octagonal cupola with an onion dome. Inside, a central room is lit by a skylight above an open timber lattice. Republic Steel took over the building in 1925, and it remained an office until 1940. A print from 1886 suggests the exterior has not been altered. The nomination describes its condition as fair.
Significance in brief: The building is tied to the Burden ironworks, a major Troy manufacturer that grew under Henry Burden, inventor of nail, spike and horseshoe machines. It was built during the company's expansion in the 1880s and is described as appearing unaltered on the exterior. It also has a distinctive cruciform plan and ornamental brickwork.
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 72000907, listed March 16, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Polk St., Troy |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | March 16, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000907 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1880's (19th Century) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as an office building until 1940; the form lists its condition as fair and the property as unoccupied, with no immediate danger of demolition noted. |
| Coordinates | 42.70984, -73.69898 (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.
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 72000907.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4998267
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.