Ilium Building
Why it's listed
Rising five stories at the northeast corner of Fulton and Fourth Streets, the Ilium Building is a large commercial block in downtown Troy, New York. The Ilium Realty Company built it in 1904 to designs by M.F. Cummings & Son, a Troy architectural firm described as important. The walls are buff-colored brick with stone and terra cotta trim, and the rectangular plan has a curved southwest corner. Seven bays face Fulton Street and four face Fourth Street. Arched stone entrances open on Fulton Street and at the curved corner, and a flat roof is topped by a stone cornice. It was listed for its architecture and its place in local commerce. Its fine detailing and size make it a landmark in the business district. It belongs to a group with the Boardman, Frear and National State Bank Buildings, all raised during a downtown building boom in the early 1900s. Only the first-floor storefronts have been altered.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites its fine architectural detailing and large size, its design by the important Troy firm M.F. Cummings & Son, and its role as a landmark on an important corner of the business district. It is also one of several buildings erected in a downtown building boom in the first decade of the twentieth century. Its exterior has been preserved in original form.
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 70000429, listed December 18, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE corner of Fulton and 4th Sts., Troy |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | December 18, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000429 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 20th Century (built 1904) |
| Architect / builder | M.F. Cummings & Son (architects); Ilium Realty Company (builder/developer) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition, occupied, and unaltered except for the first-floor storefronts; in commercial use. |
| Acreage | 10 |
| Within district | Central Troy Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.73259, -73.68836 (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.
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 70000429.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706520
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.