Irwin, W.P., Bank Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1873 at the corner of Broadway and Second Avenue in Rensselaer, this two-story brick building was constructed as the East Albany Banking & Trust Company for local businessman William P. Irwin. Irwin owned flour mills, grain elevators and a malt house, and the bank was meant as a showpiece for the community then known as Greenbush. The facade uses pressed brick in red and white, a corbelled cornice, Gothic-arched window lintels and a belt course with a Greek cross motif. Inside, the banking room keeps walnut window casings, and the cut-rock basement and an early wrought iron safe survive. Steel floor beams may be an early structural use of that material. The bank closed after Irwin's death. A successor, the Rensselaer County Bank & Trust, added a rear wing around 1905 and renovated the entrance and banking room. A jewelry store later occupied the building, and it now houses accounting offices.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an early, substantially intact example of High Victorian Gothic commercial architecture in Rensselaer County. It is also tied to William P. Irwin, a prominent local entrepreneur, and reflects the prosperity of nineteenth-century Hudson River commerce. It is described as a rare surviving building type.
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 07001036, listed October 3, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 156 Broadway, Rensselaer |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | October 3, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07001036 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1873-circa 1920 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th Century Revivals/High Victorian Gothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently occupied by the offices of an accounting firm; formerly a bank, then a jewelry store, with an upper-floor apartment. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.64047, -73.74663 (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 07001036.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7945869
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.