Troy Savings Bank and Music Hall
Also known as: See Also:Second Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Dominating downtown Troy, this bank and concert hall at 32 Second Street was designed by architect George B. Post and begun in 1871. The bank occupies the lower floors, with adjacent commercial rental space, while the 1,250-seat Music Hall sits high above. Post combined engineering skill with Italianate and Second Empire styling, including a great mansard glass roof that lit the banking room below. The hall opened in 1875 at a cost of between $300,000 and $400,000, and was compared in scale and ornament to auditoriums in Europe and America. Its construction followed Troy's wartime boom in iron and Bessemer steel production, and state banking law that called for some funding of public amenities. The building is valued as one of the finest nineteenth-century auditoriums in the country and as one of Post's few works that remains basically unchanged. Alterations include a pipe organ added in 1890, fire-safety work in 1929, removal of the original chandelier, and a 1948 remodelling of the banking floor.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of the finest nineteenth-century auditorium structures in the United States and an early example of Post's mature style. It is one of the few Post buildings that remains basically unchanged. It also reflects the wealth of Troy's Civil War-era iron and steel industries.
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 89001066, listed April 11, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 32 Second St., Troy |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | April 11, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001066 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | George B. Post (1837-1913) |
| Architectural style | Italianate and Second Empire, with French Renaissance ornament |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated April 11, 1989 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as a bank and theatre; the Music Hall was undergoing a refurbishment program at the time of the form. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Central Troy Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 42.73040, -73.69139 (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.
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 89001066.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7846943
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.