Barney, H. S., Building
Also known as: Barney's
Why it's listed
Dominating a third of a block in Schenectady's downtown, this five-story brick and limestone complex at 217-229 State Street grew over fifty years as the home of the H.S. Barney Co. Howland S. Barney bought a controlling interest in a dry goods store in 1858 and built an Italianate block in 1873. The company added a five-story Liberty Street building in 1904, converted a mid-nineteenth century frame duplex into a warehouse, and linked everything with a connector. After acquiring two neighboring buildings in 1913, it raised them to five stories and unified the three State Street sections behind a limestone Commercial style facade in 1923. Large tripartite windows and restrained classical detail define that front. Inside, open floors, elevators and a pneumatic tube system served customers. Barney's became the city's leading retailer, but declined with the downtown and was liquidated in 1973. The building remains little altered since 1923 and is a landmark of Schenectady's commercial past.
Significance in brief: It was the home of Schenectady's largest and most important mercantile establishment, which set the pace for downtown commercial development and introduced progressive business practices and customer services. Architecturally, it combines six interconnected sections, unified by an intact 1923 Commercial style facade. It recalls an influential local business and the city's most prosperous era.
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 84002965, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 217-229 State St., Schenectady |
|---|---|
| County | Schenectady County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002965 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1873-1923 |
| Architectural style | Commercial style (1923 State Street facade) with Neoclassical detailing, Italianate and Art Moderne elements |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacated when the H.S. Barney Co. was liquidated in 1973; since then it has housed short-lived business ventures and received minor interior alterations. Condition listed as good, and the form lists present use as vacant with conversion planned. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.81539, -73.94507 (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 84002965.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5628545
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.