Mica Insulator Company
Why it's listed
Two factory buildings on Broadway in Schenectady are all that remain of a large manufacturing complex built by the Mica Insulator Company. The four-story Micanite Works, built in 1915 and later enlarged, has a reinforced concrete skeleton, big bays of steel industrial windows and open floors. The three-story Lamicoid Building followed in 1946, housing offices and manufacturing of a new product line. It uses a steel frame with brick walls but closely echoes its older neighbor. A walkway once linked them. The company was founded in 1893 by former Edison Machine Works and GE researchers and was long called Schenectady's third largest industry, after GE and ALCO. The Micanite Works was designed by William Lee Stoddart and built by Turner Construction. The buildings were listed for their link to this company and as examples of daylight factory design. The Micanite Works is vacant and damaged but retains much of its integrity, while the Lamicoid Building has been rehabilitated for offices.
Significance in brief: The buildings are tied to Mica Insulator Company, a pioneering electrical insulation firm founded in 1893 that became one of Schenectady's leading industries. They also represent the daylight factory design type, with exposed structural skeletons, large window bays and open floors. The Micanite Works is a reinforced concrete example, and the later Lamicoid Building is a steel-framed example modeled on it.
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 11001007, listed January 4, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 797 & 845 Broadway, Schenectady |
|---|---|
| County | Schenectady County |
| Listed | January 4, 2012 |
| Reference number | 11001007 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1915 - 1946 |
| Architect / builder | William Lee Stoddard (Stoddart); Turner Construction Company |
| Architectural style | Other: daylight factory |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Micanite Works is vacant and in fair condition, with broken windows, roof leaks and interior damage. The Lamicoid Building has been rehabilitated and adapted for office use. |
| Acreage | 7.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.80531, -73.95152 (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 11001007.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23091936
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.