McCarthy Building (Troy, New York) explained

McCarthy Building
Nrhp Type:cp
Nocat:yes
Coordinates:42.7317°N -73.6917°W
Location:Troy, NY
Built:1904[1]
Architect:Charles Boland
Added:1970
Partof:Central Troy Historic District
Partof Refnum:86001527
Refnum:70000430

The McCarthy Building is located on River Street on the west side of Monument Square in Troy, New York, United States. It was built in 1904 by Peter McCarthy,[2] president of Troy Waste Manufacturing Co., and remains in use as a commercial building.[3] In 1970 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, along with the nearby Cannon Building. Since 1986 it has also been a contributing property to the Central Troy Historic District.

It is five stories tall and three bays wide. The eastern (front) facade is done in terra cotta with details in iron and glass. The latter two materials are combined to create the building's most distinctive feature, the proscenium-style[4] arched window across the bottom two stories.

The building was constructed in 1904 during an early 20th-century building boom in downtown Troy. It originally housed the R.C. Reynolds home furnishing store. The store's grand opening on September 16, 1904 was attended by a crowd of thousands. An article in the Troy Times praised the building calling it "one of the most attractive show buildings in the city".[5] It was almost demolished during urban renewal efforts in the late 1960s, but protests from residents and its listing on the Register helped to save it. In the 2000s, it became home to Light & Power Communications Ltd., a Capital District media company.[6] In 2020, the McCarthy Building was converted to luxury apartments.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Waite. Diana. National Register of Historic Places nomination, McCarthy Building. New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. December 1969. 2008-11-06. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111210080032/http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=7623. 2011-12-10.
  2. Book: Brian Nielsen. Becky Nielsen. Troy in Vintage Postcards. 2001. Arcadia Publishing. 978-0-7385-0903-7. 31–.
  3. Book: Arthur James Weise. Troy's One Hundred Years, 1789-1889. 1891. W.H. Young. 417.
  4. News: Bernstein . Fred . Where the Finest Antiques Can't Be Bought . . 2006-04-07 . 2008-11-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080919105617/http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/04/07/travel/escapes/07trip.html . 2008-09-19 .
  5. News: Reynold's Store Open . The Troy Times. Old Fulton Post Cards. September 17, 1904. 2015-06-13.
  6. News: DerGurahian. Jean. Media firm to call Troy's McCarthy building home. American City Business Journals. Albany Business Journal. 2000-04-21. 2008-11-08.
  7. News: Hornbeck. Leigh. 2020-10-28. Details add up for Troy apartment conversion. 2021-02-04. Times Union. Albany. en-US.