50th Anniversary Gala News

On behalf of Historic Albany Foundation, we invite you to join us on the 2024 Pillars of Preservation Committee in honor of our 50th Anniversary.  On Saturday, May 18th at 6pm, we will hold our golden anniversary gala in the stunning second floor Rotunda of the New York State Education Department on Washington Avenue.  

This year, we are thrilled to be honoring our past executive directors as Pillars of Preservation for their dedication, achievements, and stewardship of Historic Albany Foundation during their respective tenures since 1974.  Louise Merrit, Miriam Trementozzi, Lynn Dunning Vaughn, Ned Pratt, Elizabeth Griffin, and Susan Holland are all to be commended for steering the organization, sometimes through some difficult times and challenges, in addition to wonderful and hard-fought successes.  

Behind the scenes, the event committee and staff are busy planning a wonderful evening that will include passed hors d’oeuvres, sumptuous food stations, complimentary wines, spirit tastings, a creative mocktail bar, live music, and as always – a fabulous silent auction. The auction will again be held online starting one week prior to the event and culminating that evening. We will also be featuring a very special in person only auction of an original painting of the historic NYS Education Department Building by local artist and HAF board member David Hinchen.

With the momentous occasion of the 50th anniversary of Historic Albany Foundation, we hope that you will consider supporting us by joining the Pillars of Preservation Committee to ensure the success of this event, and that you will join us in person to celebrate our collective history and legacy.

Please RSVP by Friday, March 29th to be included in the invitation listing.
To be join the honorary committee CLICK HERE.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday, May 18th, 2024 at 6pm.

Shawn Morris & Angela Sicker, Co-Chairs

History Corner

A Very Interesting Item
And while this item may not exactly be part of HAF history, it does come from a business and building on Broadway in downtown Albany that was demolished for the building of Marcus T. Reynolds University Plaza building.  

This 19th century lubricating oil can was recently donated to the Warehouse, and will be featured in the 50th Anniversary Gala silent auction on May 18th.  The can (24 inches tall) is made of metal with a thin wooden exterior.  The stenciling on the wood reads:  Wm Dey Ermand Co., No. 475 Broadway, Albany NY.   

According to the @Hoxsie! website in reference to the photo below, "Most noticeable is the old location of R.B. Wing, ships’ chandlers and dealers in every kind of oil imaginable, apparently. R.B. Wing survived into modern times as a construction supplier in one of the landmark buildings of Broadway, but the building we associate with them today was across the street from this set of buildings, which were taken by the city in 1914 in order to develop the Plaza and the continuing southward march of the D&H Headquarters and, eventually, the Albany Evening Journal building."  The William Dey Ermand Co. was located in the less adorned building on the right of R. B. Wing, with its delivery horse and buggy out front and at the ready.

Also according to @Hoxsie! ... “The Ermand business was founded in 1864 by William Dey Ermand. In 1847 he built an oil and varnish factory, from which a great deal of the product was exported. In 1859 he established a general jobbing and retail paint, oil and glass business at 381-383 Broadway, Albany. In 1908 the business was incorporated as the William Dey Ermand Company. In 1914 the property at 381-383 Broadway was purchased by the City of Albany for riverfront improvement purposes, and the company then purchased and moved to 473-475 Broadway."

The more things change the more things stay the same! 

Stay tuned for more interesting pieces to be available through our Gala auction! 

Programs & Events

Masonry Intro: Tools, Materials & Repointing 

Sat Apr 13, 2024 
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 
Historic Albany Foundation Architectural Parts Warehouse
89 Lexington Ave Albany NY 12206

$10 HAF & Tool Library Members

$20 General Admission

Repairs to your brick can be intimidating. What kind of mortar should you use, K? O? Wait! There are different kinds?

Join HAF and Ganem Contracting for an intro do masonry repairs. They will talk about what tools you'll need, the different kinds of mortar there are, how to pick the right one and mix it. They will do a demonstration on how to remove old mortar and repoint, putting in new mortar.

Spots are limited to register CLICK HERE.

Saturday, March 30 · 11am - 12:30pm

Shaker Heritage Society

25 Meeting House Road Albany, NY 12211

Led by Master Gardener, Martie Teumim, learn how to identify, harvest, and propagate native plants from seeds that are found in your own backyard. Learn how to properly harvest seeds and the best ways to save them over the winter, plant them in fall, or start them in spring. Spring seed starting will also be discussed.

Seed swap will be volunteer led, please bring seeds if you are interested in swapping!

Seed Swap will start at 11am and be followed by the presentation at 11:45am.

This event celebrates and continues the history of the Watervliet (Albany) Shakers who began a major industry in the 1790s by developing the process of packaging seeds in small envelopes for sale.

This event is co-sponsored by HAF and The Shaker Heritage Society.

To register CLICK HERE.

BAGELS & BUSINESS 

Bagels & Business was first started by preservation trades specialist Ken Follett over 30 years ago. In 2011, John Stahl began hosting the events in New York City.

B&B is a chance for New York historic preservation professionals to gather in a social environment with the sole purpose of meeting others involved directly (or indirectly) with preservation in New York.

This will be the first (of many) Bagels & Business Events outside of New York City. Come and meet others from the growing Upstate NY preservation community.

If you would like to be added to the B& B email mailing list to be informed of upcoming events, contact John Stahl at: [email protected]

March Sponsor:
Dura-Fix Flexible Wood Repair Epoxy.
www.dura-fix.com

The Venue:
 Architectural Parts Warehouse located at:
89 Lexington Avenue, Albany NY 12206.

March 19th, 2024
8:30am-10:00am

This is a FREE event.
To RSVP CLICK HERE.

Plastering Flat Walls and Patching Holes
Saturday, March 23, 2024
9am-4pm
STEAM Garden, 279 Central Avenue

This workshop will expand on the techniques learned at the introductory workshop. Attendees will get hands-on experience with tool skills, application techniques, and proper surface preparation for repairing large holes in plaster walls and replastering whole walls where the plaster has been completely removed.

Tools will be provided by the Tool Lending Library. Lunch will be provided.

$100 HAF & Tool Library Members/ $150 General Public

Thank you to Home Depot for their sponsorship of this workshop.

Limited tickets available...To register CLICK HERE.

SECONHAND STORIES

Are you restoring a period home, redecorating a room, or building a new house? Architectural salvage warehouses offer a fantastic array of extraordinary everyday items, from vintage doorknobs and escutcheons to fireplace mantels, appliances, doors, sinks, stained glass windows, and eclectic one-of-a-kind treasures. Salvaged materials are often taken from demolished or modernized residential and commercial buildings. Architectural salvage warehouses can be invaluable for historic property owners and green-minded individuals to source hard-to-find, period-appropriate parts. Besides being a great way to bring pieces with character and history into your home, shopping salvage means that rather than seeing quality items tossed into landfills, they can be recycled and repurposed elsewhere.

Join AARCH as we explore the world of architectural salvage with Pam Howard, executive director of Historic Albany Foundation, and Susan Holland, executive director of Historic Ithaca. We will discuss their organizations' long history with architectural salvage and stories of running their warehouses.

To register for this webinar, CLICK HERE.

Lecture Series

HAF and the Albany Institue of History & Art have teamed up to present a new lecture series. All lectures will be held at the Albany Institue located at 125 Washington Avenue. The dates and links to purchase tickets are listed below.

Thank you to our generous sponsors:
Society of Architectural Historians, Turpin Bannister Chapter 
James Gaughan and Keith Lee
Fort Orange General Store

Matthew Bender IV Lecture
48 Hudson Avenue and the Stories it Tells

Thursday, March 28th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Complimentary Reception at 5:30pm
Lecture at 6pm

Tickets Can be purchased HERE

HAF and AIHA members - $10
Non-members - $15

Our keynote speaker for the evening will be Michael Lynch, retired architect and engineer who served for many years at the Director at the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Michael is the individual who likened 48 Hudson to a battlefield witness tree. This building has seen and experienced more in the City of Albany than anything else. Michael will talk about how Albany has grown and changed around the Van Ostrande-Radliff House and how the House has changed with the city, much like the little house in Virginia Lee Burton's childhood classic, The Little House.

Great Camp Sagamore

Thursday, April 18th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Tickets can be purchased HERE

HAF and AIHA members - $10
Non-members - $15

HAF Book Club Scheduled!

Island at the Center of the World 
by Russell Shorto

The annual HAF Book Club has been scheduled for Thursday, April 4th at 6:30 pm via Zoom
 
In honor of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Manhattan and Fort Orange, we have selected a perennial favorite book on the topic, Island and the Center of the World.  And, the author, Russell Shorto will be joining us live on the Zoom!  The evening will be moderated by Paul Grondahl in partnership with the NYS Writers Institute.

We opened up more spots for this Zoom, if you tried to register earlier and found it closed, we've got you covered!

To register CLICK HERE.

If you haven't started reading ... start now.  It's going to be a great program!

This event is in partnership with the NYS Writers Institute.

Update on 48 Hudson Avenue

Thank you to our member David for investing in 48 Hudson.
Join David in supporting our restoration of Albany's oldest building.
More details can be found here: Van Ostrande-Radliff House Rehabilitation | Common Owner

What's New in the Warehouse?

The Warehouse will be open normal hours this Saturday, March 16th but be sure to allow extra time as the Albany St Patrick's Day Parade will be stepping off from the corner of Lexington Ave and Central Ave. Please use Clinton Ave to access Lexington Ave. Expect Central Avenue to be closed Saturday afternoon in preparation for the parade, from Quail Street to Washington Ave. Additional road closures and detours may be set up along the parade route.

Check out this cool 1940's pewter Knickerbocker Silver Company tea set on a Marion Pewter tray. From Jervis, NY! With a little work it could make a great conversation piece. 

Warehouse hours:
Wednesday 12-6 pm
Friday 12-6 pm
Saturday 9-4 pm

Address:
89 Lexington Avenue, Albany NY 12206

NEWS

Together with American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is again launching the Backing Historic Small Restaurants Grant Program to help restaurants address critical needs amid ongoing economic challenges.?This year we want to reach all 50 states!

Share your favorites.?What are the cozy cafes, delicious dives, and other restaurants you love that:

• Contributes to the history and/or identity of its surrounding community or neighborhood. ??
• Tells an inclusive story about cuisine and community in America (such as historic or ethnic foodways or culinary heritage).?
• Has a compelling and inspiring historical narrative or cultural significance.
• Has been disproportionately impacted by economic challenges, disasters, or other hardships.

Deadline:?The nomination period closes March 25. Nominate your favorite place today!

Plaster & Wallpaper Conservation at The Lower East Side Tenement Museum

When:  Tuesday, April 16th, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Where:  Center for Architecture 
CEU: 1.5 HSW / 1.5 LU

About the Event: 

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is in a five-story brick tenement located at 97 Orchard Street in New York City. Between its construction in 1863 and closure in 1935, nearly 7,000 people from over 20 countries lived in the tiny apartments. The building remained uninhabited until 1988 when the museum was founded. These apartments became a time capsule of immigrant life in America. The museum is unique in its interpretation of the building and occupants, and its treatment of the ruined apartments in a state of “arrested decay.”

For details and to register CLICK HERE.

Click Here for more information.