Iron Flower

Floral detail of an iron railing along State Street (below Lark)

Another Iron Acorn

I've walked by this fence behind the First Presbyterian Church many, many times, but only just noticed this acorn final.  It probably stood out because, earlier in the day, I'd come across an iron acorn on a fence at the Albany Rural Cemetery while looking for the grave of Dianna Mingo (a former slave and centenarian who lived kitty-corner from the future site of the First Presbyterian Church)

Ready To Scrub

Brooms, buckets, and shaving cream tulips stand ready for the annual Scrubbing of State Street, the traditional beginning of the weekend-long Tulip Festival.

State Street Magi

A pair of Wise Men seem to be looking for their missing hands beneath a tree just off Lark Street.

Berkshire Silhouettes

Silhouettes of people and objects fill in the windows of the former Berkshire Hotel.  Part of the long-neglected Wellington Row, it's now part of a project that will construct new buildings while saving the old facades.  The gramophone and dog are definitely an homage to Albany's iconic statue of Nipper on Broadway.

Noose & Scythe

This ghastly Grim Reaper appeared quite suddenly on State Street on Saturday evening.  And I do mean suddenly.  He wasn't there when I walked down this street on the way to an ATM two blocks away, but was there when I came back up the hill just a few minutes later. 

I'm not sure if the figure - placed by the Justice Building at the Empire State Plaza - was intended as a protest or a prank or a decoration.  But it was quite seasonably spooky on a October evening...and gone by early the next morning.

A Dandelion Crown

The flowers are already withered, but someone took the time to weave a rather intricate wreath around the base of a traffic signal on the corner of Eagle and State Streets.

397 State Street

The work of architect Henry Hobson Richardson (best known locally for City Hall), the Grange Sard house is rich with details, including this decorative carving above the arched entrance.  It features a coiled snake, two fierce stylized animal heads, and two human faces which are said to be likenesses of stove manufacturer Grange Sard, Jr. and his wife. 

The Eye of Horus

The Eye of Horus - an Ancient Egyptian symbol of protection - looks out from a State Street window.

High Up and Looking West

While the gargoyle is what usually catches one's eye from street lever, the west side of the tower on St. Peter's Episcopal Church features still more carved faces.  Here, another six of them stare up State Street towards the Capitol.

Sunday Morning Rose

A flower lying on State Street, perhaps a remnant of a Saturday wedding at nearby St. Peter's Episcopal Church.

Birthday Mail

Writing found recently on a mailbox on State Street near the Capitol.

Bronzed

Impressive bronze doors give a rather imposing flourish to this building on lower State Street.

Mechanics & Farmers

At the corner of State and James Streets, the former Mechanics & Farmers Bank has always been one of my favorite buildings downtown. A few details on the building's history and a close-up on a floral detail on the front are in a previous post here.

State Street Scraper

An iron railing with a boot-scraper on the bottom step. This house actually has the scraper on both sides of the steps, most have only one.

Previously: The Boot-Scraper

The Doctor's Bell

The old bronze doorbell plate on a beautiful red brick and gray granite apartment building on State (just below Lark Street) reads DOCTOR'S BELL.

Faces In High Places

I was sitting on the corner of State and Lodge Street over the weekend, staring idly up at the gargoyles on the bell tower of Saint Peter's Episcopal Church. I love finding face and whimsical carvings on old building and, sure enough, tiny features caught my eye.

At first, though, I wasn't even sure if it was indeed a face because the carving was so high. But look below the gargoyle's foot and to the left. There's a man's face with a sober expression and a jaunty hat.

There are other carving up there, too...fanciful little creatures. And on the pinnacle just above the gargoyle, looking out into the blue sky, there's a head reminiscent of an Indian Head penny.

I really appreciate these wonderful details which artisans carved in place where few people would even see them.

Look At Me

A bit of graffiti on State Street, just a few steps east of Lark Street. The arrow points to a bit of blank wall and a narrow alley between two buildings. Nothing to look at, really.

North River Steamboat

Above the side entrance to the beautiful old Albany Trust Building, there is a relief of the North River Steamboat.

Better known as Clermont (after the Robert Livingston estate where it made a stop on its maiden voyage), Robert Fulton's vessel was the first commercially successful steamboat and made its inaugural voyage up the Hudson River from New York City on August 17, 1807.

Steamboats would become a vital part of Albany in the coming years and, while they no longer travel the Hudson, they're not entirely forgotten. A McDonald's at the foot of Madison Avenue and Broadway stands near an area once called Steamboat Square and is shaped like a steamboat. A plaque at SUNY Plaza also commemorates the Clermont's first landing.

Located at the northwest corner of Broadway and State Street, the former Albany Trust Building is one of downtown's handsomest buildings. Designed by Marcus Reynolds and built in 1902, it features a rounded corner topped by a stunning eagle-crowned dome. The stone work on the ground floor - included the Clermont relief which overlooks Broadway - were part of later additions.

Coal Cover

This metal disk is set into an older flag of sidewalk just outside the famous Jack's Oyster House on lower State Street. The name McKinney was the first thing that caught my eye since I enjoying spotting examples of his cast iron architectural elements on old facades around Albany. But, since it's far too small to be a manhole cover, I couldn't quite place what this was...at first. Recently, I realized I'd seen similar examples in Manhattan...coal covers. These iron caps covered sidewalk hatches through which coal was delivered to basements in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some coal hatches were designed to double as vault lights.