631 Clinton Avenue

The beautiful temple-front home at 631 Clinton Avenue stands just outside of the Clinton Avenue Historic District in the West Hill neighborhood of Albany. Built sometime between 1820-1840, this building's style is typically what your mind might conjure when thinking 'Greek Revival', with its eye-catching front-gabled roof and full facade porch with square columns. Set back from the road this home is unique to the city, with this subtype of Greek Revival more common in northeastern and midwestern states. Its status to become listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places is currently undetermined but could change in the future.

631 Clinton Ave is just a few houses outside of the Clinton Avenue Historic District. The boundaries for the historic district were chosen quite specifically, so, unfortunately, this home was not within them. The NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation intentionally chose Quail St as the terminus for the northwest boundary of the district for numerous reasons. The buildings north and west of Quail St have a very different character than the buildings within the district. Outside the boundary of the district, the majority of buildings are constructed primarily of wood rather than brick. While they are still of architectural and historic value, they do not fit into the "boom town" atmosphere that defined Clinton Ave in the latter half of the nineteenth century (a defining aspect for this specific historic district). While the style and age of 631 Clinton Ave likely fits into the character of the historic district, it is not listed on the National Registry and its status is currently undetermined.

Originally named Patroon Street, Clinton Ave has some handsome buildings, including this unique building. This home is classified under the front-gabled roof subtype of Greek Revival architecture, meaning the gable end is turned 90 degrees to make the principal facade. In some examples, such as this one, a full width, colonnaded porch is present, giving it the appearance of a small Greek temple. The style is also sometimes called "temple-form." This subtype is most common in northeastern and midwestern states. Other features to notice on this home include the transoms that surround the door and the pilasters on the brick facade that mirror the square columns on the porch. The classical pediment is also present above the porch.

While you're here, you can also check out the Clinton Avenue Historic District if you head southeast on Clinton Ave!

Macri, Cara. "Technical Tuesday Going Greek." Facebook. July 2020. Facebook Live Video, 12:31. https://fb.watch/3XG1SvzfON/.

New York State Historic Preservation Office. 631 Clinton Ave, Albany NY. CRIS Entry 00140.005100.

Rittner, Don, and Walter Wheeler. "Historic Albany Foundation Oldest Building Inventory (by date)." April 12, 2016. Accessed February 26, 2021. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5567269ce4b02c6f5096564d/t/570d382862cd94966bf28b7a/1460484139292/OldestBuildingInventory_Date.pdf.

"631 Clinton Ave, Albany, NY 12206." Zillow. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/631-Clinton-Ave-Albany-NY-12206/29646833_zpid/.