246 Whitehall Road

Welcome to 246 Whitehall Road, the final stop of our tour. Taking you outside the general downtown area of Albany, this Greek Revival home certainly stands out. There is some debate on whether the home was built in 1825 or around 1840 - comparatively the majority of the homes along this road and the adjoining streets were built during the twentieth century. This building is a wonderful example of a free-standing rural style of Greek Revival architecture that is harder to find in a city, and it demonstrates the expansion of Albany during this time period. Take note of the pilasters and shutters, recently put back on the home. The status of the home in terms of being listed on the State or National Register of Historic Places is undetermined, however, this does leave an opportunity for its listing to happen in the future.

The origins of Whitehall Road are open to question. It has been suspected that it was originally a narrow path through a forest that was used by the Mohicans who lived along the Normanskill. Additionally, its use as a dirt road for colonial settlers is believed to date back to the early eighteenth century. The name Whitehall came from the name of a country house that was located in the general area nearby. The home at 246 Whitehall was located on a large tract of land originally owned by Colonel John Bradstreet, a deputy quartermaster for the British forces in North America. Bradstreet became good friends with Philip Schuyler of the prosperous Albany Schuyler family. When Bradstreet passed away, the land was bequeathed to John Bradstreet Schuyler, Philip Schuyler’s son.

In 1789, the property and the country house were purchased by Leonard Gansevoort of the Gansevoort Dutch aristocratic family of Albany. The Gansevoort family eventually moved in and enlarged the building into a grand mansion. When Leonard died, the home and the land were passed to his daughter Magdelena. She remained in the home with her husband Jacob Ten Eyck, but they eventually sold off the land over a period of time. The farmers who purchased the land included Germans Klapp, Werker, and Swarts. One of the farmers, (Swarts) built a farmhouse on his land, which still stands today at 246 Whitehall Rd. By the 1830s, the street name Whitehall Rd began to appear on maps. Unfortunately, the mansion that was also sometimes called "Whitehall Palace'' or "Ten Eyck Mansion" was burned to the ground in 1883.

246 Whitehall Road is an excellent example of a rural, free-standing Greek Revival home. Built sometime between 1825 and 1840, this home is different from some of the others you have seen on this tour. The building is an example of the gable-front and wing subtype. The side wing is typically lower than the dominant front-gabled portion as you see here. This subtype is rarely found outside of the Northeast. In fact, it is most common in western New York and Ohio.

The home has many details that demonstrate Greek Revival characteristics. It has pilasters across the gable front and a cornice line with dentils, emphasized with a wide divided band of trim. The home also still has 6/6 sash windows and a transom above the main entrance.

Similar to the home on Clinton Ave, due to the fact that it is surrounded by different, newer-style buildings, this home on Whitehall Road is not included in any historic district. Its National Registry status is currently undetermined, so for it to ever be listed, it will have to be listed by itself rather than in a historic district.

“Albany’s Whitehall Palace and Whitehall Road.” Friends of Albany History. November 22, 2020. https://friendsofalbanyhistory.wordpress.com/2020/11/22/4242/.

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

New York State Historic Preservation Office. 246 Whitehall Rd, Albany NY. CRIS Entry 00140.005157.

"246 Whitehall Rd, Albany, NY 12209." Zillow. Accessed March 4, 2021. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/246-Whitehall-Rd-Albany-NY-12209/29653424_zpid/.