Troy Gas L i g h t Company, Gasholder House
Morthwest c o r n e r of J e f f e r s o n S t r e e t and
F i f t h Avenue (formerly F i f t h S t r e e t )
Troy, R e n s s e l a e r County,
Hew York
PHOTOGRAPHS
WRITTEN HISTORICAL AMD DESCRIPTIVE DATA
H i s t o r i c American Engineering Record,
O f f i c e of Archeology and H i s t o r i c P r e s e r v a t i o n
National Park S e r v i c e
U.S. Department of t h e I n t e r i o r
W s h i n g t o n , D.C. 20240
HAER No. NY-2
HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD
TROY GAS LIGHT COMPANY, GASHOLDER HOUSE
HAIR No. NY-2
Location:
Northwest corner of J e f f e r s o n S t r e e t and F i f t h
Avenue (formerly F i f t h S t r e e t )
Troy, Rensselaer County, New York
L a t i t u d e : 4 2 O 43' 17" N. Longitude: 73O 41' 27" W.
Date of Erection:
1873
Designer :
Frederick A. Sabhaton, engineer
P r e s e n t Owner
and Occupant :
Sage Maintenance and Repainting Corporation
P r e s e n t Use:
Storage of heavy equipment
Significance:
The b u i l d i n g of t h e former Troy Gas Light Company
i s one o f t h e few remaining examples of a t y p e
common i n Northeastern urban a r e a s . It w a s designed
by Sabbaton who was a prominent gas engineer i n New
York S t a t e . O r i g i n a l l y s h e l t e r i n g an i r o n h o l d e r f o r
c o a l gas, t h e b r i c k gasholder house i s an imposing
s t r u c t u r e from a s i g n i f i c a n t p e r i o d i n t h e h i s t o r y of
Troy. The handsome b r i c k e x t e r i o r r e f l e c t s t h e standi n g of t h e company t h a t f o r twenty-seven y e a r s h e l d
a monopoly on t h e manufacture of i l l u m i n a t i n g gas i n
the city.
PART I.
A.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
P h y s i c a l History
1. Engineer: Frederick A. Sabbaton (1830-18941, a s p e c i a l i s t
i n t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n of gas works, was superintendent o f t h e
Troy Gas Light Company from 1862 t o 1890. A gas engineer
well-known throughout New York S t a t e , Sabbaton came from a
prominent family of engineers. H i s f a t h e r , Paul A. Sabbat o n , a c l o s e f r i e n d of Robert Fulton, prepared p l a n s and
s p e c i f i c a t i o n s f o r t h e Clermont, and a t t h e time of h i s
death was a l s o a gas works engineer. Frederick Sabbaton's
two b r o t h e r s and h i s two sons were a l l employed as gas
engineers. Sabbaton a t v a r i o u s times s u p e r v i s e d , c o n s t r u c t e d ,
and owned gas works i n Connecticut, Massachusetts, and
throughout New York S t a t e . H e was a l s o involved i n t h e
manufacture of a n i l i n e c o l o r s (which were made from c o a l
t a r ) and designed a gas governor valve.
TROY GAS LIGHT COMPANY, GASHOLDER
HOUSE
HAER No. BY-2 (page 2)
2.
Original and subsequent owners: I n the block on which
t h e s t r u c t u r e i s s i t u a t e d , t h e Troy Gas Light Company
owned l o t s 55 through 79. The gasholder house i t s e l f
was s i t u a t e d on l o t s 71, 73, 75, 77 and 79.
1866 1 2 November 1866
20 November 1866
Liber 134
Maria J. Cushman
t0
Troy Gas Light Co.
1866 1 4 November 1866
Liber 134
10 December 1866
Page 369
Jonas C. Heart
and
Catharine, h i s wife
t0
Troy Gas Light Co.
(Lots 69, 71)
1867
22 January 1867
Liber 134
2 February 1867
Page 536
Thomas B. C a r r o l l
and
Caroline B. C a r r o l l
t0
Troy Gas Light Co.
(Lots 73, 75)
1867 6 February 1867
Liber 133
13 March 1867
Page 79
William S. Sands
and
E l i z a , h i s wife
to
Troy Gas Light Co.
19h3 19 October 1943
Liber 686
New York Power & Light C O ~ P .
t0
Oscar C. Buck
20 November 1943
Page 167
TROY GAS LIGHT COMPANY, GASHOLDER
HOUSE
HAER No. BY-2 (Page 3 )
1968
29 A p r i l 1968
Liber 1196
24 May 1968
Page 252
Oscar C . Buck
to
Sage Maintenance & Repainting Corp.
(Records i n t h e Rensselaer County Recorder's O f f i c e ,
Troy, New York. )
3.
O r i g i n a l purpose and c o n s t r u c t i o n : A gasholder house
i s a s t r u c t u r e t h a t surrounds an i r o n gasholder, i n
which gas i s s t o r e d u n t i l needed. O r i g i n a l l y most gash o l d e r s were constructed without houses. I n t h e e a r l y
1 8 7 0 t s , however, t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n of t h e gasholder houses
began i n u p s t a t e Hew York, following a p r a c t i c e a l r e a d y
f a i r l y common i n t h e Northeast, p a r t i c u l a r l y New England.
The gasholder house i n Troy b e a r s a b u i l d e r ' s plaque dated
1873, and the s t r u c t u r e appears on an insurance map published
i n 1875.
Gasholder houses were c o n s t r u c t e d f o r a v a r i e t y of reasons.
The s t r u c t u r e p r o t e c t e d t h e i r o n h o l d e r from t h e elements
and enabled it t o b e b u i l t of t h i n n e r p l a t e s s i n c e t h e holder i t s e l f would not have t o withstand wind p r e s s u r e . Wind
p r e s s u r e a c t i n g on one s i d e of t h e h o l d e r ; snow loads on t h e
t o p of t h e h o l d e r ; and i c i n g of the guide and counterbalance
p u l l e y s a l l tended t o i n t e r f e r e with t h e h o l d e r ' s f r e e and
c o n s i s t e n t v e r t i c a l movement. The enclosure a l s o prevented
f r e e z i n g of t h e water i n t h e h o l d e r p i t t h a t formed a s e a l
t o prevent l o s s of g a s , while allowing t h e holder t o r i s e
and f a l l . There i s some b e l i e f too t h a t e n c l o s i n g t h e hold e r would a l l a y t h e f e a r s of t h e t i m i d , anxious about explos i o n . The house was a l s o considered an economical measure
by reducing t h e condensation of gas i n t h e cold weather and.
w a s seen as an a t t r a c t i v e a r c h i t e c t u r a l element of t h e gas
works complex.*
*
Gasholder houses were c o n s t r u c t e d i n England as e a r l y as
about 1825, although t h e mild climate would n o t commonly
n e c e s s i t a t e them. Recently, at t h e demolition of a small
c i r c u l a r house a t t h e Bean I n g wollen m i l l s i n Leeds,
r e s e a r c h e r s were a b l e t o discover t h a t only two o t h e r gash o l d e r houses (and a p o s s i b l e t h i r d ) had been b u i l t i n t h e
country. The Bean Ing house was 40 f e e t i n d i a m e t e r , of
b r i c k , with an i r o n - p l a t e domed roof supported by s i x t e e n
T-shaped i r o n r i b s . ( A r c h i t e c t u r a l ~ e v i e w ,Hovember 1970,
pp. 275-76.)
A very l a r g e b r i c k gasholder with house was
b u i l t a t Erdberg, near Vienna, i n 1886, t h e house having an
i n s i d e diameter of 208 f e e t . ( s c i e n t i f i c American Supplement,
26 March 1887, pp. 9354-55.)
TROY GAS LIGHT COMPANY, GASHOLDER
HOUSE
HAER No. NY-2 (Page 4)
Gasholders s t i l l a r e sometimes c a l l e d "gasometers," an
old-fashioned term surviving t h e i n d u s t r y ' s e a r l y period
when t h e holder a l s o was used t o measure t h e gas by graduations on t h e t a n k ' s s i d e . By t h e 1 8 7 0 ' ~t h e term
holder was preferred s i n c e s e p a r a t e meters were then i n
use f o r measurements. The Troy Gas Light Company had been
using meters s i n c e a t l e a s t 1855, i f not before.
=-
Iron gasholders were usually double- o r s i n g l e - l i f t t y p e s ,
although a t r i p l e - l i f t type was a l s o constructed by some
companies. A contemporary source described how t h e holders
looked and worked:
To t h e untutored eye they present t h e appearance, when f u l l y distended, of c i r c u l a r c a s t l e s
or f o r t s , without portholes, embrasures o r s a l l y
p o r t s , o r t o t h e l e s s m i l i t a r y mind they might
suggest s e c t i o n s of two enormous b o i l e r s , one
s l i d i n g within t h e o t h e r , and s e t v e r t i c a l l y i n t o
t h e ground. This [ground] tank [or p i t ] contains
s u f f i c i e n t water t o prevent t h e gas from escaping
under t h e edge of t h e holder. When exhausted, t h e
s e c t i o n s s l i d e one within t h e o t h e r , l i k e a t e l e scope when shut up, and t h e whole a f f a i r s i t s
down i n t h e tank s o t h a t t h e t o p i s nearly on a
l e v e l with t h e surface of t h e ground. As the
gas i s l e t i n and t h e pressure i n c r e a s e s , the
huge i r o n cylinders r i s e up and the inner one
s l i d e s up u n t i l t h e holder i s f u l l y extended.
These a r e c a l l e d t e l e s c o p i c holders. Some are
made with only a s i n g l e s e c t i o n , or " s i n g l e l i f t "
as it is c a l l e d . The average dimensions of holders
approximate seventy f e e t i n diameter with height
of about 60 f e e t , and a capacity of l e s s than
850,000 f e e t . (New York Times, 7 A p r i l 1872).
The Troy holder was a telescoping two-lift type. I t s
top s e c t i o n had a diameter o f 100 f e e t and a height of
22 f e e t , and t h e lower s e c t i o n had a diameter of 101
f e e t 6 inches and a height of 22 f e e t . It had a capac i t y of 333,000 cubic f e e t of gas. The weight of t h e
holder provided t h e pressure of t h e gas i n t h e mains;
at t h e Troy holder t h e pressure was 4-112 inches.*
*
The pressure of t h e gas i n t h e mains was t o o low t o b e
p r a c t i c a l l y measured by t h e conventional pressure standard of pounds-per-square-inch; and s o was expressed,
r a t h e r , i n terms of height of a column of water, i n inches,
t h a t t h e pressure would support; i . e . , so many "inches"
(of water column).
TROY GAS LIGHT COMPANY, GASHOLDER
HOUSE
The gas passed through i n l e t and o u t l e t l i n e s twelve
inches i n diameter.
The underground tanks of t h e gasholders were made of
s t o n e , b r i c k , concrete, and c a s t or wrought i r o n . The
b r i c k tank under t h e Troy holder had a diameter of 103
feet-2 inches and was 23 f e e t deep. Together t h e Troy
holder tank, and house were valued i n 1892 a t $68,093.95.
Of t h e eight o r t e n gasholder houses t h a t survive i n
u p s t a t e New York and New England, a l l e i t h e r a r e known
t o have been b u i l t i n t h e decade of t h e 1870's o r appear
t o have been with t h e exception of one i n Concord, New
Hampshire dated 1888.* The various mechanical problems
r e s u l t i n g from t h e cold climate t h a t t h e house was
intended t o a l l e v i a t e a l l were ultimately overcome-f a r more cheaply--by improved technology.
4.
+%
Location
Alterations and additions: Originally t h e gasholder
house had a small, one-story b r i c k porch l o c a t e d i n
t h e c e n t e r bay of t h e south s i d e facing J e f f e r s o n
S t r e e t . The porch has been removed b u t t h e markings
on t h e b r i c k of t h e gasholder house w a l l suggest t h a t
t h e porch had a gabled r o o f . Judging from other gasholder houses extant i n New England, t h i s room was
used f o r an entranceway and as a governor room.
According t o an 1875 a t l a s , t h e house o r i g i n a l l y had
"windows a l l around"; some of these have been bricked
i n . The present owners have cut a l a r g e entrance i n t o
t h e c e n t r a l bay of t h e north s i d e f o r truck access.
By 1892 a b o i l e r house and a purifying house had been
constructed north of the gasholder house; i n 1910 a
s e p a r a t e governor house was b u i l t .
Known Gasholder Houses
Date
1. Salem, g ass
1873
2. Attleboro F a l l s , Mass.
3. S. Boston, Mass.
4. Valley F a l l s , R . I .
5. Warren, R . I .
6. Concord, N.H.
1888
7. Concord., N.H.
8. Seneca F a l l s , N . Y .
9. Troy, M.Y.
1873
10. Syracuse, N.Y.
11. (Albany, N.Y.
Material
Brick
Brick
Stone
Brick
Brick
Wood
Brick
Brick
Brick
Brick
Present Use
Houses disused gasholder
Storage
Houses disused gasholder
U t i l i t y company garage
U t i l i t y company garage
Houses disused gasholder
Houses disused gasholder
Automobile showroom
Warehouse and garage
Glass and p a i n t s t o r e
U t i l i t y company garage
Demolished 1971)
TROY GAS LIGHT COMPANY, GASHOLDER
HOUSE
HAER No. NY-2 (Page 6)
The gasholder house a t Jefferson S t r e e t was i n operation
i n 1912, and was probably taken out of s e r v i c e during t h e
1920's when a new c e n t r a l p l a n t was b u i l t a t Menands. I n
1930 t h e holder i t s e l f was removed and sold a s scrap metal.
The house was subsequently used f o r storage by Oscar C. Buck,
a c i r c u s manager, and f o r marching p r a c t i c e by l o c a l bands.
It i s used f o r s t o r a g e and as a garage by t h e present owner.
The works a t Liberty S t r e e t was i n service i n 1892 but not
i n 1912, when it probably hail been superceded by a new works
b u i l t a t Smith Avenue.
The Troy G a s Light Company, which f i r s t supplied t h e c i t y
with illuminating gas i n 1848, maintained a monopoly f o r
t h e manufacture of gas i n Troy u n t i l 1875 when t h e Troy
Citizens Gas Light Company w a s founded. Ten years l a t e r ,
i n 1885, t h e Troy Fuel Gas Company was founded. On 11 October 1889 t h e s e t h r e e companies were consolidated t o form t h e
Troy Gas Company. The Troy E l e c t r i c Light Company, founded
i n 1886, a l s o merged with t h e Troy Gas Company about 1893,
followed by the merging of t h e Beacon E l e c t r i c Light Company
i n 1908. I n 1826 t h e Troy Gas Company joined with t h e Mohawk
Hudson Power Corporation, which i n t u r n joined with t h e Niagara-Hudson Power Corporation i n 1929.
B.
?1
History of t h e Physical Plant
The Troy gasholder and i t s house were just one f a c e t i n
f a c t u r e of illuminating gas. The o t h e r elements of t h
t h e Troy Gas Light Company were l o c a t e d about two blo
of t h e holder on t h e irregularly-shaped block bounded
F i f t h , H i l l , and Washington S t r e e t s and by t h e t r a c k s o f t h e New
York Central Railroad. This block was t h e o r i g i n a l s i t e of t h e
works of t h e Troy Gas Light Company, which was chartered i n 184
A t t h e time t h e gasholder house w a s constructed, t h e r e were
s e v e r a l b u i l d i n g s used f o r t h e manufacture of c o a l gas on t h a t
block. Extending along F i f t h S t r e e t t o t h e corner of Liberty
S t r e e t was a coal shed. It was rectangular i n plan, approximately 200 f e e t along F i f t h S t r e e t and 31! f e e t along Liberty.
TROY GAS LIGHT COMPANY, GASHOLDER
HOUSE
HAER No. BY-2 (page 7 )
Adjoining t h e south end of t h e coal shed was t h e h e a r t of
t h e system, t h e r e t o r t house, t r a p e z o i d a l i n plan, measuring roughly 200 f e e t by 50 f e e t , with i t s l o n g i t u d i n a l
axis running east t o west. A b r i c k s t r u c t u r e with i r o n
roof beams, t h i s b u i l d i n g measured 22 f e e t t o the c o r n i c e ,
which was of b r i c k o r metal. I n t h e r e t o r t house t h e
coal was burned t o produce crude gas.
Fronting on H i l l S t r e e t and adjoining t h e r e t o r t house
a t its southwest corner was t h e condenser building. This
was a small rectangular b r i c k building of one s t o r y ,
approximately 10 by 20 f e e t with a b r i c k or metal cornice.
I n t h e condensers t a r was separated from t h e crude gas.
Adjoining t h e condenser building on the north was t h e
exhauster building, which contained a 1 2 horsepower engine
t o drive t h e exhauster, or pump, t h a t forced t h e gas
through t h e system and ultimately i n t o t h e holders. Opening off t h e north s i d e of t h a t building was another small
building housing a 75 horsepower steam b o i l e r . These two
buildings were a l s o of brick and were one s t o r y high.
I n t h e open space i n t h e c e n t e r of the block, north of
t h e r e t o r t house and west of t h e coal shed, t h e r e were
two i r o n gasholders, each approximately 50 f e e t i n diameter, n e i t h e r protected by a gasholder house.
A t t h e northwest corner of t h e l o t was t h e purifying
b u i l d i n g , where sulphur was removed from t h e gas. This
building was a two-story b r i c k s t r u c t u r e with an i r o n
roof and a b r i c k o r metal cornice. The b u i l d i n g measured approximately 35 f e e t by 40 f e e t . Adjoining t h i s
building on the south was a two-story b r i c k s t r u c t u r e
containing t h e meters and t h e steam-heated o f f i c e .
A t t h e south end of t h e l o t was another coal shed. This
was a l s o of b r i c k and measured 24 f e e t t o t h e cornice. A
t a r w e l l a l s o was located t h e r e . I n t h e 1870's t h e company burned gas c o a l supplied by Freeman Butts of Cleveland, Ohio. A l l t h e buildings on t h e block described
above have been razed; only portions of a b r i c k w a l l now
remain.
The Company also had a coal shed on a dock a t the foot of
Division S t r e e t , one block north and seven blocks west o f
t h e works. Approximately 130 f e e t north of t h e gasholder
house was another c o a l shed, which s t i l l stands. It extends
from F i f t h Avenue west t o t h e a l l e y , a d i s t a n c e of approximately 100 f e e t , and i s about 30 f e e t wide. Between t h a t
shed and t h e gasholder house t h e r e o r i g i n a l l y were gas pipes
s c a t t e r e d about. The a r e a was enclosed by picket and board
fences
.
TROY GAS LIGHT COMPANY, GASHOLDER
HOUSE
HAER No. BY-2 (Page 8 )
C.
Sources of Information:
1. Unpublished sources :
!,History
Diagram, Drawn by K.W. Heldt, J a n . 1932,
Drg. No. 2236-40, Niagara Hudson System, Western,
Central & Eastern Division, Northern New York
U t i l i t i e s Inc." Public Relations Office, NiagaraMohawk, S t a t e S t r e e t , Albany, New York.
Interview with M r . McColl, Niagara-Mohawk Power Corp.,
North Albany, New York.
P.S.C. Case 2682. "In t h e Matter of t h e Application
of t h e TROY GAS COMPANY nnder s e c t i o n 69 of t h e
Public Service Commission Law f o r a u t h o r i t y t o
i s s u e Capital Stock and convertible notes." S t a t e
of New York, P.S.C. 2d D i s t r i c t , Division of Capit a l i z a t i o n , Report, November 1 0 , 1913.
Plaque on t h e gasholder house, dated 1873, which
s t a t e s t h a t E. Thompson Gale was p r e s i d e n t and
T.W. Lockwood was t r e a s u r e r of t h e Troy Gas Light
Company, and t h a t F.A. Sabbaton was t h e engineer.
2.
Published sources :
American Gas Light Journal and Chemical Repertory
X V I I I ( M ~ 2Y, l 8 7 3 ) , 148-149, and XX ( M ~ Y
2, i 8 7 4 ) ,
Anderson, George Baker. Landmarks of Rensselaer County.
Syracuse: D. Mason & Co., 1897.
City Atlas of Troy.
u Gas
Philadelphia:
G.M.
Hopkins, 1881.
and. Gas-Making," Harper's New Monthly Magazine
XXVI , 14-28.
Insurance Maps of t h e City of Troy, New York, I n c l u d i n ~
West Troy and Green I s l a n d . New York: D.A. Sanborn,
1875.
New York Times, A p r i l
R.D.
7 , 1872.
Wood & Co. Water & G a s Works Appliances.
delphia, 1896.
Phila-
Rules and Regulations of t h e Troy Gas Light Company, f o r
t h e Introduction of Gas and f o r Extensions and Alterat i o n of Gas F i t t i n g s . . , Troy: Troy Gas Light Co. , 1855.
.
TROY GAS LIGHT COMPAHY, GASHOLDER
HOUSE
HAER No. NY-2 (Page 9 )
Troy Directory.
1861-1894.
Troy Daily Press.
1873, 1894.
Weise, A.J. History of t h e City of Troy.
W i l l i a m H. Young, 1876.
Troy:
Weise, Arthur J. Troy's One Hundred Years 1789-1889.
Troy: W i l l i a m H. Young, 1891.
Prepared by
Additional notes by
PART 11.
A.
Diana S. Waite
A r c h i t e c t u r a l Historian
September 1969
Charles Granquist and
Robert M. Vogel
Smithsonian I n s t i t u t i o n
ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION
General Statement :
1. S t r u c t u r a l character: This i s one of t h e l a r g e s t gasholder houses s t i l l standing i n the United S t a t e s . None
of t h e o r i g i n a l gasholder remains except t h e guide r a i l s
and pulleys. The tank has been f i l l e d i n , leaving only
t h e space above grade l e v e l f o r use.
2.
B.
Condition of f a b r i c :
Average t o poor.
Description of Exterior:
Over-all dimensions: With an outside diameter of 109' 2",
t h i s c y l i n d r i c a l s t r u c t u r e has 10 bays and a low p r o f i l e
dome surmounted by a cupola. It i s one s t o r y and measures
47' 11" t o t h e t o p of t h e b r i c k cornice.
Foundations:
Not a c c e s s i b l e , probably stone.
Wall construction, f i n i s h , and color: The exposed, red
b r i c k bearing walls are of running bond with a header
course every seven courses. The b r i c k s have t h e following
i d e n t i f y i n g marks: MB, RBco, and BLEAU.
S t r u c t u r a l system, framing: The wrought i r o n t r u s s e s
were (probably) f a b r i c a t e d by Phoenix Iron Company, Philadelphia. There a r e twenty major t r u s s e s and twenty minor
t r u s s e s r a d i a t i n g from a c e n t r a l p o i n t . The bottom t e n s i l e
chords a r e a d j u s t a b l e , and t h e t r u s s e s a r e supported on t h e
c i r c u l a r b r i c k bearing w a l l which has p i l a s t e r s a t t h e t r u s s
bearing points. Each t r u s s has a 1:7 span depth r a t i o .
TROY GAS LIGHT COMPANY, GASHOLDER
HOUSE
HAER No. NY-2 (Page 1 0 )
5.
Porch: Stone foundations give an i n d i c a t i o n of a
brick porch or anteroom o r i g i n a l l y a t t h e south
entrance.
6.
Openings:
7.
C.
a.
Doors and doorways : The o r i g i n a l wooden frame
and door are on t h e south face, but a l a t e r
wooden frame and door were added on t h e north.
b.
Windows: The frame and sash of t h e double hung
windows are of wood. The glass i s boarded up
a t present.
Roof:
a.
Shape and covering: The low dome i s covered with
1/32- t o 1/16-inch galvanized i r o n t r a p e z o i d a l
panels, overlapping by 2 inches with s t i t c h r i v e t s
1 inch on center. They a r e s t i t c h r i v e t e d t o purl i n s 11 inches on center.
b.
Cornice and eaves: Brick corbelled cornice with
galvanized metal eaves.
c.
Cupola: With an outside diameter of 19 ' 2 " t h e
cupola of galvanized s h e e t i r o n is divided i n t o
20 bays. There a r e double hung, wooden windows i n
a l t e r n a t e bays. The a l t e r n a t e b l i n d panels a r e
painted with windows i n imitation of t h e a c t u a l
ones.
Description of I n t e r i o r :
1. Floor plan: Circular plan 104' 0" i n diameter. The
o r i g i n a l l e v e l o r flooring i s not a v a i l a b l e as t h e
building has been f i l l e d with b l a s t furnace s l a g t o
t h e l e v e l of the e x t e r i o r grade. The o r i g i n a l tank
floor would have been deep enough t o accommodate t h e
gasholder s e c t i o n s which were approximately 46' i n depth.
2.
Stairway: Leading t o t h e l e v e l of t h e t r u s s e s a t t h e
cornice, t h e stairway i s cantilevered from t h e i n t e r i o r
wall. It i s supported by c a s t i r o n brackets and has
wood t r e a d s and c a s t i r o n h a n d r a i l s . There i s a r a d i a l
catwalk, leading from t h e balcony t o t h e cupola.
3.
Special decorative d e t a i l s : The brickwork embellishment provides t h e most apparent s t r u c t u r a l decoration,
e s p e c i a l l y t h e bracketed cornice. By means of two rows
of windows, b e l t c o u r s e , p i e r s , and p i l a s t e r s , a wellproportionecl, two-story i l l u s i o n is created. The b r i c k s
of t h e beltcourse and p i l a s t e r c a p i t a l s a r e diagonally
TROY GAS LIGHT COMPANY, GASHOLDER
HOUSE
HAER No. NY-2 (Page 11)
l a i d t o form a sawtooth moulding. Shallow b r i c k hoods
accent t h e window arches. The metal cupola concisely
repeats t h e rhythm of t h e b r i c k w a l l surface and supports a weathervane.
D.
S i t e and Surrounding:
1. S e t t i n g : Northwest corner of F i f t h S t r e e t and J e f f e r son Avenue; o r i g i n a l entrance on south tangent. I n an
area of mixed use, p r i n c i p a l l y commercial and low-income
residential.
2.
Outbuildings: Northwest of t h e gasholder house i s a
b r i c k b u i l d i n g , of no p a r t i c u l a r s i g n i f i c a n c e , with
timber t r u s s i n g , 6 bays by 12 bays. A t present it i s
used as a warehouse; t h e i n t e r i o r has been r e c e n t l y
remodeled.
Prepared by
PART 111.
Richard J. Pollak
Professor of Architecture
B a l l S t a t e University
18 June 1969
PROJECT INFORMATION
These records were prepared as p a r t of t h e Mohawk-Hudson Area Survey,
a p i l o t study f o r t h e H i s t o r i c American Engineering Record which was
e s t a b l i s h e d i n 1969 under the aegis of t h e H i s t o r i c American Buildings
Survey. The project was sponsored j o i n t l y by t h e National Park Service
( H i s t o r i c American Buildings Survey), the Smithsonian I n s t i t u t i o n
(National Museum of History and Technology), t h e American Society of
C i v i l Engineers (National Headquarters and Mohawk-Huds on Section) , and
t h e New York S t a t e H i s t o r i c T r u s t . The f i e l d work and h i s t o r i c a l research
were conducted under t h e general d i r e c t i o n of Robert M. Vogel, Curator
of Mechanical and C i v i l Engineering, Smithsonian I n s t i t u t i o n ; James C .
Massey , Chief, Historic American Buildings Survey; and Richard J. Pollak,
Professor of Architecture, B a l l S t a t e University, P r o j e c t Supervisor;
and with t h e cooperation of t h e Department of Architecture, Rensselaer
Polytechnic I n s t i t u t e .