Albany’s oldest building reopens after $3M restoration following 13 years of work

Photo credit: www.historic-albany.org For decades, one of Albany’s oldest homes was hiding in plain sight. The Van Ostrande-Radliff House, built in 1728, had been absorbed into later commercial buildings and concealed behind storefronts as the neighbourhood changed around it. Its historic importance became clearer only after neighbouring structures were demolished and the house’s distinctive Dutch architecture was revealed. Now, after more than 13 years of planning, fundraising and construction, the building has reopened as a public space. The restoration cost more than $3 million and has given the 48 Hudson Avenue property a new purpose as the headquarters of the Historic Albany Foundation. The Times Union and the foundation’s official reopening announcement describe the project as a remarkable effort to preserve Albany’s Dutch architectural roots. Read more details about it here, as per the reports:A house hidden by the city’s growthThe Van Ostrande-Radliff House was built by Johannes Van Ostrande, an alderman who constructed the small home on the southern edge of Albany, only a few hundred yards from the original Fort Orange. At the time, the building stood in a much less develo...