Scrim on Albany's Oldest Building Revealed

Historic Albany Foundation has unveiled two large graphics on the Van Ostrande-Radliff House, Albany's oldest existing building that's also known as 48 Hudson Avenue. The "This Place Matters" project was introduced in mid-June and is intended to expand awareness about 48 Hudson and its significant as Albany's oldest remaining urban Dutch building in the Hudson Valley.

Installed on the north side of the building is a large, durable fabric scrim depicting in real size what the building might have looked like at the time of its construction ca. 1728, showing features typical of an urban Dutch building. The rendering is based on research from the historical record conducted by Dr. Charles Gehring and Dr. Janny Venema of the New Netherland Research Center about contemporary houses in Dutch Albany, the Netherlands, and New Netherland, of which Albany was a prt from 1614 to 1664. The building is an example of the persistence of Dutch culture in the Hudson Valley long after the close of the Dutch period, and is a rare link to this foundational period in American history. Also part of the north scrim is an informational panel about the building's history. The panel is part of the Downtown Albany BID's "Signs of Greatness" project.

In December 2016 Historic Albany Foundation received a grant for $268,000 for Phase 1 restoration of the building, and have kicked off a fundraising campaign for the matching funds of $89,344. The six phase restoration project is expected to cost $2 million over the next five years. There is a pledge by a donor to match $.50 to every dollar raised by Historic Albany Foundation up to $15,000.