Explore the Building of the Empire State Plaza in this October's Lecture
Next Sunday 16th, 2pm
60 years ago the plan for the Empire State Plaza was approved, resulting in thousands of people having their homes taken by eminent domain. For this year's Matthew Bender IV Lecture, we have invited a panel to discuss this decision and how it impacted families, businesses, and the city.

All HAF members will be invited to an exclusive pre-lecture reception at the NYS Museum at 1 pm

We are honored to have the following speakers on the panel:
- University at Albany Professor David Hochfelder (also of 98 Acres)
- Former NYS Assemblymember Jack McEneny
- Scott Townsend of the Albany Riverfront Collaborative
- Kevin Hicks, a construction worker from the project.
- Moderator NYS Writers Institute Executive Director Paul Grondahl

Many thanks to our sponsors and partners: James Gaughan and Keith Lee, Society of Architectural Historians, and the NYS Writers Institue

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Albany Exchange Neerbosch 2022: Restoration Approaches
An International Program

Fri Oct 21st, 9-11 am, Free (virtual)

Join a panel of experts from the US and Netherlands as they discuss restoration approaches looking at two very different case studies: the Van Ostrande-Radliff House in Albany, New York built in 1728, and Kinderdorp children's village in Neerbosch, built in the 1970s.

Tune in from 9-11 am virtually on Friday, Oct 21st. Sign up below to receive a reminder.

Sign Up Here

The Dark Side of Center Square is Back this October!

Fri Oct 14th, 12-1.30pm, Free

Back by popular demand, join Historic Albany Foundation as we resurrect "The Dark Side of Center Square", a guided walking tour exploring historic true crime, local lore, conspiracy, and mysteries embedded in the streets of Albany's Center Square.

Follow in the footsteps of the infamous Silent Stalker, and uncover the stories previously told only in lost newspapers and hushed whispers. Find out more about the Dark Side of this historic neighborhood, including the assassination attempt of Albany’s Halloween Queen and the best spectator’s view of the notorious Gallows Hill
Booking is essential. Each tour has a maximum of 15 attendees. There are four dates with four times each day: Tues 18th, Thurs 20th, Tue 25th, and Thur 27th (5.30 pm, 6 pm, 6.30 pm, and 7 pm). Tours last for 90 minutes.

Join Here

Free Energy & Weatherization Programs

November 2022
The Tool Lending Library is  partnering with the Albany Public Library  and NYPA’s Environmental Justice (EJ) program to offer Three free Energy Education and Weatherization Workshops this November. You can sign up and read more about this program below. Please feel free to share with friends, family, and neighbors!

Thur Nov 3rd @ Washington Ave Branch (5-7 pm) 161 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12210
>> Join here <<

Tues Nov 8th @ Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch (5-7 pm) 148 Henry Johnson Blvd, Albany, NY 12210
>> Join here <<

Weds Nov 9th @ Howe Branch (5-7 pm)  105 Schuyler St, Albany, NY 12202
>> Join here <<

What's New in the Warehouse?

Which Door?
Life is often about the doors we choose and those we don’t.
And never has that choice been more difficult than it will be for you the next time you’re in the Warehouse as we just received a generous donation of around 80 doors salvaged from a variety of old mansions, municipal, and commercial buildings, and some regular homes, too!
Please bear with us, though, as it’s going to take a while for us to process them all!

A Haunting Melody…
Halloween is coming, and this would provide the perfect accompaniment to your ghoulish activities. Even if you can’t play Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, visitors will delight at the operation of this beautiful instrument. If it sounds like I’m trying hard to convince you to buy it, that’s because I’m desperately fighting the urge to take it home myself!

The model we have for sale was manufactured by the Tobin Co. of Nashua, New Hampshire, around 1855. It does require a new connecting rod between the pump pedal and the bellows, but we’re told this is an easy fix. The surface of the lid has suffered some but could be refinished by a careful amateur, and a couple small pieces of rosewood veneer are missing.

youtu.be/XgmV9Rk3JtoMelodeons are smaller—and far lighter—than pianos, as they lack the need for housing long lengths of wire or the large cast-iron plate necessary for keeping them taught. And as an organ where the airflow is drawn through reeds by pumping an internal bellows with the foot, no electricity is required, and the sound produced is rich. Think: pipe or theatre organ mixed with an accordion (the melodeon’s close handheld relative). Dave describes it as, “a haunting yet friendly sound, kind of like you’d expect to hear in a movie like The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.” You be the judge; click here

Love the grand sound of the pipe organ but don’t have a place large enough in your home to put one? This melodeon may be the answer.

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Come see us tomorrow 9am-4pm
Tool Lending Library - open 9am-12pm

News 

Architectural Historian Position
"Be involved in projects with our Heritage and Cultural Resources Team and be a part of a growing organization that meets our client’s objectives and solves their challenges.  At WSP, we are driven by inspiring the right people to be part of our future-focused business objectives. Our devotion to teamwork has allowed us to build communities and expand our skylines. Here at WSP, anything is within our reach and yours as a WSP employee. Come join us and help shape the future!"

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Monumental workplaces: old crafts in their historic environment
"Craft and heritage are inextricably linked. To properly preserve historic buildings, you need to know how they were built. What materials were used then, and what techniques? Working with heritage therefore requires professionals with specific knowledge of it." (*This article is in Dutch.  Open it in Google Chrome to automatically translate it*)

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