Kenmore Hotel
{{Short description|Hotel in Albany, New York, United States}}
{{For|the Scottish hotel by this name|Kenmore, Perth and Kinross#Landmarks and tourism}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Kenmore Hotel
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| image = Kenmore Hotel, Albany New York.jpg
| caption = Kenmore Hotel in 2021
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| architectural_style = Victorian and Queen Anne
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| location = Albany, New York
| address = 74 North Pearl Street
| client =
| owner = Historic Redevelopment Associates
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| completion_date = 1878
| inauguration_date =
| renovation_date = 1986
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| floor_count = 6
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| main_contractor =
| architect = Edward Ogden
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The Kenmore Hotel is a historic building at 74 North Pearl Street (NY 32) in the city of Albany, New York.
History
The Kenmore was built in 1878 by an African-American, Adam Blake (April 6, 1830 – September 7, 1881), and owned by him until his death, at which time it was taken over by his widow Catherine, who continued until 1887.{{cite book | title = Women on Their Own: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Being Single | page = 129 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=1VubkHUx4q8C | publisher = Rutgers University | editor = Rudolph Bell and Virginia Yans | isbn = 978-0-8135-4210-2 | accessdate = 2009-07-31 | year = 2008}}
Adam Blake was named for his father, a slave of General Stephen Van Rensselaer III at the Manor House. Adam Blake, Jr., was considered a "worthy and respected citizen, and first-class caterer for the public"{{cite book | title = Bi-centennial History of Albany: History of the County of Albany, NY from 1609 to 1886 | publisher = W.W. Munsell & Company | author = George Howell and Jonathan Tenney | year = 1886 | accessdate = 2009-07-21 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=nWkJAQAAIAAJ&q=kenmore+hotel+albany&pg=PA589 | page = 652}} and as the "richest and best-known business man of his race" in Albany County.{{cite book | title = Bi-centennial History of Albany: History of the County of Albany, NY from 1609 to 1886 | publisher = W.W. Munsell & Company | author = George Howell and Jonathan Tenney | year = 1886 | accessdate = 2009-07-21 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=nWkJAQAAIAAJ&q=kenmore+hotel+albany&pg=PA589 | page = 725}} Blake had owned the hotel Congress Hall on the corner of Washington Avenue and Park Street until it was demolished by the state of New York to make way for the new New York State Capitol building in 1878. Blake then had the Kenmore built on the corner of North Pearl Street and Columbia Street.{{cite book | title = Albany | publisher = Arcadia Publishing | page = 59 | isbn = 0-7385-0088-7 | author = Don Rittner | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=QWyWBBESqSMC&q=kenmore+hotel+albany&pg=PA59 | accessdate = 2009-07-21 | year = 2000}}
File:NewKenmoreHotelAlbanyNY.jpg
In the 1940s the Rain-Bo Room was a famous nightclub in the hotel; it was named for the Rainbow Room in the GE Building of Rockefeller Center in the city of New York.{{cite web | title = Legs Diamond and The Kenmore Hotel | publisher = Uptown/Downtown Media | author = Jessica Pasko | url = http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2009/05/12/legs-diamond-and-the-kenmore-hotel#more | accessdate = 2009-07-21 | date = May 12, 2009}} Gangster Jack “Legs” Diamond frequented the hotel and had partied at the Rain-Bo the night of his death after having been acquitted of theft in the nearby city of Troy. The Kenmore Hotel features prominently in many of William Kennedy's books, including his novel Legs about the life of Jack Diamond. The hotel can be seen in the 1969 cult classic film The Honeymoon Killers.
The building was renovated in 1986 into an office building{{cite web | title = Downtown Albany Bike Tour | url = http://www.albany.org/accvb/uploads/pdf_504Albany%20Bike%20Tour.pdf | accessdate = 2009-07-21 | publisher = Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}} by Walter Uccellini Enterprises (now Historic Redevelopment Associates).{{cite web | title = Rehabbed Kenmore Bridges Gap Between History and a New Era | publisher = Albany Times Union | author = Jill Murman | date = April 19, 1986 | accessdate = 2009-07-21 | url = http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=5470239 }} {{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} After the renovation there was a total of {{convert|87475|sqft|m2}} of rentable space.{{cite web | title = Albany Enjoying a Commercial Revival | work = The New York Times | author = Shawn Kennedy | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/01/realestate/albany-enjoying-a-commercial-revival.html?&pagewanted=all | accessdate = 2009-07-21 | date = Dec 1, 1985}} The major tenant, from 1986 until 1999, was the Healthcare Association of New York State, which occupied {{convert|62000|sqft|m2}} on four of the six floors of the building.{{cite web | title = HANYS exiting city for the 'burbs | publisher = Albany Business Review | author = William Tuthill | date = July 2, 1999 | accessdate = 2009-07-21 | url = http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/1999/07/05/story1.html}} The first major event held in the building after renovation was the 13th annual conference of the Preservation League of New York State, on April 18, 1986. In May 2008 a new nightclub was proposed for the Kenmore. The nightclub, called The Terrace Lounge at The Kenmore, was to be on the ground floor and not in the two story former Rain-bo Room.{{cite web | title = Breaking news: Nightclub eyeing Kenmore building | author = Steve Barnes | publisher = Albany Times Union | accessdate = 2009-07-23 | date = May 23, 2008 | url = http://blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping/date/2008/05/page/4/}}{{cite web | title = No action on club's plan | author = Tim O'Brien | accessdate = 2009-07-23 | date = May 29, 2008 | url = http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6553379 | publisher = Albany Times Union }} {{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The Kenmore Hotel building was listed for sale in 2016.{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2016/01/08/large-portfolio-of-downtown-albany-buildings-for.html|last=DeMasi|first=Michael|date=2016-01-08|work=Albany Business Review|title=Large portfolio of downtown Albany buildings for sale again}}
=Kenmore Ballroom=
See also
{{commons category|Kenmore Hotel}}
External links
- {{cite web |title=The Kenmore Ballroom |url=https://www.thekenmoreballroom.com/ |website=The Kenmore Ballroom |access-date=10 October 2021}}
References
{{reflist|33em
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Category:Defunct hotels in New York (state)
Category:Buildings and structures in Albany, New York
Category:Hotel buildings completed in 1878
Category:Historic district contributing properties in New York (state)
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Albany, New York
Category:Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)