The Federal style design of Philip Hooker's Albany Academy

Nestled at the heart of downtown Albany, New York, stands Academy Park, known officially as the Academy Park Building and formerly as the Joseph Henry Memorial. This Federal style brownstone building was erected in the early 19th century. Architect Philip Hooker's design is the city's oldest public building, and the less altered of his two intact non-residential buildings in the city. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and included in the Lafayette Park Historic District. The Old Albany Academy, its original occupant, moved in the 1930s, leaving the building in the hands of the City School District of Albany, which began using it for its main offices in 1986. Architect Marcus T. Reynolds supervised renovations to the building's interior.

In the 1820s, Joseph Henry co-discovered electrical inductance in experiments conducted in the building, a discovery important to the later development of the telegraph and modern telecommunications. A statue of him by John Flanagan was placed out front to commemorate his accomplishment. T. Romeyn Beck wrote his important early works on forensic medicine while serving as the school's principal for three decades.

Hooker's design included a chapel on the second floor, which survives intact. In the 1930s, the Albany City School District moved into the building and has used it as its main offices ever since. The building is located near the New York State Department of Education Building and the state capitol.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons