Buildings.— The great show building of Albany is the magnificent capitol, begun in 1871 and continued by several different archi tects at a total outlay to date of some $29, 000,000. The lack of unity in plan makes itself perceptible both in looks and cost, millions have been spent in alterations and reconstructions, and some of the mechanical work and material have been poor. It is of Maine granite, in the Renaissance style; is 300 x 400 feet and covers more than three acres; it occupies a most sightly position on the hillside facing the river, and including part of the site of the old capitol built in 1806. Besides its rooms for the legis lative bodies and officials and the court of ap peals, it contains many interesting relics of the Revolution and Civil War. The grand western staircase in the western end of the building is said to be the finest staircase in the world. Fire nearly destroyed the building in 1911.
The State House and the City Hall face the capitol; the former of white marble and the latter of red sandstone with grand campaniles and Romanesque doorways. The custom-house and post-office are in the government building at the foot of State street. Among other buildings are the County courthouse; the State armories; the old Schuyler Mansion, once used as an orphan asylum, but dedicated in 1917 as an historical monument; the Albany and Historical and Art Society, containing many archives of Albany history; the Hotel Ten Eyck; the Delaware and Hudson building; and the new High School. In 1893 the second Van Rensselaer manor-house, built 1765, was removed to the Williams College campus, of Williamstown, Mass.
Religion, Education, Etc.— Albany is the seat of both Roman Catholic and Protestant Episcopal bishoprics, and has 74 churches. Very notable are the cathedrals of the Immacu late Conception (R. C.) and All Saints (P. E.). Saint Peter's Church (P. E. is reputed one of the finest specimens of the French Gothic of architecture in the United States. type Madison Avenue and First Reformed churches were organized in 1642, incorporated in 1720 and continued as one church until 1799, when separate edifices were built; these two churches continued under one government un til 1815.
The State Education Building is exceed ingly attractive, four stories and basement. The materials used on the front and ends are for the most part white marble, terra cotta and dark granite. The building contains offices for the Board of Regents and Department of Education, the State Library, with an attractive reading room, and a stock room capable of ac commodating 2,000,000 volumes, the State Li brary School, and the State Museum, which contains the State collections in geol ogy, mineralogy, paleontology, archaoloay, botany and zoology. There is also a large audi
torium in the building. Several large and at tractive mural paintings adorn the walls.
The public school property is valued at nearly $2,000,000. Other institutions of learn ing are the law and medical departments of the Union University at Schenectady (origin ally independent academies of 1851 and 1839), Albany Academy, the State College for Teach ers, Saint Agnes School, the Albany Female Academy and the Convent of the Sacred Heart; also the Dudley Observatory and the Bender Hygienic Laboratory. Albany has a fine city hospital built in 1899 on the pavilion plan and covering 16 acres with 150,000 feet of floor space; the Homcepathic and Saint Peter's hos pitals; the Albany penitentiary, dating from 1848— from three to four hundred prisoners a year are confined in this institution.
Government.— Biennial mayor; city coun cil, the president elected at large, the aldermen by wards; and boards constituted as follows: (1) Finance, comptroller, treasurer and a board of estimate composed of the mayor, comp troller, corporation counsel, president of the common council, city engineer and treasurer; (2) Public Works, commissioner who appoints superintendents of waterworks and parks; cit engineer; a board of contract and supply; (3) Public Safety, commissioner who appoints chiefs of police and fire departments with their subordinates and a health officer with assist ants; (4) Public Instruction, three commis. signers of education, term six years, who ap point superintendent of schools and teachers; (5) Assessment and Taxation, four assessors, two elected every two years for a term of four years; (6) Charities and Correction, commis sioner who appoints overseer of the poor and assistants; (7) Judiciary, one police court justice who holds office six years and three dty court justices; (8) Law, corporation counsel, assistant and subordinates. Of these officials, the comptroller, treasurer, assessors and police and city court justices are elected. All others are appointed by the mayor.
Population.— (1800) 5,289, (1820) 12,630, (1840) 33,721, (1860) 62,367, (1880) 90,758, (1890) 94,923, (1900) 94,151, (1910) 100,253. (1917) 109,843.