Elston Hall
Encyclopedia
Elston Hall, formerly the Hotel Van Curler, is located on Washington Street in the city of Schenectady
, New York, United States. It is a tall brick building constructed in 1925 in the Classical Revival
architectural style
.
Its construction was partially financed by local employers General Electric
and the American Locomotive Company
, which needed space for new workers to live and wanted an architecturally distinctive building comparable with large city hotels of the era. Today, it is one of the main buildings of Schenectady County Community College
.
) and Washington streets. Only the two acres (8,000 m²) on which the building sits is included in the listing. To the south Washington feeds into Interstate 890
; the Schenectady Armory
, also listed on the National Register, is located almost across Washington. Directly across from the building, on the east side of Washington, is a garden with a fountain. On the north Washington is part of the Stockade Historic District
, the oldest section of Schenectady. One block
to the west, State crosses the Mohawk River
via the Western Gateway Bridge to Scotia
.
-trimmed brick over a reinforced concrete
frame. It is H-shaped, with the north wing shorter than the south due to an extension of the main dining room, topped by a gable
d roof with wooden eaves shingled
in slate. Some other wings have been built on to the structure since the college began using it. They are too modern to be considered contributing
to its historic character.
Six Corinthian
columns support the main entrance portico
. Its entablature
, with the words "SCHENECTADY COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE" on it in metal lettering, is topped by a dentilled cornice
and flat roof with balustrade. Each pillar of the balustrade continues a column below and is topped with a decorative
carved urn
.
The basement level is marked by a stone watercourse. The first floor is fenestrated with alternating rectangular and Palladian windows, and has a belt course
of alternating brick and stone dividing it and the second story. White rosette
s are between them and their lintels are of white stone with a keystone
motif. Some windows are further embellished with swag
-decorated frieze
s. The front doors are surmounted by broken-arch pediment
s with carved acorn
s set in blind arch
es.
Decoration is more limited on the upper stories, with each window having just a simple stone sill and lintel. Another belt course like the lower one sets off the top story. The sixth floor's three central windows are each topped with a blind lunette
and have iron balconies
. The central five bays
of the main block are further set off by rusticated
stone quoin
s at the corner and five brick pilaster
s supporting a pediment and balustrade on the roofline.
On the wings, there are similar touches. The south side's main entrance is a domed portico with classical detail, matched on the north wing by Ionic
columns supporting a flat, dentilled entablature. The belt courses and fenestration are similar to those on the main block. The central window of the fifth (top) story on each wing is marked by a blind carved lunette
and balcony, with a blind oculus
in the gable. On the inner walls, the central of the three bays has a small circular or square window, alternating by story.
A two-story kitchen wing projects from the north. Its windows have been bricked in but have similar decorative patterns (arches and rectangles) to the rest of the building. Two more modern wings, neither contributing, extend from it as well, as does as a large wing from the south of similar materials to the main block. Three emergency exit
towers on the corners of the building likewise do not contribute as modern additions.
mode, with pillars, pilasters and paneling. Its flooring is terrazzo
with a genuine marble
as a wall base. Another keystoned, lunetted door leads to the Lobby Lounge. Other designs from the exterior, such as the broken-arched niches with acorns, are also repeated inside.
The Lobby Lounge itself, now known as the Mohawk Room, is a 50 by room with a semicircular wall. Five sets of double doors overlook the garden and river beyond. Its fireplace
s and lunettes on the interior doors are original. The fanlights on the exterior doors are also original but they have been covered with shells on the inside to conceal indirect interior lighting.
Just off the Lobby Lounge, the Reception Room now serves as the college president's office. It has most of its original finishes and has not been altered. The former Dining Room and Assembly Room were combined to make a single Ballroom, and are still together today although they can be divided with a partition. Its original western wall has mostly been removed. What was originally a small private dining room between the Lobby Lounge and Dining Room has now become part of a hallway connecting the building and its western annex. It is lit by the only remaining original chandelier
in the hotel building.
The upper stories have been gutted to serve college purposes. Nothing of their original layout or finish is left.
as a refreshing change from the small, squarish hotels the city had previously possessed. Their buildings, primarily in the Northeast
, are in many cases still extant and show similarities to the Van Curler.
Most similar to the Van Curler is the Burritt Hotel in New Britain, Connecticut
, also listed on the Register. It is also of brick, has nearly identical limestone decoration and is also H-shaped. The Colonial Hotel in Gardner, Massachusetts
, also has a similar design except for the projecting wings and the Federal style decoration at the top.
To facilitate it use as a center for local functions, it was designed so that the ballrooms could be entered without having to cross the lobby
, seen as the space for commercial travelers. The Georgian Revival style was used for other buildings in the city at the same period, most notably City Hall
in 1933.
(GE) and the American Locomotive Company
(ALCO). The two corporations contributed $300,000 of the hotel's $700,000 ($ in contemporary dollars) construction cost. The local Chamber of Commerce
and a thousand citizens filled in the rest. It was named after Arendt van Curler, the Dutch explorer
who first saw the site of Schenectady in 1661. Ultimately it would cost $1.1 million ($ in contemporary dollars)
The Stevens firm was chosen for the design, due to its successful similar contemporary buildings. The former Erie Canal
bed was acquired by the city and filled in, streets were widened, a sea wall was built along the Mohawk to the Rotterdam line, and streets were widened. The hotel was publicly owned, so some smaller nearby hotels were torn down to eliminate competition. The building became a focus of civic pride, hosting many major events even as the city declined due to suburbanization, GE began moving work elsewhere and ALCO went into decline along with its industry.
In addition to the many local functions it hosted, it became a popular lunch spot for workers at the nearby GE plant. Among its many notable guests over the years were then-governor
Franklin D. Roosevelt
and his wife Eleanor
, John Philip Sousa
, Clement Attlee
and Robert F. Kennedy
.
In 1954 the additions were built to accommodate the increasing demands of business travelers. Every one of the new rooms had air conditioning
and a private bath. These rooms rented well, but increasingly guests preferred them to the old section of the hotel, with an overall negative effect on the hotel's occupancy rate.
It declared bankruptcy
in 1968. Schenectady County
bought the building at the ensuing public auction
for $710,000 ($ in contemporary dollars), and converted it for its current use by the college. The college's board of trustees renamed it after Charles Elston, the longtime chairman of the county's Board of Representatives.
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, New York, United States. It is a tall brick building constructed in 1925 in the Classical Revival
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
.
Its construction was partially financed by local employers General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and the American Locomotive Company
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
, which needed space for new workers to live and wanted an architecturally distinctive building comparable with large city hotels of the era. Today, it is one of the main buildings of Schenectady County Community College
Schenectady County Community College
Schenectady County Community College is a two-year college associated with the State University of New York located in Schenectady, New York. It was established in 1967 in the Van Curler Hotel in Downtown Schenectady and has undergone multiple expansions through the following decades. The...
.
Building
Elston Hall is located at the northeast corner of the 57 acres (23.1 ha) college property, right at the corner of State (NY 5New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
) and Washington streets. Only the two acres (8,000 m²) on which the building sits is included in the listing. To the south Washington feeds into Interstate 890
Interstate 890
Interstate 890 is a long auxiliary Interstate Highway in the vicinity of Schenectady, New York, United States. The highway runs southeast–northwest from an interchange with the New York State Thruway northwest of Schenectady to another junction with the Thruway south of the city and passes...
; the Schenectady Armory
Schenectady Armory
The Schenectady Armory is located on Washington Street in the city of the same name in the U.S. state of New York. It is a brown brick building dating to 1936....
, also listed on the National Register, is located almost across Washington. Directly across from the building, on the east side of Washington, is a garden with a fountain. On the north Washington is part of the Stockade Historic District
Stockade Historic District
The Stockade Historic District is located in the northwest corner of Schenectady, New York, United States, on the banks of the Mohawk River. It is the oldest neighborhood in the city, continuously inhabited for over 300 years...
, the oldest section of Schenectady. One block
City block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
to the west, State crosses the Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
via the Western Gateway Bridge to Scotia
Scotia, New York
Scotia is a village in Schenectady County, New York, United States, incorporated in 1904. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census.The Village of Scotia is part of the Town of Glenville, partly contiguous with Schenectady, New York and is connected by the Western Gateway Bridge over the Mohawk...
.
Exterior
The building itself is six stories high, faced in limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
-trimmed brick over a reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
frame. It is H-shaped, with the north wing shorter than the south due to an extension of the main dining room, topped by a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof with wooden eaves shingled
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
in slate. Some other wings have been built on to the structure since the college began using it. They are too modern to be considered contributing
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to its historic character.
Six Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns support the main entrance portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
. Its entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
, with the words "SCHENECTADY COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE" on it in metal lettering, is topped by a dentilled cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
and flat roof with balustrade. Each pillar of the balustrade continues a column below and is topped with a decorative
Ornament (architecture)
In architecture and decorative art, ornament is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Large figurative elements such as monumental sculpture and their equivalents in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornament does not include human figures, and if present they...
carved urn
Urn
An urn is a vase, ordinarily covered, that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. "Knife urns" placed on pedestals flanking a dining-room sideboard were an English innovation for high-style dining rooms of the late 1760s...
.
The basement level is marked by a stone watercourse. The first floor is fenestrated with alternating rectangular and Palladian windows, and has a belt course
Course (architecture)
A course is a continuous horizontal layer of similarly-sized building material one unit high, usually in a wall. The term is almost always used in conjunction with unit masonry such as brick, cut stone, or concrete masonry units .-Styles:...
of alternating brick and stone dividing it and the second story. White rosette
Rosette (design)
A rosette is a round, stylized flower design, used extensively in sculptural objects from antiquity. Appearing in Mesopotamia and used to decorate the funeral stele in Ancient Greece...
s are between them and their lintels are of white stone with a keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
motif. Some windows are further embellished with swag
Festoon
Festoon , a wreath or garland, and so in architecture a conventional arrangement of flowers, foliage or fruit bound together and suspended by ribbons, either from a decorated knot, or held in the mouths of lions, or suspended across the back of bulls heads as...
-decorated frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
s. The front doors are surmounted by broken-arch pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
s with carved acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
s set in blind arch
Blind arch
A blind arch is an arch found in the wall of a building which has been infilled with solid construction so it cannot serve as a passageway, door, or window. The term is most often associated with masonry wall construction, but is also found in other types of construction such as light frame...
es.
Decoration is more limited on the upper stories, with each window having just a simple stone sill and lintel. Another belt course like the lower one sets off the top story. The sixth floor's three central windows are each topped with a blind lunette
Lunette
In architecture, a lunette is a half-moon shaped space, either filled with recessed masonry or void. A lunette is formed when a horizontal cornice transects a round-headed arch at the level of the imposts, where the arch springs. If a door is set within a round-headed arch, the space within the...
and have iron balconies
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
. The central five bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
of the main block are further set off by rusticated
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
stone quoin
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
s at the corner and five brick pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s supporting a pediment and balustrade on the roofline.
On the wings, there are similar touches. The south side's main entrance is a domed portico with classical detail, matched on the north wing by Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
columns supporting a flat, dentilled entablature. The belt courses and fenestration are similar to those on the main block. The central window of the fifth (top) story on each wing is marked by a blind carved lunette
Lunette
In architecture, a lunette is a half-moon shaped space, either filled with recessed masonry or void. A lunette is formed when a horizontal cornice transects a round-headed arch at the level of the imposts, where the arch springs. If a door is set within a round-headed arch, the space within the...
and balcony, with a blind oculus
Oculus
An Oculus, circular window, or rain-hole is a feature of Classical architecture since the 16th century. They are often denoted by their French name, oeil de boeuf, or "bull's-eye". Such circular or oval windows express the presence of a mezzanine on a building's façade without competing for...
in the gable. On the inner walls, the central of the three bays has a small circular or square window, alternating by story.
A two-story kitchen wing projects from the north. Its windows have been bricked in but have similar decorative patterns (arches and rectangles) to the rest of the building. Two more modern wings, neither contributing, extend from it as well, as does as a large wing from the south of similar materials to the main block. Three emergency exit
Emergency exit
An emergency exit in a structure is a special exit for emergencies such as a fire: the combined use of regular and special exits allows for faster evacuation, while it also provides an alternative if the route to the regular exit is blocked by fire, etc....
towers on the corners of the building likewise do not contribute as modern additions.
Interior
The first floor retains much of its original finishing. The lobby is in a GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
mode, with pillars, pilasters and paneling. Its flooring is terrazzo
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementitious, chemical or a combination of both...
with a genuine marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
as a wall base. Another keystoned, lunetted door leads to the Lobby Lounge. Other designs from the exterior, such as the broken-arched niches with acorns, are also repeated inside.
The Lobby Lounge itself, now known as the Mohawk Room, is a 50 by room with a semicircular wall. Five sets of double doors overlook the garden and river beyond. Its fireplace
Fireplace
A fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
s and lunettes on the interior doors are original. The fanlights on the exterior doors are also original but they have been covered with shells on the inside to conceal indirect interior lighting.
Just off the Lobby Lounge, the Reception Room now serves as the college president's office. It has most of its original finishes and has not been altered. The former Dining Room and Assembly Room were combined to make a single Ballroom, and are still together today although they can be divided with a partition. Its original western wall has mostly been removed. What was originally a small private dining room between the Lobby Lounge and Dining Room has now become part of a hallway connecting the building and its western annex. It is lit by the only remaining original chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
in the hotel building.
The upper stories have been gutted to serve college purposes. Nothing of their original layout or finish is left.
Aesthetics
H.L. Stevens & Co., the hotel's designers, specialized in small (less than 500 rooms) hotels and apartment houses in a neo-Georgian or Colonial Revival style in either a rectangular or H-shape, seen by the city's Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
as a refreshing change from the small, squarish hotels the city had previously possessed. Their buildings, primarily in the Northeast
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, are in many cases still extant and show similarities to the Van Curler.
Most similar to the Van Curler is the Burritt Hotel in New Britain, Connecticut
New Britain, Connecticut
New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 71,254....
, also listed on the Register. It is also of brick, has nearly identical limestone decoration and is also H-shaped. The Colonial Hotel in Gardner, Massachusetts
Gardner, Massachusetts
Gardner, Massachusetts is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,228 as of the 2010 census. Gardner is home to Dunn State Park, Gardner Heritage State Park, Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mount Wachusett Community College.-History:Named in honor of...
, also has a similar design except for the projecting wings and the Federal style decoration at the top.
To facilitate it use as a center for local functions, it was designed so that the ballrooms could be entered without having to cross the lobby
Lobby
Lobby may refer to:* Lobby , an entranceway or foyer in a building* Lobbying, the action or the group used to influence a viewpoint to politicians* Lobby , a thick stew made in North Staffordshire, not unlike Lancashire Hotpot...
, seen as the space for commercial travelers. The Georgian Revival style was used for other buildings in the city at the same period, most notably City Hall
Schenectady City Hall
Schenectady City Hall is the seat of government of the city of Schenectady, New York, United States. Designed by McKim, Mead, and White, the building was constructed between 1931 and 1933. It is located on the block between Clinton, Franklin, Jay and Liberty streets. It is built in a revival of the...
in 1933.
History
In the 35 years leading up to the hotel's 1925 construction, Schenectady's population quintupled, making it the fastest-growing city in New York. It became ten times as wealthy. Both of these developments were a result of the city becoming the headquarters of General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
(GE) and the American Locomotive Company
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
(ALCO). The two corporations contributed $300,000 of the hotel's $700,000 ($ in contemporary dollars) construction cost. The local Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
and a thousand citizens filled in the rest. It was named after Arendt van Curler, the Dutch explorer
Dutch colonization of the Americas
Dutch trading posts and plantations in the Americas precede the much wider known colonization activities of the Dutch in Asia. Whereas the first Dutch fort in Asia was built in 1600 , the first forts and settlements on the Essequibo river in Guyana and on the Amazon date from the 1590s...
who first saw the site of Schenectady in 1661. Ultimately it would cost $1.1 million ($ in contemporary dollars)
The Stevens firm was chosen for the design, due to its successful similar contemporary buildings. The former Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
bed was acquired by the city and filled in, streets were widened, a sea wall was built along the Mohawk to the Rotterdam line, and streets were widened. The hotel was publicly owned, so some smaller nearby hotels were torn down to eliminate competition. The building became a focus of civic pride, hosting many major events even as the city declined due to suburbanization, GE began moving work elsewhere and ALCO went into decline along with its industry.
In addition to the many local functions it hosted, it became a popular lunch spot for workers at the nearby GE plant. Among its many notable guests over the years were then-governor
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and his wife Eleanor
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
, John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
, Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
and Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
.
In 1954 the additions were built to accommodate the increasing demands of business travelers. Every one of the new rooms had air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
and a private bath. These rooms rented well, but increasingly guests preferred them to the old section of the hotel, with an overall negative effect on the hotel's occupancy rate.
It declared bankruptcy
Bankruptcy in the United States
Bankruptcy in the United States is governed under the United States Constitution which authorizes Congress to enact "uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States." Congress has exercised this authority several times since 1801, most recently by adopting the Bankruptcy...
in 1968. Schenectady County
Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...
bought the building at the ensuing public auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
for $710,000 ($ in contemporary dollars), and converted it for its current use by the college. The college's board of trustees renamed it after Charles Elston, the longtime chairman of the county's Board of Representatives.