Foster Building
Encyclopedia
The Foster Building, originally the Hotel Foster, is located on State Street (NY 5
) in Schenectady
, New York, United States. It is a commercial building in the Beaux-Arts architectural style
.
When built in 1907, it was the first building in the city to use terra cotta
as its primary siding on the front facade, and the first built under the precepts of the City Beautiful movement
. In 1991 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. It has since been remodeled into apartments, but has been vacant for a while and is suffering from the neglect. Past water damage will require that the lavishly-appointed interior be completely gutted. The regional redevelopment agency is considering acquiring the building through eminent domain
in order to ensure its restoration
.
building, higher than most of its neighbors, faced in white glazed terra cotta. A small tree surrounded by an island of shrubbery is located on the sidewalk in front.
is highly decorated
. On the first two storys the storefront is framed with acanthus
leaves and garlands
with mock keystone
s and rectangular blocks. The windows are brass
-framed glass with the two-story storefront as a whole framed in marble.
Above the storefronts, the upper facade in three bays is articulated by three-story high engaged pilaster
s with highly enriched Corinthian
capitals
. Fluted
Ionic
half-columns divide the window bays. All four support pediment
ed Roman
arches. Oversized brackets
support the metal cornice
.
Decorative panels are placed between all three upper storys. In the divided central bays
of the panels below the fifth story is the modeled and cast inscription "FOSTER BVILDING".
The other facades are faced in exposed yellow brick. Most of the windows have their original shutters
. The flat roof is surfaced in asphalt. It has a brick parapet
with metal coping
; the chimney has stone copings.
with the letters "FB" and a geometric border. At the entryway, black and white marble wainscoting is on the plaster walls, which rise to a coffered ceiling. The staircase itself has marble facing, with pink marble wainscoting on the sides. All these details are original.
At the second floor landing, a wooden doorway with semi-elliptical arched transom
leads to the floor itself. It is finished in classically-inspired carved trim, embossed
wood wainscoting and pressed glass dividers. An oak staircase lit by a brass-framed skylight provides access to the upper floors, many of which have been converted to apartment space by combining several former hotel rooms. The sixth floor, originally used as storage space and staff quarters, has been similarly transformed. Original finishes here include plaster walls, wooden flooring, wide moldings
with corner blocks and transom lights on the paneled doors.
Throughout most of the 19th century, architectural terracotta
had been confined to decorative touches like windowsills and lintels. The Great Chicago Fire
of 1871 stirred some interest by demonstrating that terracotta facing was fireproof. In the 1890s it started to be used as a siding since it was cheaper than stone and had far more decorative possibilities. The Foster Building's level of detail is exceptional. Elsewhere in the Capital District
, only the McCarthy Building
in downtown
Troy
shows the same craftmanship in terra cotta.
Its use was promoted by the Beaux-Arts movement in architecture, which made generous use of classically-inspired ornamentation. The style and material came together in the City Beautiful movement
in urban design
. An outgrowth of the Columbian Exposition of 1893, which had first popularized the Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival architectural styles, City Beautiful advocated cities with decorated buildings in white or bright colors, in imitation of Ancient Rome
. They expected this would encourage residents to behave in an orderly and decorous manner worthy of the surroundings. Their influence was felt most in centers of newly created industrial wealth like Schenectady, although the Foster Building was the only one built in the city according to City Beautiful principles.
's decision to locate its research laboratory
in the city, where it already had a substantial presence, living space was at a premium. Local entrepreneur Charles Brown, who had built the Edison Hotel in 1900, saw it reach capacity quickly. He hired architect Penn Varney of Lynn, Massachusetts
, to design another hotel in 1907. A local contractor
, Hanrahan Brothers, built it that same year for $50,000 ($ in contemporary dollars).
The hotel remained in the Brown family through 1963. It continued to be used for both commercial and residential purposes afterwards, with a music store a longtime street-level tenant through the mid-1970s.
Later occupants were not as successful in either endeavor, and the building became vacant. A 1990s owner left the heat turned off one winter, resulting in a burst pipe that caused severe damage to the structure, estimated to cost $4–5 million to repair. In the 2000s, the owner tried to sell the property as the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority (SMDA), which had already sought state grants to restore
the facade, threatened to acquire the building through eminent domain
if necessary. The SMDA plans to redevelop the Foster and three neighboring buildings, also vacant, into a 47000 square feet (4,366.4 m²) luxury hotel.
New 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...
) in Schenectady
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 commercial building in the Beaux-Arts 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...
.
When built in 1907, it was the first building in the city to use terra cotta
Glazed architectural terra-cotta
Glazed architectural terra-cotta is a ceramic masonry building material popular in the United States from the late 19th century until the 1930s, and still one of the most common building materials found in U.S. urban environments...
as its primary siding on the front facade, and the first built under the precepts of the City Beautiful movement
City Beautiful movement
The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy concerning North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. The movement, which was originally associated mainly with Chicago,...
. In 1991 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It has since been remodeled into apartments, but has been vacant for a while and is suffering from the neglect. Past water damage will require that the lavishly-appointed interior be completely gutted. The regional redevelopment agency is considering acquiring the building through eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
in order to ensure its restoration
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
.
Building
The Foster Building is one of a row of commercial buildings in the densely developed blocks of State Street, a short distance from Proctor's Theatre. It is a six-story steel frameSteel frame
Steel frame usually refers to a building technique with a "skeleton frame" of vertical steel columns and horizontal -beams, constructed in a rectangular grid to support the floors, roof and walls of a building which are all attached to the frame...
building, higher than most of its neighbors, faced in white glazed terra cotta. A small tree surrounded by an island of shrubbery is located on the sidewalk in front.
Exterior
The terra cotta in the northern (front) facadeFacade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
is highly decorated
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...
. On the first two storys the storefront is framed with acanthus
Acanthus (ornament)
The acanthus is one of the most common plant forms to make foliage ornament and decoration.-Architecture:In architecture, an ornament is carved into stone or wood to resemble leaves from the Mediterranean species of the Acanthus genus of plants, which have deeply cut leaves with some similarity to...
leaves and garlands
Garland (decoration)
A garland is a decorative wreath or cord, used at festive occasions, which can be hung round a person's neck, or on inanimate objects like Christmas trees. Originally garlands were made of flowers or leaves.-Etymology:...
with mock 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...
s and rectangular blocks. The windows are brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
-framed glass with the two-story storefront as a whole framed in marble.
Above the storefronts, the upper facade in three bays is articulated by three-story high engaged 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 with highly enriched 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...
capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
. Fluted
Fluting (architecture)
Fluting in architecture refers to the shallow grooves running vertically along a surface.It typically refers to the grooves running on a column shaft or a pilaster, but need not necessarily be restricted to those two applications...
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...
half-columns divide the window bays. All four support 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...
ed Roman
Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
arches. Oversized brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
support the metal 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...
.
Decorative panels are placed between all three upper storys. In the divided central 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 panels below the fifth story is the modeled and cast inscription "FOSTER BVILDING".
The other facades are faced in exposed yellow brick. Most of the windows have their original shutters
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
. The flat roof is surfaced in asphalt. It has a brick parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
with metal coping
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
; the chimney has stone copings.
Interior
The first floor has steel columns and a metal ceiling 14 feet (4.3 m) high. The entrance to the upper floors is tiled mosaicMosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
with the letters "FB" and a geometric border. At the entryway, black and white marble wainscoting is on the plaster walls, which rise to a coffered ceiling. The staircase itself has marble facing, with pink marble wainscoting on the sides. All these details are original.
At the second floor landing, a wooden doorway with semi-elliptical arched transom
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
leads to the floor itself. It is finished in classically-inspired carved trim, embossed
Repoussé and chasing
Repoussé or repoussage is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is ornamented or shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief. There are few techniques that offer such diversity of expression while still being relatively economical...
wood wainscoting and pressed glass dividers. An oak staircase lit by a brass-framed skylight provides access to the upper floors, many of which have been converted to apartment space by combining several former hotel rooms. The sixth floor, originally used as storage space and staff quarters, has been similarly transformed. Original finishes here include plaster walls, wooden flooring, wide moldings
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
with corner blocks and transom lights on the paneled doors.
Aesthetics
The Foster Building's height is unusual for Schenectady's downtown. Its terra cotta facade is unique in the city. Most of Schenectady's commercial buildings date to the mid- or late 19th century and are faced in brick, rarely more than three stories tall.Throughout most of the 19th century, architectural terracotta
Architectural terracotta
Terracotta, in its unglazed form, became fashionable as an architectural ceramic construction material in England in the 1860s, and in the United States in the 1870s. It was generally used to supplement brick and tiles of similar colour in late Victorian buildings.It had been used before this in...
had been confined to decorative touches like windowsills and lintels. The Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
of 1871 stirred some interest by demonstrating that terracotta facing was fireproof. In the 1890s it started to be used as a siding since it was cheaper than stone and had far more decorative possibilities. The Foster Building's level of detail is exceptional. Elsewhere in the Capital District
Capital District
New York's Capital District, also known as the Capital Region, is a region in upstate New York that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County...
, only the McCarthy Building
McCarthy Building (Troy, New York)
The McCarthy Building is located on River Street on the west side of Monument Square in Troy, New York, United States. It was built in 1904, and remains in use as a commercial building. In 1970 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, along with the nearby Cannon Building...
in downtown
Central Troy Historic District
The Central Troy Historic District is an irregularly-shaped, area of downtown Troy, New York, United States. It has been described as "one of the most perfectly preserved 19th-century downtowns in the [country]" with nearly 700 properties in a variety of architectural styles from the early 19th to...
Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
shows the same craftmanship in terra cotta.
Its use was promoted by the Beaux-Arts movement in architecture, which made generous use of classically-inspired ornamentation. The style and material came together in the City Beautiful movement
City Beautiful movement
The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy concerning North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. The movement, which was originally associated mainly with Chicago,...
in urban design
Urban design
Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...
. An outgrowth of the Columbian Exposition of 1893, which had first popularized the Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival architectural styles, City Beautiful advocated cities with decorated buildings in white or bright colors, in imitation of Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. They expected this would encourage residents to behave in an orderly and decorous manner worthy of the surroundings. Their influence was felt most in centers of newly created industrial wealth like Schenectady, although the Foster Building was the only one built in the city according to City Beautiful principles.
History
As Schenectady grew rapidly following 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...
's decision to locate its research laboratory
General Electric Research Laboratory
General Electric Research Laboratory, the first industrial research facility in the United States, was established in 1900. This lab was home to the early technological breakthroughs of General Electric and created a research and development environment that set the standard for industrial...
in the city, where it already had a substantial presence, living space was at a premium. Local entrepreneur Charles Brown, who had built the Edison Hotel in 1900, saw it reach capacity quickly. He hired architect Penn Varney of Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
, to design another hotel in 1907. A local contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
, Hanrahan Brothers, built it that same year for $50,000 ($ in contemporary dollars).
The hotel remained in the Brown family through 1963. It continued to be used for both commercial and residential purposes afterwards, with a music store a longtime street-level tenant through the mid-1970s.
Later occupants were not as successful in either endeavor, and the building became vacant. A 1990s owner left the heat turned off one winter, resulting in a burst pipe that caused severe damage to the structure, estimated to cost $4–5 million to repair. In the 2000s, the owner tried to sell the property as the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority (SMDA), which had already sought state grants to restore
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
the facade, threatened to acquire the building through eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
if necessary. The SMDA plans to redevelop the Foster and three neighboring buildings, also vacant, into a 47000 square feet (4,366.4 m²) luxury hotel.