United Traction Company Building, building in Albany, New York, U.S.
The United Traction Company Building is a red brick office structure with five windows across its front and three on the side, situated at a busy street corner in Albany. Renaissance Revival styling appears in the stone and terra cotta trim around windows and the entrance, with two large tablets beside the door and a small balcony supported by Corinthian columns above.
The building was completed in 1899 when United Traction System formed from merging two local companies to manage Albany's trolley network. The company operated the system through the 1940s when buses began replacing electric streetcars, then vacated the building in 1950 due to financial troubles.
The building sometimes carries the name 'Pieter Schuyler Building', connected to Albany's first mayor, which ties it to the city's earliest days. The decorated facade and grand columns show how business owners of that era used architecture to display their success and importance.
The building sits at a busy intersection and is easily visible from the sidewalk, with architectural details clearly seen from street level. Today it serves as office space and is usually viewable from outside, though interior access is limited and hours may vary depending on business occupants.
Although the building appears rectangular from the street, it actually has a trapezoidal shape, showing how architects of the time had to solve spatial challenges. Designer Marcus T. Reynolds, inspired by Italian palaces, solved this geometric constraint elegantly with symmetrical facades and ornamental details.
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