Kenmore Hotel on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Kenmore Hotel is a historic building at 74 North Pearl Street (
In the 1940s the Rain-Bo Room was a famous nightclub in the hotel; it was named for the
NY 32
New York State Route 32 (NY 32) is a north–south state highway that extends for through the Hudson Valley and Capital District, New York, Capital District regions of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is a two-lane sur ...
) in the city of Albany, New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
History
The Kenmore was built in 1878 by anAfrican-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, Adam Blake (April 6, 1830 – September 7, 1881), and owned by him until his death, at which time it was taken over by his widow Catherine, who continued until 1887.
Adam Blake was named for his father, a slave
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
of General Stephen Van Rensselaer III
Stephen Van Rensselaer III (; November 1, 1764January 26, 1839) was an American landowner, businessman, militia officer, and politician. A graduate of Harvard College, at age 21, Van Rensselaer took control of Rensselaerswyck, his family's mano ...
at the Manor House. Adam Blake, Jr., was considered a "worthy and respected citizen, and first-class caterer for the public" and as the "richest and best-known business man of his race" in Albany County. Blake had owned the hotel Congress Hall on the corner of Washington Avenue and Park Street until it was demolished by the state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of New York to make way for the new New York State Capitol
The New York State Capitol, the seat of the Government of New York State, New York state government, is located in Albany, New York, Albany, the List of U.S. state capitals, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The seat o ...
building in 1878. Blake then had the Kenmore built on the corner of North Pearl Street and Columbia Street.
In the 1940s the Rain-Bo Room was a famous nightclub in the hotel; it was named for the Rainbow Room
The Rainbow Room is a private event space on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Run by Tishman Speyer, it is among the highest venues in New York City. The Rainbow Room serves clas ...
in the GE Building
30 Rockefeller Plaza (officially the Comcast Building; formerly RCA Building and GE Building) is a skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Completed in 1933, the 66-s ...
of Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commerce, commercial buildings covering between 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street and 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco ...
in the city of New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. Gangster Jack “Legs” Diamond frequented the hotel and had partied at the Rain-Bo the night of his death after having been acquitted
In common law jurisdictions, an acquittal certifies that the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as criminal law is concerned. The finality of an acquittal is dependent on the jurisdiction. In some countries, such as the ...
of theft
Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...
in the nearby city of Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...
. The Kenmore Hotel features prominently in many of William Kennedy's books, including his novel ''Legs'' about the life of Jack Diamond. The hotel can be seen in the 1969 cult classic film The Honeymoon Killers
''The Honeymoon Killers'' is a 1970 American crime film written and directed by Leonard Kastle, and starring Shirley Stoler and Tony Lo Bianco. Its plot follows a sullen, overweight nurse who is seduced by a con man, with whom she embarks on a ...
.
The building was renovated in 1986 into an office building by Walter Uccellini Enterprises (now Historic Redevelopment Associates). After the renovation there was a total of of rentable space. The major tenant, from 1986 until 1999, was the Healthcare Association of New York State, which occupied on four of the six floors of the building. The first major event held in the building after renovation was the 13th annual conference of the Preservation League of New York State, on April 18, 1986. In May 2008 a new nightclub was proposed for the Kenmore. The nightclub, called The Terrace Lounge at The Kenmore, was to be on the ground floor and not in the two story former Rain-bo Room. The Kenmore Hotel building was listed for sale in 2016.
Kenmore Ballroom
In 2019, developers renovated the historic Rain-Bo Room, restoring the historic staircase and opening up 25-foot ceilings and an upper level mezzanine. The rechristened Kenmore Ballroom is available for weddings, events, and receptions.See also
*History of Albany, New York
The history of Albany, New York began long before the first interaction of Europeans with the native Indian tribes, as they had long inhabited the area. The area was originally inhabited by an Algonquian Indian tribe, the Mohican, as well as the ...
*Downtown Albany Historic District
The Downtown Albany Historic District is a 19-block, area of Albany, New York, United States, centered on the junction of State (New York State Route 5) and North and South Pearl streets ( New York State Route 32). It is the oldest settled area ...
External links
*References
{{reflist, 33em {{cite news , last1=DiMascio , first1=Samantha , title=Old Kenmore Hotel to transform into new wedding venue in dowtown Albany , url=https://www.news10.com/news/old-kenmore-hotel-to-transform-into-new-wedding-venue-in-dowtown-albany/ , access-date=10 October 2021 , publisher=ABC News 10 , date=29 September 2019 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506073647/https://www.news10.com/news/old-kenmore-hotel-to-transform-into-new-wedding-venue-in-dowtown-albany/ , archive-date=6 May 2021 Defunct hotels in New York (state) Buildings and structures in Albany, New York Hotel buildings completed in 1878 Historic district contributing properties in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Albany, New York Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)