The History of 65 Second Avenue, Troy

This beautiful piece of history is currently looking for a new owner. Here are some historical photos of the property and a little bit about it's original owners and history.

If you are interested in this property, make sure you visit the listing page!

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This photo shows the home in it's prime in 1908 when it was featured in the Troy Times "Modern Homes Greater Troy Series". The main difference is the railing around the top of the porch is no longer there. It's cool to think about how they could've come out from the second floor windows. The small cross window at the top right has also been replaced to a standard double sash window. But for the most part, the home still looks like this today!

It's a little difficult to tell when the house was actually built. A lot of the current records say 1910, but this tax parcel map is actually from 1903 and you can clearly see the footprint of the house here. The original owner of the house was noted to have live at 65 2nd Ave in 1876 after moving from next door at 57. So there's a very good possibility this house was actually built in 1876.

The original owner of this beautiful property was William A. Harder who owned the AETNA Hosiery Mill across the street. Most of the factory building is actually still there today. After the death of his eldest son in 1895, Harder named Rebecca Phillip—his friend, tenant, and forewoman at the Mill - sole executor of the estate. After she passed away in 1922 it was eventually sold in 1924 to Daniel Conway. There was an ad in the Times Record in 1943 for a "small steam heated furnished apartment, suitable for 2 adults" at 65 2nd. Today, the third floor of the house is semi finished and has the remnants of an old apartment with a small kitchen and bathroom. This may have been what was being rented at that time or maybe they had already converted the home into multiple apartments at that point; it was post Great Depression era afterall. When the current owners purchased the home in 2004 from a foreclosure, it was chopped up into multiple apartments and in rough condition. They have lovingly restored the home to its former glory over the last 20 years and are now looking to pass it on to someone who will continue to preserve and cherish this small piece of Troy's history.

And here is this beautiful home today! There are many more stories of this home's history that we will never hear, and many more memories to be made in the future...