The Kenmore Hotel is a historic building at 74 North Pearl Street (NY 32) in the city of Albany, New York.
The Kenmore was built in 1878 by an African-American, Adam Blake (April 6, 1830 – September 7, 1881), [1] and owned by him until his death, at which time it was taken over by his widow Catherine, who continued until 1887. [2]
Adam Blake was named for his father, a slave of General Stephen Van Rensselaer III at the Manor House. Adam Blake, Jr., was considered a "worthy and respected citizen, and first-class caterer for the public" [3] and as the "richest and best-known business man of his race" in Albany County. [1] Blake had owned the hotel Congress Hall on the corner of Washington Avenue and Park Street until it was demolished by the state of New York to make way for the new New York State Capitol building in 1878. Blake then had the Kenmore built on the corner of North Pearl Street and Columbia Street. [4]
In the 1940s the Rain-Bo Room was a famous nightclub in the hotel; [5] it was named for the Rainbow Room in the GE Building of Rockefeller Center in the city of New York. [6] Gangster Jack “Legs” Diamond frequented the hotel [5] and had partied at the Rain-Bo the night of his death after having been acquitted of theft in the nearby city of Troy. The Kenmore Hotel features prominently in many of William Kennedy's books, including his novel Legs about the life of Jack Diamond. [6] The hotel can be seen in the 1969 cult classic film The Honeymoon Killers.
The building was renovated in 1986 into an office building [5] by Walter Uccellini Enterprises (now Historic Redevelopment Associates). [7] After the renovation there was a total of 87,475 square feet (8,126.7 m2) of rentable space. [8] The major tenant, from 1986 until 1999, was the Healthcare Association of New York State, which occupied 62,000 square feet (5,800 m2) on four of the six floors of the building. [9] 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. [7] 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. [10] [11] The Kenmore Hotel building was listed for sale in 2016. [12]
In 2019, developers renovated the historic Rain-Bo Room, restoring the historic staircase and opening up 25-foot ceilings and an upper level mezzanine. [13] The rechristened Kenmore Ballroom is available for weddings, events, and receptions. [13]
Delmar is a hamlet in the Town of Bethlehem, in Albany County, New York, United States. It is a suburb of the neighboring city of Albany. The community is bisected by NY Route 443, a major thoroughfare, main street, and route to Albany.
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Benjamin Knower was an American merchant, banker and politician.
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Lisha Kill is a hamlet in the town of Colonie, Albany County, New York, United States. Lisha Kill lies on New York Route 5 in the western section of the town. The hamlet received its name from the creek of the same name, Lisha Kill, kill being Dutch for creek or stream. The stream is also referred to as Lisha's Kill and received its name from a local legend about a Native American woman who is buried along its banks.
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Kenwood was a hamlet in the Town of Bethlehem, New York. The hamlet spanned both sides of the Normans Kill near the area where the Normans Kill flows into the Hudson River. In 1870, and again in 1910, northern portions of Kenwood were annexed by the City of Albany, New York.
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The following is a bibliography of New York. New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Northeastern United States. New York is commonly known as the "Empire State" and sometimes the "Excelsior State". It is the nation's third most populous state at over 19 million people. The capital of the state is Albany and its most populous city is New York City. New York is often referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City.