Marcus Tullius Reynolds was a prominent architect from the Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

 area. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...

, he was raised by his aunt in Albany after the death of his mother. He attended Williams College

Williams College

Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...

 and Columbia University

Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

 and began his life as an architect in 1893. He is well known for his bank designs and specifically his design of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company Building in downtown Albany. Many of his buildings still stand today, some of which are 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...

. He was the brother of the prominent Albany historian and author Cuyler Reynolds.

Early years

Reynolds was born on August 20, 1869 to Dexter and Catherine Reynolds (née

NEE

NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...

 Cuyler) in Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...

. When Catherine Reynolds died in 1875, Dexter placed Marcus and his brother Cuyler under the care of Dexter's sister Laura, widow of Baynard Van Rensselaer, moving them to 98 Columbia Street in Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

. The Reynolds' family connection to the prominent Van Rensselaer family allowed the boys to grow up surrounded by "wealthy, socially, and politically connected Dutch and New England heritage".

As a boy, Reynolds attended Miss Gaylord's Boarding School in Catskill, New York

Catskill (town), New York

Catskill is a town in the southeast part of Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 11,775 at the 2010 census. The western part of the town is in the Catskill Park....

. He later attended The Albany Academy

The Albany Academy

The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from Preschool to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the city council of Albany...

 in Albany and graduated from St. Paul's School

St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)

St. Paul's School is a highly selective college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The school is one of only six remaining 100% residential boarding schools in the U.S. The New Hampshire campus currently serves 533 students,...

 in Concord, New Hampshire

Concord, New Hampshire

The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....

 in 1886. He entered Williams College

Williams College

Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...

 in Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...

 in the fall, where he became involved in the Sigma Phi

Sigma Phi

The Sigma Phi Society was founded on 4 March 1827, on the campus of Union College as a part of the Union Triad in Schenectady, New York.It is the second oldest Greek fraternal organization in the United States, and the oldest in continuous existence...

 fraternity. Reynolds was an avid photographer while in college, documenting architectural details on campus as well as collecting portraits of many of his classmates. Reynolds decided to pursue architecture and enrolled in the architectural program at Columbia University

Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

's School of Mines after graduating from Williams in 1890. Reynolds graduated from Columbia in 1893. His thesis

Thesis

A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...

, Housing of the Poor in American Cities, won him a prize from the American Economic Society and earned him an honorary Master of Arts degree from Williams College. It is still cited in scholarly work to this day.

Professional years

Rather than remain in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 like many of classmates, Reynolds returned to Albany to begin his professional life. Indeed Reynolds' social status and connections helped him significantly when looking for work; many of his high-class family friends became clients.Reynolds' first commissions out of college the demolition of the decrepit Van Rensselaer Mansion, which was owned by his cousins. He had much of the original building moved to Williams College where it was incorporated into the replacement Sigma Phi house. The structure was in such bad shape, much of the material was not usable in the new building. His efforts on this project supported his second published work, The Colonial Buildings of Rensselaerwyck.

The most notable of Reynolds' works is the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company Building (D&H Building)—now known as the SUNY System Administration Building—located on Broadway at the bottom of State Street. Bank designs are considered his specialty. Many of his designs took advantage of prominent sites in the city. For example, the D&H Building on its own plaza on Broadway at the base of State Street; the First Trust Company Building

First Trust Company Building

First Trust Company Building is a historic commercial building located at Albany, Albany County, New York. It was designed by noted architect Marcus T. Reynolds and built in 1904....

 kitty-corner from D&H plaza; the replacement Albany Academy building on Academy Road; and the Hacket Middle School on Delaware Avenue. Reynolds' practice was not just limited to Albany. He designed the Gideon Putnam hotel in Saratoga Springs, and designed banks in Catskill, Hudson

Hudson, New York

Hudson is a city located along the west border of Columbia County, New York, United States. The city is named after the adjacent Hudson River and ultimately after the explorer Henry Hudson.Hudson is the county seat of Columbia County...

, Amsterdam, and New York City. Many of his buildings are listings 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...

.

Reynolds died on March 18, 1937 of appendicitis

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...

. He is credited by at least one historian for no less than "chang the face of downtown Albany."

Albany portfolio

Year built	Building name	Photo	Address	Neighborhood	Existing	NRHP	Comments
1893	Albany Terminal Storage Warehouse Co.		Tivoli Street		Yes	No
1893	Van Rensselaer Manor House						Moved to Williamstown, Massachusetts to be rebuilt at Williams College
1896–1897	Van Rensselaer Houses		385–389 State Street	Downtown Albany	Yes	No
1898	Albany Country Club		Western Avenue		No	No	Remodeled and enlarged
1899–1900	United Traction Company Building United Traction Company Building The United Traction Company Building is located on Broadway in Albany, New York, United States. It is a brick building by local architect Marcus T. Reynolds in the Renaissance Revival architectural style, constructed at the end of the 19th century. In 1976 it was added to the National Register of...		598 Broadway 42°39′7.71"N 73°44′58.55"W	North Albany/Downtown	Yes	Yes
1899	Curtis Douglas House		4 Elk Street	Downtown Albany			Façade remodeled
1899	Garrit Yates Lansing House		294 State Street	Center Square	Yes	No	Alterations only
1899	New York State Normal School Dormitory				No	No	Proposal only; never built
1899	Superintendent's House		Menands 42°42′22.44"N 73°43′25.83"W	Albany Rural Cemetery Albany Rural Cemetery The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Menands, New York, just outside of the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the United States, at over . Many historical American figures are buried there.-History:On April 2,...	Yes	No	Albany Rural Cemetery is listed on the National Register on its own; the house is not listed separately
1900–1901	Pruyn Free Library		North Pearl Street and Clinton Avenue 42°39′15.35"N 73°45′0.18"W	Arbor Hill	No	No
1901	Meads Building		545 Broadway		Yes	No
1901–1902	Albany City Savings Institution		100 State Street	Downtown Albany	Yes	No
1901–1902	Canon George Carter House		62 South Swan Street 42°39′17.87"N 73°45′30.72"W		Yes	No
1901–1904	Van Rensselaer Apartments		Madison Avenue and Lark Street 42°39′8.9"N 73°46′3.72"W	Center Square	Yes	No
1902	National Savings Bank		70–72 State Street	Downtown Albany	No	No
1902–1904	Albany Trust Company		31–33 State Street	Downtown Albany	Yes	No	Also designed additions in 1908 and the 1930s
1902–1904	New York State National Bank		69 State Street	Downtown Albany	No	No	Design addition in 1916
1903–1905	Ryder Apartments		355 State Street	Center Square	Yes	No
1904	First Trust Company Building First Trust Company Building First Trust Company Building is a historic commercial building located at Albany, Albany County, New York. It was designed by noted architect Marcus T. Reynolds and built in 1904....		35 State St. 42°38′56.62"N 73°45′3.25"W	Downtown	Yes	Yes
1904	Edmund Niles Huyck House		319 State Street	Center Square	Yes	No	Designed addition in 1915
1904–1906	The Hampton		40 State Street	Downtown Albany	Yes	No
1907–1908	Homeopathic Hospital		123 North Pearl Street			No	Later Memorial Hospital
1908	William Wallace House		6 Elk Street	Downtown Albany	Yes	No	Façade remodeled
1909	William J. Barnes Bungalow		16 Waverly Place		No	No	Designed an addition in 1916; building destroyed by fire. Also known as the SUNY ALbany Chapel at one point.
1910	Hampton Plaza Café					No	Alterations
1910	Hook and Ladder No. 4 Hook and Ladder No. 4 The Hook and Ladder No. 4 is an historic firehouse located in Albany, New York. Designed by Albany architect Marcus T. Reynolds, this 1912 brick structure is a rare example of early 20th century Dutch Revival architecture...		Delaware Avenue 42°38′29.76"N 73°46′46.67"W	Delaware Avenue	Yes	Yes
1912–1918	Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company Building		Broadway at State Street 42°38′53.11"N 73°44′58.25"W	Downtown	Yes	Yes
1913–1915	Albany Industrial Building		1031 Broadway 42°39′54.25"N 73°44′30.87"W	North Albany	Yes	No
1915	Harmon Pumpelly Read House		7 Elk Street 42°39′11.65"N 73°45′15.56"W	Downtown	Yes	No	Façade remodeled
1915–1916	Municipal Gas Company Building		126 State Street 42°39′1.48"N 73°45′16.75"W	Downtown	Yes	No
1922–1924	Public School No. 4		Madison Avenue and Ontario Street		No	No
1924	Albany City Savings Institution		100 State Street 42°38′59.42"N 73°45′12.25"W	Downtown	Yes	No
1925–1927	William S. Hackett Junior High School		45 Delaware Avenue 42°38′59.32"N 73°46′11.37"W	Delaware Avenue	Yes	No
1928–1931	The Albany Academy The Albany Academy The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from Preschool to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the city council of Albany...		Academy Road 42°38′45.62"N 73°47′13.32"W		Yes	No
1930	The Albany Academy The Albany Academy The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from Preschool to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the city council of Albany... (Joseph Henry Memorial)		Academy Park 42°39′10.91"N 73°45′17.77"W	Downtown	Yes	Yes	Oversaw the conversion of the original Albany Academy into district offices for the City School District of Albany.