W. & L. E. Gurley Building
Encyclopedia
The W. & L. E. Gurley Building, in Troy
, New York
, United States, is a classical revival
structure that housed the W. & L. E. Gurley Company, a maker of precision measuring instruments, from its construction in 1862. The company, run by William Gurley
and his brother, Lewis Ephraim, was a leader in the field, and published a regularly updated manual of instruments and their operations. The company was acquired by Teledyne Company
in the 1960s, and was sold again in 1993 and continues as Gurley Precision Instruments
today.
The building was built in "an amazing feat of construction" in just 8 months to replace the previous building, which burned in the Great Troy Fire of 1862. The company was then engaged in producing military products for the American Civil War
, which included "brass fuse-plugs for naval projectiles and an improved type of brass trimming for saddle trees."
The building is a four-story red brick building, U-shaped around a small courtyard. A foundry was at ground level on the north side of the courtyard.
The building was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1983. The building is currently rented by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
, and houses its Lighting Research Center, which moved there in 2000, and a few acoustics labs associated with the school of architecture. Gurley Percision Instruments still occupies the first floor of the building and the entire building directly across the street.
It is located on Fulton Street between 5th and Union Streets in Troy.
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States, is a classical revival
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
structure that housed the W. & L. E. Gurley Company, a maker of precision measuring instruments, from its construction in 1862. The company, run by William Gurley
William Gurley
William E. Gurley co-founded what is now known as Gurley Precision Instruments with his brother, and served as vice president and, from 1886 to 1887, acting president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute....
and his brother, Lewis Ephraim, was a leader in the field, and published a regularly updated manual of instruments and their operations. The company was acquired by Teledyne Company
Teledyne
Teledyne Technologies Incorporated is an industrial conglomerate primarily based in the United States but with global operations. It was founded in 1960, as Teledyne, Inc., by Henry Singleton and George Kozmetsky....
in the 1960s, and was sold again in 1993 and continues as Gurley Precision Instruments
Gurley Precision Instruments
Gurley Precision Instruments, or GPI, is an ISO-9001 certified U.S. manufacturing company based in Troy, New York.-History:Gurley Enterprise was established by William Gurley and Lewis E. Gurley in 1845, brothers who were both alumni of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute...
today.
The building was built in "an amazing feat of construction" in just 8 months to replace the previous building, which burned in the Great Troy Fire of 1862. The company was then engaged in producing military products for the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, which included "brass fuse-plugs for naval projectiles and an improved type of brass trimming for saddle trees."
The building is a four-story red brick building, U-shaped around a small courtyard. A foundry was at ground level on the north side of the courtyard.
The building was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1983. The building is currently rented by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
, and houses its Lighting Research Center, which moved there in 2000, and a few acoustics labs associated with the school of architecture. Gurley Percision Instruments still occupies the first floor of the building and the entire building directly across the street.
It is located on Fulton Street between 5th and Union Streets in Troy.
External links
- Gurley Precision, at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- W. & L.E. Gurley Building, 6 photos, at Historic American Buildings Survey