A grand building

Helmes Bros., 4 Central Avenue
Helmes Bros., 4 Central Avenue

I’ve always admired a rather grand commercial building at 4 Central Avenue in Albany, but never thought to figure out its original purpose. Then I ran across an 1898 ad that showed it in its relatively new glory as the home of Helmes Brothers Furniture Warerooms. The numbers on the eyebrow indicate that it was built in 1872. Today, 140 years later, it looks pretty much the same, although it has lost the “Helmes Bros.” marking at top. At the time it was built, this building was wildly uptown. In later years Central Avenue would become Albany’s big commercial strip, and then of course from the 1950s on it declined as the population and stores moved to suburbia.

Rolling east in this picture is the West Albany horse trolley.

The Helmes brothers, by the way, were Lester and Leslie, who were engaged in a friendly fraternal contest to prove which of the brothers had the most elegant mustache.

The Helmes Brothers
The Helmes Brothers
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