Washington Avenue Armory: History in the making

By ChuCk Miller

The Washington Avenue Armory, long a host for professional basketball in the Capital District, has entertained and protected Albany residents for nearly 130 years.

The facility was built in 1890 as the headquarters of the New York Army National Guard’s Tenth Battalion - soldiers from that fighting force went from the Armory to the Spanish-American War, for example - and as its name defines, the “Armory” was a munitions depot and weapons storage facility for most of its history. But because of its size and ability to host hundreds of troops, it was also used as an entertainment venue for most of its existence.

The Armory is one of the oldest buildings in America to host professional basketball, and the New York State League - a major professional basketball circuit in the 1910’s and 1920’s - had an Albany Senators basketball team that called the Armory home. The Senators shared the championship in 1920, and won it outright in 1921. Two members of the Sena tors’ lineup - Barney Sedran and Marty Friedman - are in the Basketball Hall of Fame today.

Siena College used the Armory for its college basketball team, as the Indians (as they were known at the time) played at Washington and Lark from the 1940’s until the mid-1970’s, when the Alumni was built. Siena’s most successful season in the Armory was the 1949-50 year, when Billy Harrell and the Indians completed a 27-5 season - and won, on the Armory court, the National Catholic Invitational Tournament, Siena’s first major hoops title.

In 1982, the Albany Patroons joined and played in the Armory from 1982 to 1990, winning two championships in the Armory facility in the process. In 2010, the Albany Legends of the International Basketball Association won their only championship - again, in the Armory. The Armory was host to the Patroons in 2019, when Albany won their third professional

The Armory has also existed as an entertainment venue. In 1919, during the New York State Teachers Association convention, thousands of teachers visited the Armory to participate in a demonstration of Thomas Edison’s new phonograph - a record player that could produce sound with such clarity, the teachers were challenged to tell the difference between an Edison record and a live opera singer, and many teachers were fooled by the phonograph’s incredible sound. Edison

In the 1960’s, the Armory operated as a performance stage for some of the top bands of the day. On any given night, teenagers could visit the Armory and watch performances by Bobby Darin, Peter Paul & Mary, Diana Ross & The Supremes, or Gary Lewis & The Playboys, among others.

Fans of boxing and wrestling found the Armory as a community haven - on Friday nights, the World Wide Wrestling Federation (today known as WWE) set up the pling action. As for boxing, the Armory hosted several closed-circuit televised events - you could watch Muhammad Ali take on Joe Frazier without having to visit Madison Square Garden in the process. Even roller derby found a home at the Armory, as the Albany All-Stars dominated the flat track in the 2010’s.

In 2021, the Armory stepped up in the fight against COVID-19, as the facility became a staging area and vaccination center. During that time period, thou nal mission statement of protecting the local citizens.

After a major renovation in 2004, the Armory became a music performance center and entertainment venue again, as George Benson performed at a reopening ceremony. In fact, you could see artists as varied as rapper Kendrick Lamar or jamband moe. on stage at the Armory at any given time.

Today, the Armory continues as one of Albany’s oldest multi-purpose buildings,