Summary of the ownership of the "Holt-Harris property", for over a
century and to the present (2021) the woods between us and them; the
Country Club
to 1961; the University
thereafter.....
In time order; to see the events of the recent University purchase
of this land, please scroll down.
Map of
Lands of the heirs of Christian LaGrange (deceased), 1881; lots
6 and 7 of this map.
1st January 1877 - John B LaGrange bought lots 6 and 7 from Cynthia
A LaGrange and others
Deed book 301 page 66.
The map shows John B LaGrange had by 1881 sold both lots to Dr. J F
McKown.
That was James Francis McKown (1844-1892), eldest son of William J
McKown (1811-1879), who was the eldest son of John McKown
(1787-1870)
and not James French McKown (1818-1880), the second (adult) son of
John McKown. [McKown family tree]
20 November 1879 - Deed
book 321 page 499.
It is not yet clear
whether Dr. J F McKown built on this property. If he did, the
"Nicholas Lane House" on lot 6 would have been his summer/weekend
house; his main residence at 335 Hamilton Street and consulting
rooms were in Albany.
Otherwise the house in lot 6 would probably have been built by
Thomas H Bloomingdale upon his purchase from Kate McKown in 1903.
The consideration of $200 in that deed, if the full price of the ~10
acres, would suggest no house was sold, but the consideration may
have more likely been just a token like the $1 in most other deeds
of this and younger vintage.
The 1881
property map does not show any structure in this lot, while it
does show a house farther west, in the southern part of lot 4, which
we know was a farmhouse, probably the one occupied in the
1880 census by Julia LaGrange and her daughter Jane LaGrange,
and which survived until about 1935, two years after Jane LaGrange
died (this house in lot 4 is shown on the
~1934 Sanborn fire insurance map, just north of the end of
Glenwood Street, as it was then).
The first USGS
map of the area (survey 1891) does not show a structure in
this location in lot 6, but that is not very strong evidence for its
absence at that time; it does not show Jane LaGrange's farmhouse
either, which we know was present then in lot 4.
*The
will of James Francis McKown probated 25 January 1893 devised
his property to his widow Kate A McKown and their son Willliam J
McKown as executors; Ella V and Annie J, Kate's sisters, were
witnesses. However, in the deed of 1903 selling lots 6 and 7 to
Thomas H Bloomingdale, Kate and her sister Ella V McKown are named
selling as executors of the will of William J McKown (their father).
This discrepancy (an unsatisfied mortgage?) may explain the second
quit-claim deeds from Kate A and William J McKown (her son) for both
the 1909 sale of lot 7 and the later 1913 deed for lot 6.
8 May 1903 - Kate A and Ella V McKown sold both lots 6 and 7 to
Thomas H Bloomingdale
Deed Book 516 page 466.
The two LaGrange lots have a separate history from 1909 when Thomas
H Bloomingdale sold lot 7 to William Barnes.
Lot 6
Probably as a legal correction*, there is
another deed for lot 6 in which
13 October 1913 - Kate A McKown and her son William J McKown and his
wife (Anna) Elizabeth, stated then to be all the heirs of J F
McKown, make a quit-claim to Thomas H Bloomingdale for lot 6.
Deed Book 603 page 531.
1st September 1921 - Thomas H Bloomingdale and Theresa A
Bloomingdale his wife sold to Benjamin F Witbeck.
Deed book 705 page 207.
15 December 1923 - Benjamin F Witbeck and Caroline L Witbeck sold to
Charles Tracey and Isabel S Tracey.
Deed book 739 page 53.
16 November 1949 - Catherine M Smith sold to Charles and Isabel
Tracey 4 feet of all the eastern side of lot 5
(to resolve
dispute over boundary encroachment by a garage).
Deed book 1191 page 145.
The will of Isabel S Tracey (probate 7 November 1966) devised the
property to John E Holt-Harris and Susan S Holt-Harris.
1 April 1987 - John E Holt-Harris and Susan S Holt-Harris sold the
northern part (230 ft; 1.40 acres) to Albany Collegiate Interfaith
Center.
Deed book 2334 page 529.
Lot 7
22 January 1909 Thomas H Bloomingdale sold lot
7 to William Barnes
Deed book 567 page 250.
Probably as a legal correction*, there is
another deed for lot 7 in which
25 January 1909 - Kate A McKown and her son William J McKown and his
wife (Anna) Elizabeth, stated then to be all the heirs of J F McKown
, make a quit-claim for lot 7 to William Barnes
Deed book 567 page 246.
William Barnes then
built his Lodge on this property, a country retreat and home
designed by the architect Marcus Reynolds.
7 December 1915 - right of way granted to Waverly Place (BF & CL
Witbeck and AF & EH Pitkin to William Barnes jr).
Deed book 630 page 501.
6 June 1917 - William and Grace D Barnes sold to The Albany Journal
Building Corporation (William Barnes owner)
Deed book 651 page 332.
27 May 1920 - The Albany Journal Building Corporation sold to Horace
D Haight
Deed book 679 page 356.
3 October 1923 - Horace D Haight and Anna L Haight sold to Katherine
L Perkins
Deed book 679 page 535.
14 April 1948 - Katherine L Perkins sold the
southern part (390.95 ft; 2.381 acres) of lot 7 to John E
Holt-Harris and Susan S Holt-Harris
Deed book 1112 page 179.
John and Susan Holt-Harris built a house on this lot following this
purchase; it was demolished by the University in 2016.
6 April 1953 - Katherine L Perkins sold the middle part (131 ft;
0.798 acres) of lot 7 to John E Holt-Harris and Susan S Holt-Harris
Deed book 1354 page 179.
4 September 1953 - Katherine L Perkins sold the northern part
(336.05 ft; 2.05 acres) of lot 7 including the Barnes Lodge to
Donald F Noord
Deed book 1372 page 322.
This deed includes this restriction: "The premises herein
conveyed shall not be used or sold for business or professional
purposes of any kind whatsoever and shall be used solely for
dwelling and residential purposes only."
4 September 1953 - Agreement between J and S Holt-Harris and D and B
Noord for access,
Deed book 1372 page 292.
23 July 1965 - another Agreement for access
between J and S Holt-Harris and the Capital Area Council of Churches
Inc.,
Deed book 1839 page 98.
28 July 1965 - Donald F Noord sold the northern part to Capital Area
Council of Churches Inc.,
#Deed book 1839 page 142.
This deed repeats this restriction: "The premises herein conveyed
shall not be used or sold for business or professional purposes of
any kind whatsoever and shall be used solely for dwelling and
residential purposes only."
#this deed is defectively written; the two parts of lot 7 purchased
by John E and Susan S Holt-Harris in 1948, and 1953, are not
mentioned nor specified as excluded! (as they were specified
in the deed of 1953 in which Donald Noord purchased this piece from
Katherine Perkins).
30 June 1967 - This error was corrected by:
Deed book 1911 page 343.
12 May 1971 - Capital Area Council of Churches Inc. sold the
northern part to Albany Collegiate Interfaith Center
Deed book 2029 page 30.
Includes the statement "This conveyance is also made and accepted
subject to enforceable covenants, restrictions, easements and
conditions, if any, of record".
1 April 1987 - Albany Collegiate Interfaith
Center sold the northern part to John E Holt-Harris and Susan S
Holt-Harris
Deed book 2334 page 523.
Includes the statement "Subject to all easements, restrictions
and rights-of-way of record".
With this purchase by John E and Susan S Holt-Harris all of the
original lots 6 and 7 were momentarily in a single ownership, but
sale of the northern part of lot 6 also occurred on 1 April 1987
with the simultaneous retrieval of this northern part of lot 7 (this
exchange with the Albany Collegiate Interfaith Center was after the
extensive
fire damage and destruction of the Barnes Lodge in 1985).
Lot 7 and retained part of lot 6 from 1 April 1987
16 January 1993 - John E and Susan S Holt-Harris convert legal
ownership from tenancy by the entirety into tenancy in common with
undivided half-interest in the whole property. Deed book 2476 page 565.
7 June 1999 - John E Holt-Harris sold to John E Holt-Harris III
parts of the southern end of lots 6 and lot 7, approximately 0.5
acre (in which a house for the buyer was built). Deed book 2631 page 1036.
With easement for the buyer for ingress/egress adjacent to the SE
part of the lot sold. And easement to seller for
installation/maintenance of sewer pipe(s from existing houses).
The map #10710 Final
plot for subdivision at Waverly Place End (Herschbergs, 6 July
1998) has the following statement on it in both lot 6 and in lot 7:
Note: As a condition for the subdivision approval the owner has
agreed that the lot will not be subdivided in the future and that
a corrective deed with restrictions prohibiting future subdivision
of this lot will be filed with the Albany County Clerk.
The property
document online archive of the Albany County Clerk contains no
record showing that this was done.
15 September 2001 - Ann Holt-Harris executrix of the will of John E
Holt-Harris, devised to Susan E Holt-Harris and Christopher Wikoff
the retained part of lot 6 after the sale of part to John E
Holt-Harris III 7 June 1999.
Deed book 2691 page 821.
15 September 2001 - Ann Holt-Harris executrix of the will of John E
Holt-Harris, devised to Susan E Holt-Harris and John E Holt-Harris
III
the retained part of lot 7 after the sale of part to John E
Holt-Harris III 7 June 1999.
Deed book 2691 page 825.
28 September 2001 - Susan E Holt-Harris and Christopher Wikoff sold
to Susan E Holt-Harris and John E Holt-Harris III
quit claim over easements for ingress/egress to retained part of lot
6, except for utility lines.
Deed book 2691 page 830.
9 September 2002 - John E Holt-Harris III sold to John E Holt-Harris
III and Katherine Eaton
the lot (~0.5 acre) sold to the grantor 7 June 1999.
Deed book 2719 page 1092.
28 July 2006 - Susan E Holt-Harris and Christopher Wikoff sold to
Susan E Holt-Harris
the retained part of lot 6 after the sale of part to John E
Holt-Harris III, 7 June 1999.
Deed book 2853 page 285.
Sale to the University at Albany
15 December 2015 - Susan Holt-Harris sold to the University at
Albany Foundation
the retained part of lot 6 after the sale of part to John E
Holt-Harris III, 7 June 1999.
Deed book R1015-3196.
15 December 2015 - Susan Holt-Harris and John E Holt-Harris III sold
to the University at Albany Foundation
the retained part of lot 7 after the sale of part to John E
Holt-Harris III 7 June 1999.
Deed book R1015-3199
These two deeds of this date include the statement "This
conveyance is subject to all enforceable covenants, conditions,
restrictions and easements of record...".
April-May 2016 - House on lot 6 ("Nicholas Lane house") demolished
in late April; the house on lot 7 (Holt-Harris house)
demolished in May.
22 November 2016 - Albany Collegiate Interfaith Center sold to the
University at Albany Foundation
the northern part of lot 6 (230 ft; 1.40 acres)
Deed book R2016-26068
9 January 2018 - Agreement between the University at Albany
Foundation and John E Holt-Harris III
Release and extinguishment of restrictive covenant "forever wild"
and "uses directly related to the purposes stated in the
certificate of incorporation of the Albany Collegiate
Interfaith Center" in Deed 2334 page 529
Deed book R2018-21999
1 July 2019 - University at Albany Foundation gift to the People of
the State of New York (Trustees of the State University of New York)
the northern part of lot 6 (230 ft; 1.40 acres); as sold to the
University at Albany Foundation 22 November 2016
Deed book R2019-16213
1 July 2019 - University at Albany Foundation gift to the People of
the State of New York (Trustees of the State University of New York)
the retained part of lot 6 and of lot 7 after the sale of parts to
John E Holt-Harris III, 7 June 1999;
as sold to the University at Albany Foundation 15 December 2015
Deed book R2019-16214
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