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The name "Osgood Neighborhood" honors the
firehouse on the corner of Third Street and the Canal.
Jason C. Osgood served on the commission responsible
for establishing fire stations throughout Troy early
in the 19th century. The Osgood Fire Station, the oldest
working firehouse in the city, is listed on the National
Historic Register.
The neighborhood is located between the Poestenkill
on the north and Van Buren Street on the south, the
Hudson River on the west and the foothills on the east.
Within these confines, one discovers a mixed-use neighborhood
composed of residential, religious, educational, commercial
and industrial components.
The touchstone of the neighborhood is diversity, both
in buildings and inhabitants. While most of the structures
are simple frame or brick buildings which originally
housed Troy's industrial workers during the second half
of the 19th century and the early 20th century, some
are more high-styled homes of business owners and professionals.
Some buildings are examples of adaptive re-use. One
Osgood family transformed an old bakery into a beautiful
home and workshop. Another changed the former police
sub-station next to the firehouse into a home. The house
of an early 20th century Troy mayor is now a funeral
home, while a former storage building is the new home
of a church. The building that previously housed St.
Joseph's School is now the business office of Unity
House, a social service agency, which also maintains
the Sunshine Preschool in the Fourth Street building.
The South Troy Boys and Girls Club is located in a new
facility on short Fifth and provides social, recreational,
and educational programs for youths and adults.
The earliest residents were Irish, soon joined by the
Polish, Italians, and Ukrainians. More recent residents
include African-Americans, and Asians. Many residents
are long-term owners living in homes belonging to their
families for generations. Newer residents include young
families, entrepreneurs, artists, writers, teachers,
and archaeologists who recognize the value of the moderately
priced homes they have purchased or rented. The spiritual
needs of Osgood's diverse ethnic groups are served by
St. Joseph's Catholic Church, New Bethlehem Temple Apostolic
Church, St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and
Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church.
One of Osgood's greatest assets is convenience. Residents
can walk to barbershops, convenience stores, restaurants
and taverns, auto repair shops, an appliance repair
store, a veteran's post, factories and social halls.
Osgood residents show "pride of neighborhood."
Many houses are freshly painted, with well tended backyards
and spacious side yards landscaped with flowers, fruit
trees, water features and vegetable gardens. In recent
years, new curbside trees have been planted to enhance
the streetscape.
Last July, many residents and nonresidents attended
a two-hour house and garden tour to showcase four homes,
gardens and one church. The tour generated numerous
inquiries about real estate in our neighborhood. As
a result, a 2003 self-guided, tour is already being
planned that features additional sites to visit, including
houses that are for sale.
Article contributors: Pam Bentein, Tom Carroll, Claire
Davis, Pleasant DeSpain, Sid Fleisher, and Kim Kniele
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