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Multiple people called 911 just before 6 p.m. Thursday, March 23, with reports of a fire at Albany’s former Doane Stuart School, located on Kenwood Road, Albany Fire Chief Joseph Gregory said at a press conference.
When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire conditions throughout much of the 100,000-square-feet building, Gregory said. Within minutes of arriving on scene, the building’s steeple had collapsed.
It took more than 50 firefighters approximately four hours to get the flames under control with assistance from the Troy and Watervliet fire departments, Gregory said. Nobody was injured.
Fire officials did not comment on a possible cause of the fire.
Crews were still pouring water on hot spots under the debris when Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan gathered at the site with city leaders for a press conference Friday morning, March 24.
“We are here at the site of what can only be described as a devastating fire,” Sheehan told reporters, adding that “we lost a treasure.”
“This building means a lot to a lot of different people,” she said. “It’s historic. It was beautiful. It was beloved.”
According to city officials, the building was sold in August 2017 and was abandoned in 2019 after an investor had previously expressed interest in revitalizing the site with condos, apartments, and an artist space.
Since then, members of Albany’s Code Enforcement department have responded to numerous calls about vandals breaking in and stealing materials from the building.
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