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Troy's Beman Park Neighborhood by Mike Esposito During much of the 19th century, the Beman Park area, one of Troy's first suburbs, was the location of huge estates owned by the Tibbits, the Burdetts, the Warrens, the Van Valkenburghs, the Van Schroonhovens and other Troy families. A neighborhood analysis published by the City of Troy states that "it was common practice for a wealthy industrialist to occupy a city home during the winter and a "country" home during the summer" in what is now the Beman Park neighborhood. The geographic center of the neighborhood is the six acre park named in honor of the Rev. Doctor Nathan S. S. Beman (pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Troy for forty years) by John Sherry who presented the park to the city in 1878. Sherry originally purchased the land as a site for a new home but later developed and maintained the park until his death in 1894, planting trees and shrubs, laying out a series of winding walkways, and donating a fountain and a statue of a Union Soldier. The park was extended an additional 100 feet on its eastern border by a donation of land from Mrs. George C. Burdett. Several brick yards were located along the south side of Hoosick Street between 12th and 19th streets including the huge Alexander Ferguson Brick Yard in operation from shortly after the Civil War to 1905. Christian Isengart, originally a soda manufacturer, opened the Isengart Brewery on the southeast corner of Hoosick and 10th St. in 1869. The brewery remained in business under various names until 1914. A pharmacy founded in 1917 by Walton L. Sanderson and continued for many years as the Beman Park Pharmacy and Albert Zeiser's Meat Market opened from 1917 to 1939 were among the early business establishments on 15th Street, the neighborhood's commercial center. The Troy Plaza Shopping Center, constructed on land which was originally part of the brick yards, opened in 1967. The Beman Park Hose Company No. 9 located at 15th and Eagle Street when it was formed in 1890 as an independent company to protect and serve the growing population of the hilltop neighborhood, moved in 1903 to the southeast corner of Peoples and 14th St. Many streets in the neighborhood are named for prominent Troy residents: Tibbits, Burdett, Sage, Willard, Griswold, Sherry, Eaton and others. The spiritual needs of the growing suburb were met by the establishment of the Oakwood Avenue Presbyterian Church (1868), St. Paul the Apostle (1890), and the parish of Christ Sun of Justice (1968) at the RPI Chapel and Cultural Center. All are still ministering to their congregations. First Congregational (1872-1918) and Bethany Lutheran (1885-1969) served residents for many years. Land donated by several Troy residents played an important part in the growth of the Beman Park area. In 1909 LeGrand Tibbits, manager of the Tibbits estate for over forty years and president of Troy Parkway Villa Site Company, gave Sage Avenue (originally called Avenue B) to the city providing a 1,700 foot thoroughfare from 9th to 15th Street. On July 2, 1920, Mayor James J. Fleming accepted a donation of 400 acres from Mary Warren. The plot of land extended Peoples Avenue from 15th Street to Burdett Avenue and provided the city with acreage which would be later used for development purposes. At one time Peoples Avenue east of Burdett was known as Warren Street. By the turn of the century hundreds of attractive two- story residences were providing homes for hilltop dwellers. The Beman Park Association, originally formed in 1905, was one of the first neighborhood groups in the city. An article in the July 22, 1920 Troy Times after the group was reestablished reported that "the first meeting was to have been held in School 17, but due to the absence from the city of the janitor of the school, the keys to the building were unprocurable. The meeting, attended by over 100 neighbors, was conducted under the street arc light at Hutton and Sixteenth Streets as organizers of the group stood on the sewer cover with a table borrowed from one of the neighbors." The purpose of the organization was stated in the first of nine planks: to conserve the physical and moral interests of the section of the city of Troy known as the Beman Park District. The district was defined as Hoosick Street south to Avenue B between 10th Street and Burdett. "Believing that which affects the welfare of one in some degree affects the welfare of all" they united to make the Beman Park District "as nearly an ideal neighborhood as possible" and included in their objectives "a direct and sympathetic interest to all community organizations in this city, encouraging a spirit of fellowship to the end that a `Better Troy' will result." Educational and medical institutions and affiliated organizations played an important role in the growth of the neighborhood. School 17, a center of neighborhood activity for decades, was originally built on a site at Eagle and 15th Street in 1892 and later moved to 1605 Hutton until it was closed in 1977. St. Paul's School built in 1909 served the parish and neighborhood until 1977. The Catholic Diocese opened the House of the Good Shepard in 1887 on Peoples Avenue east of 9th Street and later the Guardian Angel Home and Industrial School (1911) and the Mt. Magdalen School of Industry & Reformatory (1914) on sites along Peoples Avenue west of 14th Street to provide housing, schooling, and social services for young women. Land which was formerly a part of the huge Tibbits Estate was later to become the site of Troy High School (1952), William K. Doyle Middle School (1976) and the new School 14 (1993). The campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) grew into the Beman Park neighborhood following the decision to extend RPI to the eastern part of the city rather then downtown after a major fire in 1904 destroyed RPI's main building on Eighth Street (the present site of the RPI Approach). Ten acres of the estate of Walter Phelps Warren were acquired and the building of the campus commenced. The "The Quad," a series of dormitories built in 1915, extended the campus to 15th Street. Rensselaerwyck (aka "Tin Town") consisting of hundreds of student housing units, was built on 40 acres east of Burdett Avenue in the 1940's. RPI purchased several buildings on 20 acres of land adjacent to their campus from several Catholic institutions in the 1960's, and later purchased the NYS Armory and former School 14. A half century of major building projects followed. This year RPI celebrates its 175th anniversary. The Samaritan Hospital relocated from 8th St. to the Beman Park area in 1914. The Beechwood Eddy Retirement Community (1986) and eventually a medical office building was constructed on property known as Gallagher's Woods. Since its early development, the residents and business people of Beman Park have joined in cooperation with civic, religious, educational, and governmental organizations to maintain a relatively stable area with a strong sense of neighborhood. Sources used in preparing this article included Troy maps published between 1845 and 1959, Troy City Directories, Troy Common Council Proceedings, City of Troy Neighborhood Analysis issued In 1976 by the Troy Bureau of Planning & Community Development, and Troy newspapers. In cooperation with Troy United Ink Corp., a not-for-profit corporation 
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