New York State Education Department Building

The New York State Education Department Building is a state office building in Albany, New York. It houses offices of the New York State Education Department and was formerly home to the New York State Museum and New York State Library. Designed by Henry Hornbostel and opened in 1912, the building is known for its expansive colonnade.HistoryThe State Education Building was designed by Henry Hornbostel and built between 1908 and 1911. It was the "first major building constructed in the United States solely as a headquarters for the administration of education."Dr. Andrew Sloan Draper was the first Commissioner of Education of the State of New York and wanted a separate Education Building to provide more space for the growing agency. In 1906, after two years of negotiations with the New York Legislature, Draper secured a site near the New York State Capitol building. However, William Croswell Doane, the first Episcopal Bishop in Albany, was building the Cathedral of All Saints on South Swan Street, on the very block that Commissioner Draper viewed as his.