News

March 22, 2023

Crossgates donates over two acres of land to the Rapp Road Historical Association

Crossgates and the Rapp Road Historical Association have finalized the conveyance of 2.57 acres of land donated by Crossgates to the Rapp Road Historical Association (“RRHA”). These five parcels have been added to the 14-acre residential neighborhood located adjacent to the shopping center, located within the City of Albany and Albany Pine Bush.

The Rapp Road Historic District (RRHD) was established in the 1920’s by African Americans who migrated predominantly from Mississippi as part of the Great Migration (1927 to 1963). They eventually bought and settled on the land along Rapp Road to build their homes and raise their families. Today’s historic district has many of the original buildings and most of the original families’ descendants still live there. RRHD is Albany’s only African American focused historic district and is included in the 3 percent of all National Register listings that celebrate African American heritage.

“This was an initiative set out by our former president Beverly Bardequez in her efforts to try and preserve as much of the historic district as possible. Although the RRHA has much more work to do, we will continue to follow our mission in preserving the district.” said Stephanie Woodard, President of the RRHA.

This district has been listed on both the national and state registries since 2003 and 2002, respectively.  In 2006, the state Department of Education chartered the RRHA, which was formed to preserve and interpret the history of the RRHD.

“We recognize the importance of preserving our community’s history and cultural heritage,” said Stephen J. Congel, Chief Executive Officer, Pyramid Management Group. “We are proud to donate this land to the Rapp Road Historical Association and support their efforts to preserve the legacy of the historic district and the African American families who built the district. Together, we can all make a difference in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community.”