The armory was constructed in 1889, and designed by Isaac Perry. Perry was State Architect from 1892-1906. Perry built 19 armories during his tenure.
The Hoosick Falls (32nd Separate Company) Armory, built in 1889, is located on the southeast corner of the intersection of Church Street (Route 22) and Elm Street in the densely built-up historic core of the village. Extensively altered older commercial buildings and scattered modern infill are located to the north and south along Church Street and the west along Elm Street. Altered older residences are located along Elm Street to the east (rear) of the armory.
The armory is a large, rectangular, gable-roofed brick building constructed of load-bearing brick wall built upon a raised, rusticated gray limestone foundation. The two and one-half story, one-room deep front section serves as the administrative headquarters and the two-story, eight-bay- deep rear section houses the drill shed.
The front (west) facade of the administrative section features a three-bay, side-hall main block flanked by two round towers. The entrance contains a large steel double-door flanked by half-sidelights and surmounted by a large, round fanlight with a protective iron grill. (The light and grill are presently obscured by modern signage.) A brick arch with chamfered reveals encircles the entrance. Fenestration throughout the remainder of the facade is symmetrical; the first-story features tripartite windows surmounted by large, round fanlights while the second story features pairs of round-arched, double-hung sash with chamfered reveals, roughly hewn stone sills and brick arches. The apex of the front gable end is distinguished by a machicolated cornice, a simple corbelled string course and a group of three tall, round-arched windows.
The three-story northwest tower, stout and heavy in its proportions, features tall, narrow, double-hung sash windows with chamfered reveals flared brick lintels and roughly hewn stone sills. Windows in the third and attic stories are much shorter but feature trim similar to that found on the first- and second-story windows. First-story windows are covered with protective iron bars. A crenelated brick parapet and a machicolated cornice crown the tower.
The two and one-half story southwest tower, far more slender in its proportions than the three-story northwest tower, features tall, narrow windows with chamfered reveals, stone sills and flared brick lintels. A conical roof crowns the tower.
The eight-bay-deep drill shed extends eastward along Elm Street. Brick pilasters separate the bays; most bays contain tripartite windows surmounted by large, round-arched fanlights with iron grills. (These windows are identical to those found on the front facade of the armory.) Two bays contain double-doors which provide direct access into the drill shed. A large, stout, one-story tower with a low-pitched conical roof is attached to the northeast (rear) corner of the drill shed. The rear (east) elevation of the drill shed is blank. The north elevation, abutting the adjacent car dealership, is similar in design and detailing to the south elevation. A standing seam metal roof with three large shed-roofed dormers surmounts the drill shed.
The interior survives with a moderate degree of integrity of design, materials and craftsmanship. Notable features include the oak staircase in the front hall, some original door and window trim, and original oak lockers. original office spaces on the second floor generally survive intact, but most original plaster walls have been covered with modern paneling. The attic story, which once contained classrooms, has been extensively altered. The basement contains some original pressed metal ceilings, but the original bowling alley is gone, and the taproom, kitchen and dining facilities have been modernized. The drill shed survives substantially intact with its original hardwood floors, brick walls, exposed steel trusses and a wainscoted ceiling.
The Hoosick Falls Armory was added to the State Historical Register in June, 1991, and the National Register on 2 March 1995.
The armory was originally occupied by the 32nd Separate Company, later Company C of the 2nd NY Infantry Regiment. The 2nd NY became the 105th Regiment. When the 27th Infantry became an Armored Division after WW2, the 1st Bn 105th became the 1st Bn 205th Armor with C Company in Hoosick Falls. About 1970 the 205th merged with the 210th Armor and Hoosick Falls was a Detachment of the new Company C (formerly A/1-205 AR) 1 Bn 210th Armor. Eventually the complete Company C was reestablished here in the early 1990s. The 210th was merged with and redesignated 1st Bn 101st Cavalry in 1993 and Hoosick Falls became Company C, 1 Bn 101 Cavalry (Armor).
