100 - 106 Glen Street
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Last updated 06/01/04
Building Name: Griffing and Rice
Building
Street Location: 100-106 Glen Street, Glens Falls
Use: Original: commercial/ office
Use: Present: 1980 commercial/ office
Date of Original Construction: 1906 for W. Irving Griffing and William H. Rice
Architect: Unknown
Builder: Gifford, Williams & Co., contractors and builders Glens Falls
Historical and Architectural Importance: This building has been the home of Glens Falls Newspaper since the turn of the century. Originally built for and occupied by, the Morning Post Publishing Company, in 1906, it served first as the home of the Morning Post, originally published in 1904 as a piece of 106 printing works for the Democratic Party campaign. Local Democratic Party leaders George R. Finch, Winfield A. Huppuch, John A. Dix and Isaac Blandy were the sponsors. (The 1904 election resulted in a Republican victory with the election of Theodore Roosevelt for President, and Glens Falls-born Charles Evans Hughes, as N.Y. State governor). George R. Finch arranged to have the Post continue at his own expense. Finch formed a corporation with William H. Rice, The Glens Falls Post Company, which bought out the Sandy Hill Daily News and the Glens Falls Republican, est. 1843. The Post became a daily Democratic mouth-piece in its own right and continued to oppose the Republican political machine in Warren County -- fighting for such issues as underground electric wires, a federal building for Glens Falls and a city charter. The Post was elected to membership in the Associated Press and the first AP dispatches in the Post appeared February 6, 1905. The enterprise was completely successful. By 1909, the company had purchased The Morning Star, the second daily newspaper published in Glens Falls; the first having been The Glens Falls Times, in 1879. The daily newspaper then became The Post-Star which continues today. In 1927, The Glens Falls Post Co. acquired the only other locally published paper, The Glens Falls Times. Until 1970, both papers were published by the company. At this time, both newspapers were sold to Howard Publications of Oceanside, California, and the Post- Star continues in publication today.
The Post- Star is the largest daily newspaper in northern New York, between the Albany Capital district and the Canadian border.
Significantly, the Griffing and Rice Building was the original Glens Falls headquarters for the Glens Falls Post Co. The building served in this capacity until 1964, when the editorial and executive offices were relocated in the renovated adjacent Kendrick and Brown Building. From 1964 until 1970, both buildings served as office and production space for the company.
Architecturally, the building is an early example of the decorative use of concrete block for facade fabric. In this case, the pattern of rock faced blocks is varied to obscure the flat look that each block has.
SOURCES:: 2, D, C, 11, 10
Name of Collector: Richard C. Youngken
Collected on: September 16, 1980
Organizations: City of Glens Falls, Community Development Office
Previous ownership:
Previous occupants: