New Tales of Old Dorp: New owner of Jay Street building discovers long-forgotten basement …

NEW TALES OF OLD DORP – You never know what is under your feet when walking around Schenectady. The remains of material goods left by Mahicans, Mohawks, Dutch and English settlers could be underfoot at any time. Of course, more recent discoveries can be just as fascinating. I received an email on Nov. 7 from a young man named Daniel Garroway who recently purchased the office building at 34 Jay St., diagonally across from Schenectady City Hall. He invited me to examine an underground bar in the building that he believed dated to Prohibition. I, of course, jumped at the chance to check it out. Investigating such finds is one my favorite aspects of being city historian. Larry Hart, one of my predecessors as city historian, noted in a column about Prohibition that “There was a place on Jay Street, not far from the old city hall, known as the Altroon Club and it managed to survive all 14 years of Prohibition.” Was Mr. Garroway’s speakeasy the Altroon Club? I immediately called Bill Buell, the county historian, and my occasional partner in crime. The three of us arranged a date and time to tour the speakeasy. Entering the club at
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