Future of beloved 28-foot-tall statue on a NY warehouse is up in the air
Albany has long embraced its towering canine landmark.
Nipper, a 28-foot-tall white dog with black ears, has perched atop a warehouse for nearly 70 years. The statue recreates the well-known image of a terrier listening closely to a phonograph, a symbol once widely used by the electronics and communications company RCA.
Over the decades, the figure has become a point of pride for the Hudson River city. Families spot it from the highway, and its likeness appears on items such as keychains, hats, and hoodies. For many residents, the statue and the city are closely linked. As one local, Cody Hitt, put it while out with friends near the site, thinking of Nipper brings Albany to mind, and vice versa.
That pride is now mixed with concern about what lies ahead. After years of legal disputes, the long-vacant four-story warehouse beneath the statue was recently marked with a red warning placard, signaling potential danger for emergency responders entering the structure.
Preservation advocates say the building’s condition could affect the statue itself. Cara Macri of the Historic Albany Foundation noted that because Nipper is attached to the structure, any serious damage to the building would make removing the statue difficult.
The real-life Nipper was a dog in late 19th-century England, known for nipping at people’s ankles. After his death, he was immortalized by Francis Barraud in the painting “His Master’s Voice,” which shows the dog listening to recorded sound from a phonograph. The image was later adopted as a trademark in the United States and eventually became associated with RCA.
Albany’s version of Nipper, built with a composite exterior over a steel frame, was lifted into place by crane in the late 1950s to mark the location of an RCA appliance distributor. While similar statues were produced elsewhere, Albany’s stands out for its size.
It has become a defining feature of a skyline that also includes a striking modern government complex near the state Capitol, complete with a tall office tower and a theater shaped like a giant egg.
Downtown shops continue to celebrate the statue’s popularity. At the Fort Orange General Store, owner Erica Cubello says Nipper-themed merchandise consistently ranks among the top sellers, and she describes the dog as an unofficial mascot for both the shop and the city.
Despite the statue’s well-kept appearance, the building beneath it has sat unused for more than a decade and shows signs of wear, including peeling paint. Earlier redevelopment plans for apartments and retail space never materialized, and foreclosure proceedings have dragged on for years.
By 2024, preservationists had added the site to a list of endangered properties. Earlier this year, the city posted a warning notice at the entrance, prompting renewed public attention, including a column urging greater protection for the landmark.
City officials are now exploring ways to safeguard the statue. The mayor’s office has said efforts are underway to designate Nipper as a historic landmark, a move that could help shield both the statue and the building from harmful alterations.
In addition, a state board recently nominated the surrounding warehouse district for inclusion on state and national historic registers, which could open the door to preservation tax credits.
There has been no serious proposal to relocate the statue, a task that would be both complicated and costly given its size and weight, estimated at around four tons.
Even so, some have speculated about possible new locations if it ever became necessary, from redeveloped downtown areas to the riverfront. For now, though, Nipper remains right where residents expect to find him, watching over the city he has come to represent.
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