When you think of Albany today, you probably picture the brutalist concrete of the Empire State Plaza or maybe just a lot of politicians in suits. You don't usually think of 40,000 people—nearly twice the city's population at the time—crowding onto a hillside to watch a man die. But that's exactly what happened during the Albany New York hanging of Jesse Strang in 1827.
It was the last public execution the city ever saw.
And honestly? It was a total circus. People brought their kids. They packed picnic lunches. They bought souvenirs. It was the 19th-century version of a viral true-crime documentary, played out in real-time on a grassy slope near what is now Hudson Avenue and Eagle Street. If you’re standing near the New York State Museum today, you’re basically standing on the spot where the gallows once stood.
The Scandal That Rocked Cherry Hill
The whole thing started at Cherry Hill, the grand Georgian mansion that still sits on South Pearl Street. Back then, it was the home of the Van Rensselaers, basically Albany royalty. John Whipple, a wealthy businessman, lived there with his wife, Elsie.
But Elsie was bored. And frustrated. And, according to some accounts, pretty "irksome."
Enter Jesse Strang. He was a drifter who had abandoned his own family in Putnam County and ended up at Cherry Hill working as a handyman under the fake name Joseph Orton. He and Elsie started a torrid, secret affair. They communicated by having household staff sneak letters back and forth. Eventually, Elsie decided the only way they could be together—and keep the money—was to get rid of John.
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She actually tried to poison his tea with arsenic first. It didn't work.
On May 7, 1827, Jesse Strang climbed onto the roof of a shed behind the mansion. He had a $15 rifle. He waited until he saw John Whipple sitting by his bedroom window, then he pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Whipple in the back, near his left shoulder. Whipple jumped up, yelled "Oh Lord!" and died.
Two Trials, Two Very Different Fates
The law caught up with them fast. Strang confessed, thinking he’d get a lighter sentence if he pinned the whole plan on Elsie. He told everyone she was the mastermind. She bought the rifle. She pulled the curtains back so he had a clear shot.
The trial was a mess of class politics. The prosecutor, Edward Livingston, was a relative of the Van Rensselaers. He basically told Strang to his face: "You are guilty, you must die!" The judge called Strang a "serpent."
Elsie, on the other hand? She was "one of them." Despite all the evidence, the jury acquitted her in four days. She walked free. Strang was sentenced to the gallows.
The Day of the Albany New York Hanging
August 24, 1827, was a Friday. The city was paralyzed by the sheer volume of people pouring in from the surrounding countryside. They called the site "Gallows Hill."
Imagine the scene:
- A massive wooden structure built specifically for the event.
- Thousands of people jostling for a better view.
- Local vendors selling food and "confession" pamphlets.
Strang was led out, and the trapdoor was dropped. It wasn't just a punishment; it was a spectacle designed to "educate" the public. But the sheer "distaste" of the event—the rowdiness of the crowd and the obvious inequality of Elsie walking free while Strang swung—left a bad taste in the city's mouth. Albany never held a public hanging again.
The Earlier, Darker History of Hanging Elm Tree Corner
While the Strang execution is the one people talk about because of the romance and the mansion, Albany’s history with the rope goes back much further and is much grimmer.
Long before the Empire State Plaza, the intersection of State and Pearl Streets was known as "Hanging Elm Tree Corner." There was a massive elm tree there that served as a natural gallows.
In 1793, a massive fire destroyed a huge chunk of Albany. The city panicked. They blamed three enslaved people: a man named Pompey and two girls, Bett (12) and Dinah (14).
Bett and Pompey were hanged from that elm tree in downtown Albany in 1794. But for Dinah, the authorities wanted to make a more brutal point. They built a gallows on Pinxter Hill—the very spot where the State Capitol sits today.
Why there? Because Pinxter Hill was where enslaved and free Black people gathered for an annual festival. The city chose that spot specifically to traumatize the community and "send a message."
Why We Still Talk About This
History isn't just dates; it's the physical space we inhabit. When you walk through Lafayette Park today (near Hawk and Elk Streets), some people claim they feel a chill. There are old legends about a man who was hanged there, swearing his innocence, promising to haunt the site until his name was cleared.
The University at Albany actually houses the "Espy File," which is basically the most comprehensive archive of executions in U.S. history. It’s got records of over 15,000 legal executions. It’s a reminder that what we now see as "macabre history" was once just the standard operating procedure for the New York justice system.
New York eventually moved away from hanging. They thought they were being more "humane" when they invented the electric chair in 1890. The first person to die in "Old Sparky" was William Kemmler. It was a disaster. The first surge didn't kill him; he was still breathing and groaning. They had to turn it back on. Witnesses reported the smell of burning flesh.
Suddenly, the old Albany New York hanging methods didn't seem so different from the "modern" ones.
If You Want to See It for Yourself
You don't have to just read about this. You can actually visit the sites where these things happened.
- Historic Cherry Hill: They do "Murder at Cherry Hill" tours every October. You can stand in the room where John Whipple was shot and see the very window the bullet came through.
- The State Capitol: When you're standing on the steps, remember that this was Pinxter Hill, the site of the 1794 execution of 14-year-old Dinah.
- The Empire State Plaza: The area near Hudson Avenue is where the 1827 gallows stood.
Honestly, the best way to understand Albany isn't through a textbook. It's by looking at the layers of the city. One layer is the modern government. One layer is the 19th-century elite. And right beneath that is a history of public spectacle, questionable justice, and the heavy shadow of the gallows.
If you’re doing your own research, check out the Digital Archive of Executions at UAlbany. It’s open to the public and it’s honestly fascinating—if you have the stomach for it. It really puts the "capital" in Capital Region.
The next time you're walking down State Street, look at the trees. They aren't just for shade. In this city, they've seen a lot more than most people care to remember.
Take a walk through the South End and visit the Cherry Hill mansion. It’s the best way to get a feel for the era. Most people just drive past it on their way to the highway, but the real story of Albany is tucked away in those old brick walls.
Research the Pinkster festival history. Understanding why the city chose Pinxter Hill for executions gives you a much deeper insight into the racial tensions of early New York than any standard tour could provide.
Visit the New York State Museum. They often have exhibits on the 19th-century history of the city that give context to these trials beyond just the "ghost story" aspect.