You have to go back more than 200 years when Albany became the permanent home of state government, but did you know because of an oversight, the city was never actually named the capital?

It took well into the 20th century to pass a law naming Albany the official capital city. A resolution was passed in 1878 naming the Capitol building the seat of government, but not the city.

So what took so long?

Well, if it weren’t for the construction of the Empire State Plaza, we might still be waiting.

Assemblyman Charles Henderson of Hornell felt that that old resolution didn’t go far enough, and since the state was now expanding into the new swath of 98 acres to the south of the Capitol, it was the obvious thing to do.

Most lawmakers agreed, though three did oppose. And in June 1971, Gov. Nelson Rockefeller signed it into law, making Albany the official state capital. It only took 174 years.