First Reformed Church in Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

, also known as First Church in Albany or North Dutch Church, was designed by Philip Hooker

Philip Hooker

Philip Hooker was at one time the leading architect of New York State outside of New York City. He designed Hyde Hall, the facade of the Hamilton College Chapel, The Albany Academy, Albany City Hall, Hart-Cluett Mansion and the original New York State Capitol building. He is believed to have...

 and built in 1798. It is a member of the Reformed Church in America

Reformed Church in America

The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...

. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places listings in Albany, New York

The National Register of Historic Places listings in Albany, New York represent the history of Albany from the Dutch colonial era, through the British colonial era, the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and World War II, in addition to various periods of immigration into New York's...

 in 1974.

History

The congregation of the First Church in Albany is the second oldest congregation in the state of New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. It was established in 1642 to serve the Dutch inhabitants of Fort Orange, the adjacent village of Beverwyck

Beverwyck

Beverwijck was a fur-trading community north of Fort Orange on the Hudson River in New Netherland that was to become Albany, New York, when the English took control of the colony in 1664....

, and the patroonship of Rensselaerswyck in general. The current church is the fourth building, The pulpit

Pulpit

Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...

 was imported from the Netherlands in 1656 and is the oldest pulpit in the United States. Shortly after being constructed a memorial service was held for Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...

 here. The name North Dutch Church came about when the Second Reformed Church was built in 1806 and called the South Church (and later Middle). Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...

 attended services here while Governor. A handicap-accessible entrance and further additions were added in the back in 1988.

Artifacts

The First Church has many notable artifacts, including the oldest pulpit and weathercock in the United States, both from 1656. The church also has a large collection of colonial silver and archival records from the 18th century to today.

The church had clear glass windows until 1858.

External links

• First Church in Albany website
• First Reformed Church, North Pearl & Orange Streets, Albany, Albany County, NY: 4 photos, 8 drawings, and 2 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey