In 1866 Palmer left to serve as secretary of the ACU, having helped the church grow to 407 members.
Shortly afterwards, the church began construction on its own building.
The Romanesque Revival structure of polychrome brick a few blocks away, at the corner of Beaver and Eagle streets, cost $130,000 to erect.
It was finished and dedicated in 1869; it too has since been demolished.

The new building could accommodate up to a thousand people at a service.
Almost that many people would be members of the First Congregational Church between its founding and 1886, the year it recorded having 396 members.
It hosted morning and evening services on Sundays, Sunday school, and supported the Bethany Mission School on South Pearl Street nearby.

While the church, like Albany generally, benefited from the Gilded Age prosperity and the city's location at the eastern end of the Erie Canal, the strong industrial economy was also changing the city in ways that would challenge the church.
By 1900, when First Congregational celebrated its 50th anniversary with speeches by prominent residents and a special service honoring the memory of Palmer, who had died in 1886, some of the longtime residents of Albany's downtown area, including some of the church's members, had moved out to newly developed suburban residential areas along the trolley lines that radiated outward.
In turn the neighborhoods near the church like the Mansion District were becoming home to immigrants from predominantly Catholic countries who worshipped at churches of their own faith.
Around the church itself, the neighborhood was becoming increasingly commercial, a place people visited and worked rather than lived.

The Rev. Charles Hager, pastor at that time, observed that there increasingly seemed to be a surplus of Protestant churches in the area relative to their churchgoers.
The decline in active congregants was also making it harder for the church to keep up the 1866 building.
In 1912, the church agreed to sell part of the lot to a developer planning an office block.
During negotiations, the developer expressed interest in buying the entire property if the church was interested in selling.

After a special meeting, the church approved it as long as it could take certain interior fixtures along to any new location.
Ultimately the deal failed to go through, but the question of the church's uncertain future in downtown Albany remained.
In 1915 the church's trustees reaffirmed the church's desire to relocate with funds obtained from the sale of the church.

Near the end of the following year, the sale was finally made, when the city was looking for a place for a new municipal building.
The property changed hands for only $35,000, almost $100,000 less than it had cost to building the church a half-century earlier, reflecting the decline in downtown land values in the early 20th century.
With the transaction complete, the church turned its attention to potential new property.

The best location seemed to be the area around Quail and Maple streets.
The land was inexpensive, a bus line had recently been started down nearby New Scotland Avenue, and several prominent members of the congregation had already moved to the rapidly growing Woodlawn neighborhood themselves.
Still, the church was not sure if the move would succeed.
While there were no other churches in the area there was no guarantee that Woodlawn residents would become members of First Congregational.
Older members, too, might find themselves unable to travel to the new location and could possibly leave the church if that were the case.
In 1866 Palmer left to serve as secretary of the ACU, having helped the church grow to 407 members. Shortly afterwards, the church began construction on its own building. The Romanesque Revival structure of polychrome brick a few blocks away, at the corner of Beaver and Eagle streets, cost $130,000 to erect. It was finished and dedicated in 1869; it too has since been demolished.
The new building could accommodate up to a thousand people at a service. Almost that many people would be members of the First Congregational Church between its founding and 1886, the year it recorded having 396 members. It hosted morning and evening services on Sundays, Sunday school, and supported the Bethany Mission School on South Pearl Street nearby.
While the church, like Albany generally, benefited from the Gilded Age prosperity and the city's location at the eastern end of the Erie Canal, the strong industrial economy was also changing the city in ways that would challenge the church. By 1900, when First Congregational celebrated its 50th anniversary with speeches by prominent residents and a special service honoring the memory of Palmer, who had died in 1886, some of the longtime residents of Albany's downtown area, including some of the church's members, had moved out to newly developed suburban residential areas along the trolley lines that radiated outward. In turn the neighborhoods near the church like the Mansion District were becoming home to immigrants from predominantly Catholic countries who worshipped at churches of their own faith. Around the church itself, the neighborhood was becoming increasingly commercial, a place people visited and worked rather than lived.
The Rev. Charles Hager, pastor at that time, observed that there increasingly seemed to be a surplus of Protestant churches in the area relative to their churchgoers. The decline in active congregants was also making it harder for the church to keep up the 1866 building. In 1912, the church agreed to sell part of the lot to a developer planning an office block. During negotiations, the developer expressed interest in buying the entire property if the church was interested in selling.
After a special meeting, the church approved it as long as it could take certain interior fixtures along to any new location. Ultimately the deal failed to go through, but the question of the church's uncertain future in downtown Albany remained. In 1915 the church's trustees reaffirmed the church's desire to relocate with funds obtained from the sale of the church.
Near the end of the following year, the sale was finally made, when the city was looking for a place for a new municipal building. The property changed hands for only $35,000, almost $100,000 less than it had cost to building the church a half-century earlier, reflecting the decline in downtown land values in the early 20th century. With the transaction complete, the church turned its attention to potential new property.
The best location seemed to be the area around Quail and Maple streets. The land was inexpensive, a bus line had recently been started down nearby New Scotland Avenue, and several prominent members of the congregation had already moved to the rapidly growing Woodlawn neighborhood themselves. Still, the church was not sure if the move would succeed. While there were no other churches in the area there was no guarantee that Woodlawn residents would become members of First Congregational. Older members, too, might find themselves unable to travel to the new location and could possibly leave the church if that were the case.
First Congregational Church of Albany