After Henry Hudson explored the river that would be named after him in 1609, his employer, the Dutch government, began colonizing the valley as New Netherland.
The capital, Fort Orange, its boundaries roughly corresponding to Albany's present downtown, was established as far upriver as possible in order to strengthen the Dutch claim to the area.
In 1624 the Dutch East India Company appointed someone to perform informal religious services for the settlers in the vicinity of the fort.

The church itself was formally organized in 1642.
A minister was called, elders and deacons were elected.
Services were first held in the manor house of the local patroon, the Van Rensselaer family, then a converted warehouse and a log cabin.
In 1656 the first dedicated church building, was built on the property of Jan Coster Van Auken adjoining his shop at what is now the steam boat landing, a stone structure  was erected.
It was referred to as "the blockhouse" because it doubled as a defensive structure in case of attack.
 The weathervane from that building graced the church's roof for many years; today it is in the church's archives, with a copy in its place.

In 1664, following the First Anglo-Dutch War, King Charles II of Great Britain had New Netherland seized.
The settlement around the fort was renamed Albany.
Worship continued unimpeded at the church, even as the Dutch briefly assumed control of the colony again during the Third Anglo-Dutch War.
In 1686, the city was incorporated under British sovereignty as the capital of the Province of New York.
Its founding document, the Dongan Charter, gave the church title to the pastures then south of the city as partial payment for a loan; the church rented the lots out to local farmers.

Three years later the church began its mission to the Mohawks, the Native American tribe in the area.
It continued for almost 50 years and baptized over 300 converts.
In 1715 the church built a larger, hip-roofed stone church around the blockhouse church, then dismantled the older building.

Five years later the church was formally incorporated itself, as the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in the City of Albany.
A half-century later, as the Revolution loomed, the church was among the founding members of the independent synod that later became today's Reformed Church in America (RCA).
As the American colonies followed the church's lead and fought for their independence from Britain, the church held prayer meetings and opened its doors to serve as a hospital for troops of the Continental Army injured at the Battle of Saratoga.

In 1782, as the war was ending with American independence a certain outcome, General George Washington visited the church's consistory to personally thank them for their support.
Around the same time, the church began holding its first services in English, which would totally overtake Dutch as its liturgical language within eight years.
It would be part of the Classis of Albany established in 1785.

Two years later, the church began to divest itself of the pasturelands south of the city, opening them up to development.
In 1789, the process of building the current church began.
Philip Hooker, a local carpenter's son who had been establishing himself as an architect in the Albany area, was commissioned to design it.
It took several years to get construction going on Hooker's first major work, delayed by punch list items like changing the roof cladding from shingles to copper and altering the cupola design.
In 1798, a few months before the $25,000 ($377,000 in modern dollars) project was completed and opened for services, one of Albany's newspapers called it "a superb and elegant building."

Hooker's Georgian design featured graceful pediments and grouped columns.
He may have based it on Charles Bulfinch's Hollis Street Church in Boston.
When built it was just the main block, and a simpler front entrance.
The windows were set with plain leaded glass.

The 1715 church was sold to the city and demolished in 1806.
Its handcarved pulpit was preserved and reused in the new church.
Five years later a
After Henry Hudson explored the river that would be named after him in 1609, his employer, the Dutch government, began colonizing the valley as New Netherland. The capital, Fort Orange, its boundaries roughly corresponding to Albany's present downtown, was established as far upriver as possible in order to strengthen the Dutch claim to the area. In 1624 the Dutch East India Company appointed someone to perform informal religious services for the settlers in the vicinity of the fort.
The church itself was formally organized in 1642. A minister was called, elders and deacons were elected. Services were first held in the manor house of the local patroon, the Van Rensselaer family, then a converted warehouse and a log cabin. In 1656 the first dedicated church building, was built on the property of Jan Coster Van Auken adjoining his shop at what is now the steam boat landing, a stone structure  was erected. It was referred to as "the blockhouse" because it doubled as a defensive structure in case of attack.  The weathervane from that building graced the church's roof for many years; today it is in the church's archives, with a copy in its place.
In 1664, following the First Anglo-Dutch War, King Charles II of Great Britain had New Netherland seized. The settlement around the fort was renamed Albany. Worship continued unimpeded at the church, even as the Dutch briefly assumed control of the colony again during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. In 1686, the city was incorporated under British sovereignty as the capital of the Province of New York. Its founding document, the Dongan Charter, gave the church title to the pastures then south of the city as partial payment for a loan; the church rented the lots out to local farmers.
Three years later the church began its mission to the Mohawks, the Native American tribe in the area. It continued for almost 50 years and baptized over 300 converts. In 1715 the church built a larger, hip-roofed stone church around the blockhouse church, then dismantled the older building.
Five years later the church was formally incorporated itself, as the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in the City of Albany. A half-century later, as the Revolution loomed, the church was among the founding members of the independent synod that later became today's Reformed Church in America (RCA). As the American colonies followed the church's lead and fought for their independence from Britain, the church held prayer meetings and opened its doors to serve as a hospital for troops of the Continental Army injured at the Battle of Saratoga.
In 1782, as the war was ending with American independence a certain outcome, General George Washington visited the church's consistory to personally thank them for their support. Around the same time, the church began holding its first services in English, which would totally overtake Dutch as its liturgical language within eight years. It would be part of the Classis of Albany established in 1785.
Two years later, the church began to divest itself of the pasturelands south of the city, opening them up to development. In 1789, the process of building the current church began. Philip Hooker, a local carpenter's son who had been establishing himself as an architect in the Albany area, was commissioned to design it. It took several years to get construction going on Hooker's first major work, delayed by punch list items like changing the roof cladding from shingles to copper and altering the cupola design. In 1798, a few months before the $25,000 ($377,000 in modern dollars) project was completed and opened for services, one of Albany's newspapers called it "a superb and elegant building."
Hooker's Georgian design featured graceful pediments and grouped columns. He may have based it on Charles Bulfinch's Hollis Street Church in Boston. When built it was just the main block, and a simpler front entrance. The windows were set with plain leaded glass.
The 1715 church was sold to the city and demolished in 1806. Its handcarved pulpit was preserved and reused in the new church. Five years later a 
First Church in Albany (Reformed)