First Congregational Church of Albany

The First Congregational Church of Albany, also known as The Ray Palmer Memorial, is located on Quail Street in the Woodlawn section of Albany, New York, United States. It is a brick building in the Colonial Revival architectural style built in the 1910s and expanded half a century later. In 2014 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Within two years of its establishment in 1850 the congregation hosted the Albany Convention, a gathering which helped Congregationalism develop a nationwide reach. The Rev. Ray Palmer, later known for his hymns, guided the church through its early years, when it was located in downtown Albany, first in a former Presbyterian church and later in its own building. In the early 20th century, the church followed its congregants in moving out towards the more suburban areas of Albany being developed along the city's trolley lines. The Fuller & Robinson Company designed the present church, following the Wren–Gibbs tradition. It was the first Colonial Revival church in the city, attracting much local media attention. Construction was delayed by the onset of World War I; it was formally dedicated to Ray Palmer in 1919. As one of the first churches to establish itself in those areas, it formed a social center of the new neighborhood. After World War II, plans went ahead to build a Sunday school wing intended for the original church. It w

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