St. Peter's Episcopal Church

The foundation for St. Peter's, the massive stone church on State Street at the corner with Lodge St., was laid on St. Peter's Day, June 29th, 1859. The church was designed by Richard Upjohn (and/ or his son Richard M.), the architect famous for the design of Trinity Church in New York City. This is the third St. Peter's Church building to be built in Albany; the earlier ones dated to 1715 and 1803. A vestry room and corner tower reaching 180 feet were added in 1876. St. Peter's Church became a National Historic Landmark in 1980 and was listed in the New York and National Registers of Historic Places in 1972. The building still holds an active congregation of the Episcopal Church.

The 1715 St. Peter's was one of the earliest Anglican churches north of New York City. The church reportedly still owns a silver communion service given to them in 1715 by Queen Anne. Its replacement was built in 1803 at State and Lodge Streets. the location of the northeast part of Fort Frederick from colonial times; the church was demolished in 1859 so the new St. Peter's could be built in its place. The cornerstone was laid in June 1859 and the first service was held on September 16, 1859. The new church was formally consecrated on October 4, 1860 and had a seating capacity of 900.

The 1859-1860 St. Peter's was constructed of blocks of Schenectady bluestone and New Jersey sandstone on a slate foundation. The front is three bays wide and the tower is about 180 feet tall. The brown New Jersey sandstone around the doors and windows is carved with geometric designs. A number of the original stained-glass windows were made by the William Morris Company of London, England. The gable roof with dormers was covered in slate shingles when the building was studied in 1970 for listing in the National Register. Church bells were donated to St. Peter's in 1875 by George Tweddle in memoriam for family members. A marble altar sculpted by St. Gaudens was donated in 1885 by Robert C. and Charles L. Pruyn. Stained glass windows were installed in the chancel in 1885 by the Clayton and Bell Stained Glass Studio of London. They were one of the first things to be repaired when restoration of St. Peter's began in 1964. Inside, historic flags of the original thirteen colonies are displayed above the tall columns lining the central aisle.

The Rector of St. Peter's in 1890 was Rev. Walter W. Battershall. John A. Bevington was Assistant Minister of the Episcopal church and Superintendent of the Sunday School; William W. Bridgeford was the Sexton. St. Peter's organist, Frank Sill Rogers, held his first public recital of the season at the church in October 1894; he was accompanied by Miss Mae Dexter Rafferty's "fine soprano voice" on two musical numbers. St. Peter's was one of 73 churches in Albany by the first decade of the twentieth century. Rev. Charles C. Harriman was Rector of St. Peter's by 1919. Rev. Clifford Andrews was the pastor by the mid-1980s. The new Priest-in-Charge in 2022 was Rev. Christina Hunter.

Albany Chamber of Commerce. Facts: Albany, New York. Albany, NY. F.W. Putnam, 1907.

Anonymous. "Mr. Rogers' Recital." Argus (Albany) October 31st, 1894. 9-9.

Anonymous. "Mrs. W. H. Hallenbeck, to be Buried." Argus (Albany) September 2nd, 1919. 9-9.

Anonymous. "Rev. Andrews to Speak at Unity Service." News-Herald (Coeymans) January 16th, 1986. 1-1.

Liebs, Chester. NRHP Nomination of St. Peter's Church, 107 State St., Albany, N.Y. National Register. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 1970.

Pitts, Carolyn, New York State Historic Trust. Updated NRHP Nomination of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 107 State St., Albany, N.Y. National Register. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 1979.

St. Peter's Episcopal Church. History, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Albany, NY. January 1st, 2021. Accessed July 28th, 2022. https://www.stpeterschurchalbany.org/history/.

Sampson, Murdock & Company. The Albany Directory for the Year 1890. Albany, NY. Van Benthuysen Printing House, 1890.

Whish, John D. Albany Guide Book. Albany, NY. J. B. Lyon Company, 1917.