St. Andrew's history

A new chapel was built for $10,000 ($311,000 in modern dollars) in 1897 on Western Avenue near North Main, the same space occupied by the rectory today.

Two years later, in 1899, the chapel petitioned the diocese to separate itself from its parent church, since its congregation was increasingly composed of residents of the area who had no historical connection to the founding church.

Some time afterwards, the 1900 house that served as the church's rectory was purchased.

Architect Norman Sturgis designed the church to reflect the values of his mentor, Ralph Adams Cram, for whom he had worked as a draftsman after graduating from Harvard University's School of Architecture in 1913.

The chancel of the new church was enlarged in 1901. It bought the land south of the church in 1920 and began a fundraising campaign.

Despite difficulties raised by World War II, the mortgage was finally paid off and burned in 1947.

Echoing its own beginnings and reflecting the further suburban development of the Albany area in the mid-20th century, St Andrew's established the mission parish of St Boniface in Guilderland, just outside the city, in 1961.

Nine years later, in 1970, the church bought and installed a new organ.