History of Burials in Albany

The earliest church burials were at the church ground of the Dutch Church,
Albany’s first church. The church was located in the middle of the street
at the intersection of what is today State and Broadway. Some important
persons were interred inside or under the church. The first cemetery may
have been behind the church near what is now the D&H Plaza or SUNY Plaza.
First interments here occurred between 1656 and 1676. Prior to that time,
burials occurred on private property at family burial grounds.

As other churches were founded in Albany, many of them started their own
burial ground. The Dutch Church started a second cemetery on Beaver Street
in 1676, as their first one was reaching capacity. By the 1780’s church
cemeteries were nearly full and the city created a municipal cemetery at
State and Eagle Streets. By 1801, the city opened a new cemetery just off
State Street (State Street Burial Ground) at the eastern end of what is now
Washington Park. Most churches were given their own sections of the
municipal cemetery and many of the interments from previous church grounds
and the city cemetery at State and Eagle were moved here. Since most early
interments were in pine boxes that had disintegrated, bodies had decomposed,
many headstones were broken or missing and burial records were imprecise, it
was hard to maintain accurate records. Suffice it to say, that it was the
intention, which was carried out as best as possible, to move each of those
interred to the new location.

In 1841, in response to a growing problem with flooding at the State Street
Burial Ground, and continued deterioration of church cemeteries, a public
movement was undertaken to purchase and develop a “Rural Cemetery,”
beautifully landscaped and safely outside the city. This led to the
incorporation of Albany Rural Cemetery on April 2, 1841.

On October 7, 1844, a dedication celebration was held with the Governor as
an honored guest. The celebration began in downtown Albany and thousands of
marchers proceeded out to the cemetery led by the Albany Republican
Artillery, the Van Rensselaer Guards and the Albany Burgesses Corps. All
churches, fraternal and civic groups in the city participated. Thousands
gathered at the Cemetery’s Consecration Lake to participate in the
dedication.

For the next 40 years, families moved ancestors to new family plots at
Albany Rural.

In 1866, the Albany Common Council passed a resolution authorizing the
disinterment and transferal of all remains still located in the State Street
Burial Grounds and Albany church cemeteries to Albany Rural Cemetery. Among
those transferred were original interments from:

Dutch Church
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
First Presbyterian Church
Second Presbyterian Church
Third Presbyterian Church
United Presbyterian Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
Garretson Station Methodist Episcopal Church
Baptist Church
Society of Friends of Albany
Lutheran Ebenezer Church
St. Mary’s Catholic Church*
First Universalist Church
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Potter’s Field

A section at Albany Rural called the "Church Ground" was set aside and
marked out by church to receive these remaining interments.

In 2002, due to the development of Sage Colleges, the burial ground for the
Albany Poor House was moved to this same section of Albany Rural. The
burial ground for the Albany Poor House may also have included interments
from the Albany Orphanage, Albany Jail, unclaimed deceased from Albany
Hospital and unclaimed bodies recovered from the city and Hudson River.



*At this time, St. Agnes Catholic Cemetery was founded and disinterment from
St. Mary’s Catholic Church burial ground were brought there.