LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 300th Anniversary of the
Kinderhook Reformed Church, to be celebrated in 2012

WHEREAS, Religious institutions, and the many spiritual, social and
educational benefits they confer, play a vital role in the development
of the moral fabric of a responsible citizenry; and
WHEREAS, It is the tradition of this State and this Nation to pay
tribute to those institutions and individuals who have contributed to
the ethical and spiritual values of their communities; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body takes pleasure in commemorating the
300th Anniversary of the Kinderhook Reformed Church, to be celebrated in
2012; and
WHEREAS, The year 2012 marks the 300th Anniversary of the Kinderhook
Reformed Church; founded in 1712 as an independent church, the church is
as old as the town of Kinderhook itself; and
WHEREAS, Prior to its founding in 1712 as an independent church, the
Kinderhook Reformed Church was a mission church for the mother church in
Albany, New York; the first structure associated with the church was
built in approximately 1677 on the corner of Hudson Street and Maiden
Lane in Kinderhook; and
WHEREAS, The single most famous member of the Kinderhook Reformed
Church was Martin Van Buren, the eighth President of the United States;
and
WHEREAS, Between 1814 and 1816, the Kinderhook Reformed Church build-
ing was relocated to its present Broad Street location; and
WHEREAS, The current structure of the Kinderhook Reformed Church is
the fourth church building; its construction was completed in 1869 and
is in the early Romanesque Revival style, emphasizing rounded arches
characteristic of medieval Romanesque structures in Europe; and
WHEREAS, In addition to serving the spiritual life of its members and
shaping community planning and character, the Kinderhook Reformed Church
fulfills other important community roles; for more than a century and a
half it has played an important role in education; it reaches out to
those in need in the community and has always maintained its missionary
expeditions; and
WHEREAS, Under the auspices of its current Pastor, Rudolph Philippus
Visser, the Kinderhook Reformed Church stands on the threshold of tomor-
row, prepared to meet the challenges of the coming decades while retain-
ing that spiritual resolve which characterizes its past; and
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to take note of
enduring religious institutions and to bring such institutions to the
attention of the people of this Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 300th Anniversary of the Kinderhook Reformed Church,
fully confident that this commemoration reflects the belief in those
values which enhance the dignity and purpose of life; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Kinderhook Reformed Church.