KINGSTON – The Old Dutch Church in Kingston has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark.

The New York State Historic Preservation Office submitted the Old Dutch Church's National Historic Landmark nomination application to NPS in June 2006. The nomination was considered in December 2007 by the NPS Landmarks Committee, which votes on whether to recommend the designation to the NPS Advisory Board, which in turn counsels the Secretary of the Interior on whether to approve the site. Prior to the meeting of the NPS Landmarks Committee, Congressman Maurice Hinchey urging them to support the Old Dutch Church's designation as a National Historic Landmark.

"The church has played a vital role in the Kingston community for centuries and its beautiful architecture and deeply rich history make it very worthy of a National Historic Landmark designation,” Hinchey said. “It has taken a lot of work on the part of many people to reach this day, but I am very pleased that people all across the nation will now be able to more easily learn about the Old Dutch Church as well as the City of Kingston.”

The proper name for the church is the First Reformed Protestant Dutch Church. The congregation of the First Dutch Reformed Protestant Church was organized in 1659 as a direct result of the settlers' petition to Peter Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant gifted these settlers with the half acre parcel on which the church stands today. After the English wrested control of the New Netherlands settlements in 1663, King George granted Old Dutch a charter of incorporation and confirmed its title to the half acre parcel.