The congregation first formed in 1854 as Christ Church. Six years later, it had incorporated and hired Richard Upjohn, a prominent architect noted for his churches, to design a building. His original plans are on file at Columbia University's Avery Library. The cornerstone—located at the southwest buttress of the tower—was laid on June 14, 1859 and the church was consecrated by Bishop Horatio Potter on October 25, 1860. Holy Comforter is a Gothic-Revival structure with walls of local Ulster Countybluestone from across the river and trim of New Jerseybrownstone. Inside, the original pews are still in place and the vaulted ceiling is supported with wooden ribs.[1][3] An addition to the north was built in 1867 with funds provided by William Augustus Davies in memory of his late wife, Sarah Van Wagenen.
It is now known as the Church of the Holy Comforter in the Archdiocese of New York of the Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church of America and is no longer affiliated with the Episcopal Church. Its break with the Episcopal Church grew out of disagreements and events in the 1970s. It was later affiliated with the Anglican Church and recently became affiliated with the Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church of America.
^The original church was "free" which meant that it did not have pew rents. It was customary at the time to charge a fee for pews and this church was meant for the working class people and poor of this area.
