The Crandell Theatre is a distinctive starting point for exploring Chatham’s cultural history: the historic movie theater, built in 1926, is on Main Street and is the oldest and largest single-screen theater in Columbia County. But Chatham’s history is not told through the cinema alone; art installations, public buildings, and the town’s former role as a railroad hub each add their own perspective.

Chatham Through the Eras

The village of Chatham was incorporated as Chatham Four Corners in 1847 and took its current name in 1869. The railroad offers a different historical timeline: from the 1850s through the 1950s, Chatham was an important mainline station on the Boston & Albany. Union Station was built in 1887, during Chatham’s heyday as a railroad hub. Its construction therefore fell squarely within the period when the railroad played an important role in the town.

Individual buildings also tell different stories about the town’s history. The Clocktower’s distinctive pendulum clock dates from 1872 and remains in its original condition. Tracy Memorial Village Hall was built in 1912 as a gift from the Tracy family to the village of Chatham. Chatham Public Library was completed in 1905; John Wheeler and William Howland secured Andrew Carnegie’s $15,000 grant. The clock, village hall, and library represent different forms of local heritage: a distinctive feature, a gift to the village, and a library building funded by Carnegie.

Historic Buildings and Former Uses

The Central Square Building was built in 1815 as the Park Hotel and was later called the Windsor Hotel. The 1811 Inn is the oldest building in Chatham and operated as a hotel and tavern. Both buildings are connected to the town’s hotel history, but in different ways: the Central Square Building through its original and later names, and the 1811 Inn through its age and use.

Cady’s Hall broadens the picture of Chatham’s former entertainment and event venues. Built in 1871, the building has served over the course of its history as, among other things, an opera house, a venue for vaudeville performances, movies, and dances, a place for military drills, a roller-skating rink, and a miniature golf course. Its changing uses show how varied the history of a single building can be.

Art, Walking Tours, and Time Outdoors

Two site-specific art installations are located on the grounds of PS21 in Chatham: Solo Pavilion for Two or Three by James Casebere and Dandelions by Silda Wall Spitzer and Tim Jones. Both are part of the year-round arts program. These works on the grounds add another cultural focus to the stories of cinema and architecture.

A self-guided historical walking tour offers one way to explore Chatham’s local history. The Chatham Village Historical Society has also held historical walking tours and presentations on local history. These are distinct offerings: the first is designed as a walking tour, while the society has also held presentations on the town’s history.

The Crellin Community Park in the Town of Chatham offers a different kind of day out. It has a swimming pond and beach; access to swimming may be regulated seasonally. The park also includes a fitness and nature trail, a concrete skatepark, and pump tracks. Swimming, spending time on the trail, and enjoying the skating facilities offer different ways to spend time in the park. If you plan to swim, check the conditions in advance, as access may be regulated seasonally.

Discover more destinations: Ghent, Hudson, New Lebanon, Copake, Hollowville, East Chatham.

For the main travel overview: Columbia.