Chatham: Cinema, Art, and Local History

Chatham combines local history and culture with opportunities to spend time outdoors. Cultural attractions include a historic cinema and art installations; Crellin Community Park offers more activities. If you’re looking for a hotel in Chatham, you can tailor your stay to these varied interests.

Local History and Historic Buildings

The village of Chatham was incorporated as Chatham Four Corners in 1847 and received its current name in 1869. The railroad is another chapter in the town’s history: from the 1850s to the 1950s, Chatham was a major mainline station on the Boston & Albany. Union Station was built in 1887, when the town was flourishing as a railroad hub. The town’s name and railroad history thus represent different chapters in Chatham’s development.

Cady’s Hall was built in 1871 and served many purposes over the course of its history, including as an opera house and a venue for vaudeville performances, films, and dances, as well as military drills. The building later served as a roller-skating rink and for miniature golf. The Central Square Building was established in 1815 as the Park Hotel and was later called the Windsor Hotel. The 1811 Inn is the oldest building in Chatham; it operated as a hotel and tavern.

The Tracy Memorial Village Hall and Chatham Public Library are also part of the town’s architectural history. The Village Hall was built in 1912 as a gift from the Tracy family to the village of Chatham. The library was completed in 1905 with a $15,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie, secured by John Wheeler and William Howland. These varied building and use histories offer several points of connection if you’re interested in Chatham’s development.

Cinema, Art, and Walking Tours

The Crandell Theatre is a historic cinema dating to 1926 on Main Street in Chatham. It is the oldest and largest single-screen cinema in Columbia County. The cinema connects the town’s history with a distinction unique to the county.

The grounds of PS21 feature two site-specific art installations: James Casebere’s Solo Pavilion for Two or Three and Dandelions by Silda Wall Spitzer and Tim Jones. Both are part of the site’s year-round art offerings. For another way to explore local history, Chatham has a self-guided historic walking tour. The Chatham Village Historical Society has also hosted historic walking tours and presentations about the town’s history.

Time at Crellin Community Park

Crellin Community Park in the Town of Chatham has a swimming pond and beach; swimming access may be seasonal. The park also has a fitness and nature trail, a concrete skatepark, and pump tracks. This offers a range of activities in one place: swimming, exercise on the trail, and skating or riding the pump tracks. If swimming is part of your plans, check swimming access before your visit.

Local history, the installations at PS21, and the activities at Crellin Community Park each offer a distinct focus for a stay.

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

For the broader travel overview: Columbia.