Village of Chatham prepared to celebrate 150 years

Columbia-Greene Media

CHATHAM — The village of Chatham will commemorate a historic milestone Friday — celebrating its 150th birthday.

The public is invited to a casual open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Tracy Memorial, 77 Main St., to honor the landmark anniversary.

Founded in 1869, the village holds several buildings and features that offer a peek into the past. Many historical photographs of the village will be on display Friday for guests to view. Steve Oberon will offer two historical presentations of “The Tracy: Monument of a Golden Age in Chatham” at 6:15 and 7 p.m. upstairs in the courtroom.

Guests at the open house can participate in a free raffle, featuring a gift basket valued at $450 with products and gift certificates to local merchants. Local finger foods and nonalcoholic beverages will be served with beverages from Chatham Brewing and Hudson-Chatham Winery available for purchase.

Chatham resident Lauren Kneller, who helped plan the festivities, is excited to celebrate the village’s history and look to its future.

“Traditionally speaking, when the village had its 50- or 100-year anniversary, they always did a celebration at the Tracy,” she said Wednesday. “In previous years, it was a more formal banquet, but we wanted to make it more open so more people could come. We want everyone to feel welcome to enjoy themselves.”

A Ghent native, Kneller graduated from the Chatham Central School District in 2011, but the village holds a special place. Her grandmother, Betsy Kneller, lives in the village and her father is a lifelong resident.

“It’s really important to commemorate this great community that was established 150 years ago with great people,” Lauren said.

Kneller and Oberon serve together on the board of the Friends of Tracy — a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness and money to help maintain the village’s historic character.

This year, the organization is working to preserve the Tracy Memorial, which has fallen into disrepair. The building’s roof leaks, Kneller said, and updates are needed to make the space handicap-accessible in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“If you have to come to court and can’t do stairs, that’s a big issue,” Kneller said. “In a historical building, putting in a lift or elevator has to be done in a very particular way to maintain its historical significance, which adds to the cost.”

Members of the Friends of Tracy hope Friday’s open house will also shed a light on the need to keep the property’s history alive.

“A lot of people don’t know who the Friends of Tray are,” Kneller said. “There are some people who live in the village who have driven past [the Tracy] hundreds of times, but to go inside to see the grand staircase... to see the paint peeling here and the water damage there makes a difference.”

The Tracy Memorial was donated to the village of Chatham in May 1913 in the memory of Albert Tracy by his mother, Delia Tracy; and his wife, Margaret Tracy. The building, which is listed on the state’s Register of Historic Places, houses the village food pantry, court, municipal offices and the Chatham Police Department.

“The building is phenomenal,” Kneller said. “Walking through, you’ll see light fixtures, benches and wooden tables that are original to the building.”

Friday’s open house will kick off the village’s 150th festivities, with potential celebrations in the works for Chatham Area Business and Arts’ Summerfest and other events throughout the year.

“It really is a great area,” Kneller said of the village. “I’ve been quite a few places and there’s something about this area that has this charm and, for the most part, the people are friendly.

“It’s a good thing to remember how it was founded and hopefully, 150 years from now, people will celebrate something similar.”