Chatham Village Historical Society

Chatham New York's village was incorporated in 1869.  It was the crossroads of stagecoach routes in 1811 then railroads, starting with the Hudson & Berkshire RR followed by the Western Railroad, both prior to 1850.  

The 1887 Union Station, centered in the village between Main Street and Hudson Avenue, was utilized by train service up to the 1970's. It was registered as a national historic place May 1, 1974.  The historic structure was in dire need of repair by the 1990s when a dedicated group of citizens joined together to form the Chatham Village Historical Society. The society's purpose would initially be to save the landmark Union Station and to educate the public on Chatham's railroad history and heritage by collecting and preserving relevant ephemera and artifacts.  

Their mission expanded with the successfully aquisition and restoration of Union Station (now occupied by Kinderhook Bank).  The Chatham Village Historical Society aims to maintain structures that are of historic or architectural significance to Chatham village history.  The present structure of focus is the National and New York State registered historic 1814  Blinn-Pulver Farmhouse.  This American Federal home is to become the Chatham Village Museum where the public can view and utilize the society's history collection.

While working to rebuild the historic farmhouse, located on the former Union Turnpike, 195 Hudson Avenue, the society continues with programs for the community.  There have been railroad lectures, Civil War cemetery tours led by a sharpshooter reinactor with family ties to the village, third grade village tours focusing on How a Community Grows and Changes, and history tours of the village from the view of a horse drawn carriage, among others.  

In order for the Chatham Village Museum to become a reality, funds are needed to repair the historical Blinn-Pulver Farmhouse.  Twice monthly vendor fairs are held on site where you can get a glimpse of the museum collection in a temporary site next to the farmhouse.