Rediscover Chatham
Chatham is a little town built on more than 300 years of hustle and bustle. The industrious Dutch settled there in the late 17th century, followed by equally energetic German and English colonizers with plans to harness the power of Stein Kill Creek to power their mills.
By the close of the 19th century it became a major transportation hub with four railroad lines crossing through it, making it a center of travel and industry. Today that same kind of “can-do” attitude quietly infuses the quaint village center nestled between the Berkshire foothills and the Catskill Mountains.
A visit to the town on a sunny November afternoon revealed attractive mom-and-pop shops catering to a steady stream of visitors who had journeyed there to stroll down memory lane, far from big box stores and acres of paved-over parking lots.
Merchants catered to their customers (no need to wander through vast spaces looking for an employee) while industriously stocking shelves in preparation for the holiday shopping season and the town’s annual Winterfest, set this year for December 13th.
For their part, the visitors surveyed a thriving community with stores displaying arrays of quality gift items, clothing, gourmet cheeses and food stuffs, handcrafted artisan soaps, natural wax candles and books. Perhaps they decided then to take in a movie at the Crandel Theater, to linger in one of several attractive eateries that lined the street or to try craft beers at the award-winning Chatham Brewery with its14 varieties of unique beers on tap in the tasting room.
Dining opportunities are scattered throughout the downtown, ranging from Mexican options for breakfast and lunch at Fiesta Café to pub fare at the People’s Pub and baked goods at the Fork & Whisk bakery and café.
The town is heavily involved in the arts with both community performance and world-class entertainment at the summer stock Mac-Hadyn Theater which is active from May through September. In the center of town is The Crandell, a recently renovated single-screen movie theater that will celebrate its centennial on Christmas Day 2026. It reopened in mid-October after a renovation that included installation of a bright new marquee that reflects its long and venerable career, new projection and sound systems, better seats and improved accessibility. Two days after it reopened, it hosted the FilmColumbia Festival, heralding the next chapter in its long history.
In one shop located in the iconic Clocktower Building at 1 Main Street, Judy Hartford, who left her career as a psychotherapist at age 59 to wander into the realm of retail, was busy packing up the Red Mannequin’s remaining merchandise to move it to a new location at 38 Main Street. She expects to be ensconced there by this weekend.
Hartford is no stranger to moving her business. She began her first merchandizing venture with Bananas on Martha’s Vineyard and has since operated the Red Mannequin in both Hudson and Chatham. The shop offers a “personally chosen collections of clothing, accessories and gifts designed by creative artisans with sharp minds and loving hands,” the kinds of things you don’t see in department stores.
Indeed, among the unique accessories still on display before the move was a collection of jewelry created by Julia Britell, a Berkshire artisan who works in sterling silver and semi-precious stones as well as a host of other materials.
Both women appreciate the cultural milieu of Chatham. “It’s upscale but down to earth,” proclaimed Hartford. “That’s the secret—it’s held on to that small-town feel.”
Before we leave the Clocktower Building behind, we urge visitors to look up at the 1872 E. Howard & Co. pendulum clock that looms above Main Street. It is the last of its kind still in its original condition. Despite an approach that involves narrow ladders and trap doors, it is lovingly maintained, hand-cranked and calibrated to the correct time twice a week.
Britell is not the only jewelry artisan in town. Joane Cornell Fine Jewelry at 9 Main Street, features handmade and eco-conscious jewelry. Cornell, who says she worked closely with clients to transform their ideas into bespoke designs, defines jewelry as “an intimate form of storytelling.”
A few steps further on, one finds Bimi’s Cheese Shop which offers a carefully-curated selection of cheeses and provisions both from Columbia County and beyond—indeed, well-beyond—the environs of the bucolic little town. Its shelves are arrayed with comestibles and gift items from around the world, all thoughtfully chosen to ensure that its customers have a comprehensive palette of tastes from which to choose.
The shop, located at 19 Main Street, is in its 11th year and offers items that are “super-local, to regional, to international,” according to manager Heather Ihlenburg. Open seven days a week, it is not content to be a gourmet destination for cheeses and other foods but also has a bistro-style restaurant that serves breakfasts and lunches and a well-reviewed restaurant/bar downstairs.
No sooner do you leave the enticing atmosphere of Bimi’s than you stumble across the Chatham Book Store at 27 Main Street. This cozy little bibliophile’s favorite has been serving the community as an independent bookstore for more than four decades. Indeed, one of the employees, Michayla McMahon, is the third generation of her family to work there. “I used to love to come to work with my mother,” she related.
Children today seem to love it just as much and she reports they make a beeline for the children’s room where they “sit in the pit,” an inviting little nook set up specially for children.
There are three sections to the store, including the front room with its comprehensive selection of contemporary and classic books, a second room with toys, crafts, games, puzzles and—happily for area artists—a diverse selection of art supplies and, finally, the children’s room with books for infants through young adults.
Another vintage shop, located at 31 Main Street is The Warm Ewe. It continues a more than 50-year tradition of having a yarn store in the town. The store has been in its current location most of those years and has been known as The Warm Ewe for nearly 40 years. It offers a wide selection of quality yarns and fabrics along with patterns, books, magazines, needles, tools and accessories for the discriminating knitter, crocheter and seamstress.
Just up the street, at 33 Main, visitors should be sure to stop by the charming lifestyle boutique, Marton & Davis founded by Melissa Davis and Sherri Marton in a historic building that previously served as a shoe store and soda fountain. It was closed the day we visited town, promising to reopen soon with its holiday display of chic and sophisticated home goods.
“It’s about as upscale as you can get,” reported Hartford, commenting that such outlets add to the sophistication of the town.
American Pie which bills itself as a “quirky little place” has such a plethora of goods it would be impossible to name one theme. As one enthusiastic reviewer posted, “This place has so many wonderful and stylish things … from expensive La Cruset cookware to a humble, old-fashioned lo-tech potato peeler … .”
And believe it or not, there is still more for the connoisseur of fine jewelry. The sign outside of RH Van Alstyne Fine Jewelry announces its was voted “the best jewelry store in Columbia County.” Owner Rita Van Alstyne established the shop in 1990 in her restored 19th century building at 42 Main Street. From the simplest pewter box to the most exquisite jewel, Van Alstyne says she selects or designs each item in her store with an eye for quality, value and the truly unique.
Close by Franca Fusco was busy in her shop, the bricks-and-mortar outlet for Boxwood Linen preparing for the Christmas season. Founded in 1999 Boxwood Linen is a small maker of fine home linens, known for expert craftsmanship and simple
Fusco said she had been in business in that location for a decade, proclaiming Chatham to be a “very beautiful and friendly town.” Her sleek and chic shop covers textiles in every form from tables and bed linens, to scarfs as well as a variety of handsome gift wares.
Another fine touch for the home can be found at Concord Hill Farm at 54 Main Street, where one finds artisan handcrafted soaps and candles poured in-store in small batches to ensure quality and care in every item. It shares the location with Five Roots Florals & Events, a European-style garden shop that provides fresh cut florals and unique arrangements for all occasions.
Just around the corner is a locally owned co-op where you can get farm-grown vegetables, allergy friendly foods and home-baked goods. The 100-percent community owned grocery store cooperative is open to everyone and carries products from more than 150 local and regional producers ranging from produce, meat, dairy, baked goods, grocery, health and wellness and more.
A trip to Chatham should include a chance to meander along its highways and byways, where even more unique and intriguing businesses and dining establishments will be found.