To the Editor:

Many years ago, as a University at Albany student, I worked on an independent study project to nominate the buildings around Orsini Park as a unique National Historic District. As my father before me, I knew how special Altamont’s collection of intact period buildings was. If it were possible, I would have nominated all of Altamont.

My project included spending many hours reading Enterprise back issues in the unheated upstairs attic, researching Altamont’s history from 1863, the year the Delaware & Hudson railroad came through. I hired a photographer so I could submit multiple 8-by-10, black-and-white photos of all the buildings.

I shared and published some of my research in a couple of front-page Enterprise articles. Sadly, the destruction of the Mynderse House and the National Commercial Bank & Trust company effectively ended my year-long effort.

One discovery I did find interesting was: Whatever happened to Altamont’s first train station built in 1863?

It turns out, in 1897, The Enterprise reported, a local builder, “Hiram Schoonmaker and his gang of carpenters moved the station” to its present location down the tracks.

My family moved to Altamont in September of 1956 after living abroad for a year in Dublin, Ireland. My Dad immediately began his decades of love and devoted interest in the village architecture, which became his favorite artistic subjects. That fall, he did his first drawing of Altamont’s train station.

After the D & H railroad discontinued service to the village, a group of Altamont citizens bought the station for $5,000 and the preservation began. My father found himself literally “painting” the very building he had done so many “oil” paintings of.

Many years and a million dollars later, the next generation of Altamont citizens (and others) completed the restoration of the Altamont Train Station, now the permanent home of the previously ever-wandering Altamont Free Library.

The restoration was not easy. It took decades of work and dedication. The project was phenomenally expensive. That’s the blueprint for getting things done. Look at result.

Individually and collectively, the historical village period architecture is a unique treasure. There is no reason or excuse for Altamont to lose any of these buildings. Period. Not acceptable.

Stewart’s is a fine store. I do business there every day.  They are good people. But the Stewart’s Corporation present plans to expand its business into the Severson Avenue residential area is unacceptable and would severely impact the quality of life for generations.

The elimination of the current natural barrier of trees coupled with the removal of the 107-109 Helderberg Ave. residence would introduce all the negative aspects of commerce such as noise and increased traffic directly into the heart of a peaceful, desirable historic residential neighborhood.

The purpose of zoning and the State Environmental Quality Review Act is to protect folks from this type of encroachment and devastation, especially for the generations to come.

The destruction on its face of the 107-109 Helderberg Avenue historic era residence is equally unacceptable. The tragic loss of any historic era building is absolute. They cannot be replaced, or the citizenry placated by faux architecture.

As with the D & H Train Station, if the Stewart’s corporation persists and chooses not to be a good neighbor, concerned Altamont citizens will band together, raise funds, file lawsuits, write letters, challenge the village board and officials to ensure Stewart’s plans do not succeed.

You would think the Stewart’s corporation would learn from their Voorheesville/Smitty’s debacle?  

The preservation force is strong in this village. 

Ed Cowley III

Altamont