To the Editor:

The village of Voorheesville had the tremendous foresight to have purchased the historically significant property at 18 South Main Street, recently owned by Phillips Hardware.

There will be a community-engagement meeting on the future of this newly acquired village property on Nov. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Voorheesville firehouse located at 12 Altamont Rd.

Up until recently, the former hardware store was one of only two continuously running businesses in the village, from the 19th century. Operated by Voorheesville’s first mayor, Frank Bloomingdale, and later by the Crannell family, and finally by the Phillips family.

This building and parking lot are a clear asset to the community of Voorheesville and Albany County, if used as an opportunity to offer the public an educational look at the history of an early American railroad town that encompassed the junction of two significant transportation corridors that continue to be in use today.

My suggestion is that the building be transformed into a museum of Voorheesville and the railroads that helped the village become a significant place of business and residential growth during the early days before automotive transportation dominated our lives.

A museum would be a benefit and attraction for many living in the village and to visitors from anywhere, near or far. I understand that the building is overall in sound shape and can be restored to its original appearance, which would enhance the neighborhood of other early buildings owned privately on South Main Street.

The village leaders are applying for assistance to restore this historical building in the amount of $200,000 to begin restoration, from Senator Patricia Fahy and Assemblymember Gabriella Romero.

I know that at one time an apartment was on the second floor and maybe that could be used as a source for raising money for continued future maintenance of the museum.

Our Voorheesville school community as well as other schools would use the museum as an educational resource for local history.

I often see railroad enthusiasts at the crossings in Voorheesville, video recording the passage of trains through the village. The followers of railroad history involve many participants who would gladly contribute to supporting a museum that not only tells the overall history of the village but also displays and commemorates the importance of the junction of two major railways at the beginning of our country’s evolution into mass mechanical transportation.

The village recently lost two of its original structures to make way for new businesses that many consider beneficial attractions to the Voorheesville community. 

Let’s now consider the longstanding hardware store as an opportunity to make up for the loss of those two buildings and preserve Voorheesville history for generations to come in the future. It is unlikely that this golden chance to build a museum in the center of the village will ever come again.

So please think about the community of Voorheesville at large and what it means to have public venues like a museum to keep a cohesive spirit alive amongst all of us who either live in the village or nearby, or are just visiting this place many of us are proud to call home!

A museum provides a space for learning, reflection, and community connection. That’s important!

Timothy J. Albright

Meadowdale