Latham, New York

Latham is a hamlet in Upstate New York. It is located along US 9 in the Town of Colonie, a dense suburb north and west of Albany. The latitude of Latham's center is 42.746N. The longitude is 73.759W.

Geography

Latham's terrain is mostly a hilly mix of deciduous and evergreen trees, with some ponds, creeks and swamps, including several protected water courses and New York State Wetlands. Streams east of Old Loudon Road and Route 9 generally drain into the Hudson River; West of Old Loudon and 9, the hamlet's watercourses drain into the Mohawk River.

While Colonie's hamlets do not have specifically demarcated borders, Latham is generally considered to include: the areas adjacent to Route 9, Interstate 87, and New York Route 2, Route 7 and Route 155; between the City of Watervliet to the east; Albany International Airport and the Colonie hamlet of Verdoy to the west; the Colonie hamlet of Boght Corners and the City of Cohoes to the north; and the Colonie hamlet of Newtonville to the South.

History

Latham and its surroundings were settled by the Dutch in the early 17th Century. The area was known at different times in it history as Yearsley's (c. 1829), Van Vranken's (c. 1851), Town House Corners (c. 1866) and Latham's Corners, named after hotel owner William G. Latham. The "corner" in question is now the intersection of Troy-Schenectady Road (NY Route 2) and Old Loudon Road.The Old Loudon Road was built in 1755 during the French and Indian War to bring troops and provisioning of Albany to the areas of lake George and Ticonderoga. The Toll road of Troy and Schenectady ( Rt.2 door and 7) were built before 1810 and intersected Old Loudon. A first resident of this sector was Jonas Yearsley , 1785 and later built the first hotel close to this intersection. His/her son also engaged in the businesses of hotels. The sector was known first under the name of the corners and years afterward of VanVrankens Corners in the 1850'. The name changed into Latham when William Latham became owner of the hotel. James son continued to run the hotel to the top until the beginning of the Thirties. James Latham died August 14, 1933. Members of the family of Latham are buried in the rural cemetery of Albany. The name Latham goes far back to Middle English and the latter part of the name "ham" means "home", and the "lath" comes from Middle English "lothe" and means "brick". Latham was the last of the riding families to fall to Oliver Cromwell, and they emigrated specifically in three groups of people. One in New England, one in Virginia, and in Georgia. The family of New England must have been people of the high society because they had a beautiful coat of arms.

Landmarks

Latham's most conspicuous features are its red-and-white checkered water towers, the larger of which bears the hamlet's name, and the Latham Circle, a once-notorious traffic circle located near the site of the original Latham's Corners. The circle was recently modified to be more like a modern roundabout, greatly improving its safety. Trees were once planted within the center of the roundabout, which plunges sharply down to an underpass, but the trees quickly withered and died.Fact|date=April 2007

Today, Latham Circle is home to the Circle Diner (a modern recreation of the classic chrome diners of the 1950s) and Roxy Cleaners, which possesses authentic 1950s neon styling, as well as a small strip mall, a bank and Latham Circle Mall. Nearby, the derelict Latham School stood abandoned for decades until its demolition in April 2007, its students long since transferred to newer facilities within the North Colonie Central Schools District in the 1960s.

Latham Circle Mall was one of America's earliest indoor shopping malls..Fact|date=April 2007 While this retail destination remains open to this day, it has been in physical and financial decline for well over a decade, primarily since the opening of Crossgates Mall in nearby Guilderland, as well as the nearby Latham Farms big box store complex.

Latham is also home to Hoffman's Playland, a small, regional amusement park offering simple rides and games for children, including an operating miniature scale train; it is a relic of the "roadside vernacular" from days when Route 9 was the major north-south route through the region. The Playland is part of the larger Hoffman's complex which at various times has included an old-fashioned ice cream and soda fountain, a miniature golf course, a driving green and a carwash. Recently, the miniature golf course has been upgraded, and plans have been announced to demolish the driving range to build a new integrated development of apartments and businesses..Fact|date=April 2007

Other sites of historic or geologic interest in Latham include several small historic cemeteries now surrounded by retail or residential developments, and a sequence of slate and shale cliffs and canyons behind Shaker High School (from which nearby Blue Creek Elementary School takes it name) and between Haswell Road and New York State Route 2. Some of these sites are now on private property, and require owners' or town clearance for access.

Controversies

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) considers the Latham water towers to be potential obstructions to air traffic approach lanes at Albany International Airport, as the higher tower protrudes nearly 60 feet into east (Runway 28) approach. To address this concern, the Airport Authority has developed a plan to remove the towers and replace them with a new structure on a 12-acre, Town of Colonie owned parcel near the Albany Reservoir. This plan has been controversial, as some residents are concerned that the removal of the towers will allow lower approaches by aircraft, thereby increasing noise pollution levels.

Rapid commercial and residential development and resultant traffic increases have also been issues of concern and controversy in Latham, in the core retail corridors near Latham Circle, Latham Farms, and between Interstate 87 and Wade Road. The Town of Colonie recently completed land use and development studies of the Route 2 and Route 7 corridors. Temporary building moratoriums were placed in large parts of the western sections of Latham in response to community concerns. In August 2005, the Town of Colonie issued a Comprehensive Plan that will provide the guidelines and framework for future development of Latham and its surrounding hamlets and incorporated villages within the town.

External links

* [http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/latham_circle_mall.html "Latham Circle Mall" at Dead Malls]
* [http://www.colonie.org Town of Colonie (includes Latham)]
* [http://www.northcolonie.org/ North Colonie Public Schools]
* [http://www.shakerhs.com/ Shaker High Alumni]
* [http://www.jericsmith.com/hiddensub.htm Hidden in Suburbia (Photo Essay)]
* [http://www.albanyairport.com/LathamWaterTowerReplacement.html Latham Water Tower Replacement Plan (from Albany Airport)]
* [http://www.lathamfd.org Latham Fire Department]