Altamont is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

located in the

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

of Guilderland in

Albany County, New York Albany County ( ) is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state, state of New York (state), New York, United States. Its northern border is formed by the Mohawk River, at its confluence with the Hudson River, which is to the east. As ...

, United States. The village is in the western part of the town. The population was 1,675 at the 2020 census. The name means "high mountain."

History

In colonial times, this area was part of the Manor of Rensselaerwyck, granted by the Dutch West India Company to Killian Van Rensselaer in 1630. The area was known as Hellerburgh in the early 18th century. In the early 19th century Knowersville, was established in the rural part of Albany County, just below the Helderberg Mountains. This settlement eventually became known as Altamont. Altamont was a summer vacation spot that was reached by train. The train station which once served this formerly busy whistle stop is now the location of the Altamont Free Library. The old hotel in the town center burned down nearly a century ago. A village fair has been held annually in the local fairgrounds since 1893. The fairground is also the site of other festivals. The village incorporated in 1890. Hiram Griggs (1836–1909) was the first mayor of the village of Altamont and his

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2010. Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the

Delaware and Hudson Railroad Passenger Station The Delaware and Hudson Railroad Passenger Station in Altamont, New York, which has also been known as Altamont Village Hall, is a structure that was built in 1887 by the Delaware and Hudson Railroad. ''See also:'' It was listed on the Nation ...

, Fine Arts and Flower Building Altamont Fairground, Hayes House, and Lainhart Farm Complex and Dutch Barn.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , all land. However, there are two major streams that run through the town center, the Joriohenen and the Ostenraaki

Demographics

Delaware and Hudson Railroad Passenger Station Sep 2012

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 1,737 people, 646 households, and 474 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 674 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.64%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.09%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.12% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.17% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.04% of the population. There were 646 households, out of which 42.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.14. In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $52,500, and the median income for a family was $61,750. Males had a median income of $45,865 versus $32,721 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $23,232. About 2.7% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Lee Wallard Leland Wallard (September 7, 1910 – November 29, 1963) was an American racing driver. After a slow start to his career, the unheralded Wallard scored a "Cinderella" victory, authoring a dominating performance in the 1951 Indianapolis 500. Days ...

(1910-1963), American race car driver, winner of the

1951 Indianapolis 500 The 35th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 30, 1951. The event was part of the 1951 AAA Championship Car season, 1951 AAA National Championship Trail, and was also race 2 of 8 in the ...

References

External links

Altamont Fair information

The Altamont Enterprise
the local weekly newspaper.
Village Government Website
{{authority control Guilderland, New York Villages in New York (state) Villages in Albany County, New York