Riders Mills.(Homes)

Byline: SHANNON FROMMA Staff Writer

More than 200 years ago, children living in what is today referred to as Riders Mills filtered into a tiny brick schoolhouse to learn ABCs, mathematics and more. Warmed by the wood stove in the rear of the single room, students settled into their desks for a day of learning and did so until the school closed in the 1950s.

Although children no longer stream in and out of the schoolhouse, the structure and its two separate privies still stand. Folks living in the quiet hamlet of Riders Mills still make every effort to preserve and restore the time-worn school that is listed on both the State and National Registries of Historic Sites. Routine maintenance and several special events, such as art sales and lectures, are scheduled throughout the year.

"We like to see local history still stay a part of the area," says Robert Leary, resident and president of the Riders Mills Historical Association. "The school is a cornerstone of the area and we want to keep it that way."

The one-time mill hamlet, located in the town of Chatham in northern Columbia County, also features several other historic buildings, including barns, mills and stately farm houses.

"There are a lot of older homes and those that aren't are built to look like older homes," quips Leary who moved to the area in the early '90s from southern New York.

"There are a lot of people from New York City who own a home here," says Leary who resides in an 1840s farmhouse. "They're up here on the weekends, but then there are quite a few full-timers too."

It's easy to see why some choose to settle here, if only part-time. The homes - Colonial, Greek revivals and more - have been meticulously preserved and rest on large, private parcels. Some are perched on hillsides, offering sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains while others are neatly tucked among trees and colorful meadows. The few homes that withstood several catastrophic floods decades ago are still nestled along the banks Kinderhook Creek which laces through Riders Mills.

Most of the residents in this area are older adults, says Leary, who knows of only one family with young children that reside on his street.

Many of the roads in this area remain unpaved and much of the land in the area is still farmed. Enormous bales of hay dot the vibrant green fields and horses share the land with deer looking for a late afternoon snack.

"I like the peacefulness," says Leary. "It's very placid."

Schools

District lines are fuzzy in this part of Chatham. Generally, students living in Riders Mills attend schools in the New Lebanon Central School District - Walter B. Howard Elementary and New Lebanon Jr./Sr. High School. According to the most recent Report Card on the Schools there are roughly 320 students enrolled in the high school and all received a Regents diploma.

Commuting

Riders Mills is rural so travel to and from the area can take some time. The most convenient way to get to the area from Albany is by way of Interstate 90 to Exit 12

(Hudson). From there, residents take Route 32, just off Route 9, to Route 66, which bisects the nearby hamlet of Malden Bridge. A left off Route 66, which hugs the Kinderhook Creek, takes you into Riders Mills in minutes. Those that continue on Route 66 and head east on Route 20 can be in the Berkshires in less than 20 minutes.

It takes roughly 40 minutes to travel from Riders Mills to Crossgates Mall in Guilderland or to Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.

Shopping and Recreation

"We have no real shopping centers around here so when we do shop, we generally cross the river," says Leary. If travel to Albany isn't an option, there are several big box stores located in North Greenbush, 20 to 25 minutes away. The new Hannaford in Kinderhook is about a 15 minute drive and the nearby village of Chatham features several retail shops and eateries.

As for recreation, this tranquil enclave is close to all the Berkshires has to offer for the arts and outdoor recreation like hiking and biking. The Shaker Museum and Library, a vast exhibition of Shaker life and culture, is a few minutes away by car, as is the Wilson M. Powell Wildlife Sanctuary which offers hiking trails with great views of the city of Albany.

Rents and Mortgages

Recent real estate transactions in Riders Mills include a nearly 17,000-square-foot home purchased on Bachus Road for more than $1 million and a 5,662-square-foot home on Riders Mills Road sold for $675,000.

A home located Greenbrook Drive, smaller in comparison to homes in this area at just more than 1,000 square feet, is offered at $219,000.

Taxes

Homeowners pay $8.92 per $1,000 of assessed value (currently 75 percent) for property taxes and $15.70 for school taxes. A home valued at $350,000 would be assessed at $262,500 and its taxes would be approximately $6,463.

Shannon Fromma can be reached at 454-5479 or by e-mail at sfromma@timesunion.com .

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Shannon Fromma/Times Union THIS HOME in Riders Mils was once owned by Ebeck Mosher, an early settler and owner of a local mill.