Pre Route 395
The Jim Monini Photos
The photos in the following photo gallery were taken by Mr. Vincent James “Jim” Monini during the summer of 1963 in anticipation of a new road to be built through Delanson. The new road would basically follow the old road with with some additions and would be called Route 395. The new road would dramatically change the appearance of the Village of Delanson.
There was much opposition to the new road. The beautiful big trees that lined the old road were to be taken down, the road widened with shoulders and gutters along the road with frontage of homes taken and buildings taken down or moved to accomplish this. Besides defacing the village, the people thought it would be a speedway. Turns out they were right.
Entering the Village in 1963 from Quaker Street looking North
These photos provide a historic look at the Village before 395 was constructed in 1964. Mr. Monini passed away in 1984 but his photos live on for all to enjoy.
Thank you to Vince and Dale Monini for allowing their father’s slides to be copied and shared by all. Thanks to Mr. Al Zubal for providing these photos to the village for use on our website and Lenny & Pat VanBuren for use of their 1964 Delanson Roadway Improvement Program notes.
The first photo is the proposed location of the new route 395. It clearly shows that the new road would bypass the Duanesburg H.S.. Note the old road behind the High School.
Please click on any photo to see a larger view. Enjoy!
During the road construction, three homes and one business were moved:
- Grenier’s was moved farther back on their land.
- Dutcher’s was moved over to Stewart Drive,
- Ullman’s rental house-trailer was moved away, and
- Edward’s Coal and Oil business moved to 1000 Acre Road, including the garage/office building and the oil tanks.
Nine houses were taken down:
- Lottie Bradt’s (Jake Bradt’s mother) house at the foot of Quaker Street hill
- Next house Owned by Young’s rented by Harold Bradt’s family before they relocated down the street
- English’s Market with apartment upstairs – the building straddled the Normanskill Creek
- The Shoudy House that sat on the northwest corner beside the RR tracks, which had been converted to two apartments
- Dobert’s Store – right next door, with William Lyons Law office upstairs, accessible by and outside staircase
- Central House Hotel which had been converted to four apartments
- Deming Home Just before Cole Road, across from Reta Smith’s
- Wm. Lyons rental house on the curve by Cole Road
- Resue home – next door [?]
The next year they finished the road to Route 20. Raising the road in many areas and by the reservoir doing away with the wet area of the reservoir on the west side of the road.
The village drained the reservoir at this time and the road contractor dug it out using the topsoil for the road project.
