A grand Greek Revival brick hotel with white pillars and portico was built by Nathaniel Adams in 1836. This was two years after he arrived along the old Delaware turnpike to the Four Corners area. The community's name of Adamsville probably became common when Nathaniel became the first postmaster of the post office he opened in his hotel. The name of Adamsville was replaced by Adams Station when the railroad came through in 1863. At this time the hamlet (the present Delmar) was a pretty complete community of 90 families with post office, railroad station, school, church, stores, tavern, trade shops and even the services of a lawyer and doctor.

For thirty years beginning in 1950 Adams House was the site of Town Hall until the offices were moved to the former Delmar Elementary School where they still operate. Since 1913 the Delmar Fire Station has occupied the rear section of the building, on the corner of Adams Street and Nathaniel Boulevard. Several town groups rented space at Adams House until the Town Board sold it in 1983 to the New York State Association for Retarded Children, Inc. for its headquarters. The Historic Albany Foundation recognized the exceptional restoration work of the new owner of Adams House with a 1990 Preservation Merit Award for Adaptive Reuse.

We might say that Nathaniel Adams was the grandfather of Delmar and Adams House quite the "grand-daddy" of buildings in town. Giving it competition in impressiveness is the Delmar Reformed Church across the street. It was built on land donated by… Nathaniel Adams.

Source of photo: Bethlehem Revisited: A Bicentennial Sotry 1793-1993. Bethlehem Bicentennial Commission, February 1993.