Chatham Village, one of the nation's earliest examples of an affordable, quality housing cluster, received National Historic Landmark status yesterday.

The 70-year-old community of 197 townhouses and 19 apartments on Mount Washington was designed as a cooperative venture for residents with a range of income levels. It was financed by the Buhl Foundation.

Chatham Village is cozy, woodsy and has lifelong residents. Its private roads circle the perimeter to keep the inside courtyards free of traffic. It is a model of the Garden City movement that began in England in 1903. It promoted the idea that city residents needed an oasis within the crowded industrialism of city living.