Old Albany Post Road
Old Albany Post Road | |
Hudson Highlands MRA | |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003396 |
|---|---|
| Added to NRHP | 1982 |
Old Albany Post Road is a 6.6-mile (10.6 km) dirt road in Philipstown, New York, one of the oldest unpaved roads still in use in the United States.[2] It runs mostly north-south through the southeastern corner of the town, near the Putnam Valley town line. Starting from an intersection with Sprout Brook Road at Continental Village just north of the Putnam-Westchester county line, it ends at an oblique junction with US 9 east of Garrison.
As the least improved section of the original
Route
Old Albany Post Road passes through heavily wooded and lightly populated country along the southeastern edge of the
It branches off to the northwest at the point where Gallows Hill Road becomes Sprout Brook Road. From there it takes a west-northwestward, meandering course at first, narrowing almost to one lane at some points and climbing steadily to where the Catskill Aqueduct crosses, but soon bends to the north-northeast and widens. It climbs and then descends over the next two miles (3 km) to the Lake Celeste area, where it becomes more northerly. Then it bends to the northeast again, going up and down several hills through mostly undeveloped areas, to Chapman Road, where the Appalachian Trail crosses.
Out of that intersection it resumes its northward course, traversing around Fort Defiance Mountain, to Canopus Hill Road. There it turns to the northwest. At the corner of Travis Corners Road, a monument explains the historical importance of the road. From here it runs almost straight north-northwest past some farms and more open land to cross Philipse Brook at the junction with Philipse Brook Road.
Beyond, the road remains mostly straight and northwestward, eventually returning to more wooded country along a ridgetop where the southwestern corner of Clarence Fahnestock State Park is nearby. It then turns more to the west and descends to the intersection with Indian Brook Road, near the Bird and Bottle Inn. From here it parallels nearby Route 9, reaching some more developed areas until it finally ends with a merge onto the highway.
History
All of the major work of building and widening the road was done during the
Colonial era
In 1669 the government of
As it became the main route between the two cities, local commerce began to serve the long-distance travelers. Inns are recorded along the road as early as the 1730s, when it was first widened for military use.[3] The best-known, John Warren's Tavern, was built in 1756 and remains in use today as the Bird and Bottle Inn restaurant at the junction with Indian Brook Road.[1]
The road received major improvements when the British Army realized it needed to improve defenses against the French to the north in New France (today's Quebec). In 1754, it was widened again and trees were cleared to allow the transport of troops and materiel in greater numbers. Milestones were first known to have been placed in 1763, sometime after Benjamin Franklin, who had advocated their use, was appointed the colonies' Joint Postmaster General.[4]
After the
18th and 19th centuries
After the war, the new state began making further use of the road. A regular
In 1789 a new survey was taken and the old maps revised. These match today's known milestone locations along the entire former length of the road. A decade later, New York's Act to Regulate the Highways directed every county highway superintendent to place stone mile markers along the road. By the next year all the remaining mileposts had been placed.[3]
A private company built the Highlands Turnpike to the west, in more level country, and opened it in 1806. This diverted traffic away from the section north of
20th and 21st centuries
Old Albany Post Road briefly assumed more than local importance once more in the 1910s, when the New York City water supply system was expanded to bring water to the city from Ashokan Reservoir in the Catskills. The road provided access to a section of the Catskill Aqueduct, and shops, housing and bars were built along it to shelter and serve the construction workers.[3] A decade later, Highlands Turnpike, by then the main north-south route through the county, was paved and formally designated as Route 9.[1]
In 1921 a
The town has, in recent years, raised the possibility of
In November 2012, a local newspaper Philipstown.Info (now The Highlands Current) revealed that the Town of Philipstown budget contained proposed expenditures for paving sections of the town's historic dirt roads [6] including 5300 feet of Old Albany Post Road in 2013-14 and an additional 7580 feet to be paved within 5 years.[7] Until the paper revealed this information, residents of the road were unaware of the town's grand plans. The Philipstown Board cited three reasons for paving; the cost of maintaining dirt roads are too expensive, degradation of water quality in nearby streams, and safety.[8] If this plan were undertaken the Old Albany Post Road would lose almost 2.5 miles of historic road. Sections that the town wants to pave include two important historic areas; Saunders Farm and the hill that runs north to the famous revolutionary era Bird and Bottle Inn. There is considerable opposition to paving by local residents and a contentious town board workshop was held for Philipstown residents on January 16, 2013.[9] Those in opposition to paving cite the historic, aesthetic, cultural, and recreational importance of leaving the road untouched. Many residents and an expert engineer presented information documenting that sound dirt road maintenance practices have not been utilized by the Town of Philipstown and if they were adopted would lead to cost savings, improvement in water quality, and thus preserve the historic nature of the road. Additionally other dirt road residents pointed out that drivers on dirt roads travel at significantly lower speeds reducing mortality in pedestrian vehicle accidents.[8] It was also pointed out that the Town of Philipstown could be in violation of state bonding laws if they were to pave as proposed with merely a thin coat of asphalt and no substructure preparation.[8]
Contributing historic resources
The entire 66-foot (20 m)
Some of the buildings along the road have been noted for their historic value by the ORSP. The Bird and Bottle Inn is a contributing property to the Indian Brook Road Historic District, which itself includes part of the road as one of its contributing properties. In the two-mile (3.2 km) section to its south there is also a Civil War-era farmhouse and a 1770s inn, both of which have seen more recent additions. Opposite Lake Celeste is Pine Run Farm, which dates to 1800.[10]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Larson, Neil (January 1982). "National Register of Historic Places nomination, Old Albany Post Road". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
- ^ a b "Old Road Society of Philipstown". Old Road Society of Philipstown. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Capsule History of the Old Albany". Old Road Society of Philipstown. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
- ^ "Milestone Mystery". Old Road Society of Philipstown. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
- ^ Berger, Joseph (August 8, 2008). "A Fork in the Debate Over a Dirt Road". The New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
- ^ Town Plans to Pave Dirt Road Sections in 2013 | Philipstown.info
- ^ [Philipstown Highway Department 2013 Budget Planning Documents available at http://www.oldrdsoc.org/2013/index.htm]
- ^ a b c Town Plan for Paving Stirs Dirt Road Dust | Philipstown.info
- ^ Residents of Dirt Roads Express Opposing Views on Paving | Philipstown.info
- ^ "Historic Map of Old Albany Post Road". Old Road Society of Philipstown. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
External links
