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paved within 5 years. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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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 including 5300 feet of Old Albany Post Road in 2013-14 and an additional 7580 feet to be
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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
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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. The best-known, John Warren's Tavern, was built in 1756 and remains in use today as the
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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
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in the 20th century. Beyond that, it remains as it was in the mid-18th century. Following its NRHP listing, a group called the Old Road
Society of Philipstown (ORSP) was formed to help preserve and promote it. Its membership is open to residents along the road and intersecting dirt roads.
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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
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in 1785, and the mileposts were upgraded by the end of the century. By then a regular mail route was in place, with riders going up the east side of the river and down another road on the west side on a weekly basis.
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at Hopper Lake in the 1820s partially replaced it, and the stage route was not changed. The old road fell into further disuse when the turnpike became a public highway in 1833 and it was no longer needed as a
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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.
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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
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to the designation. The milestones are all included, even number 52, which is actually located on
Gallows Hill Road slightly to the south of the fork at Sprout Hill.
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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
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Beyond, the road remains mostly straight and northwestward, eventually returning to more wooded country along a ridgetop where the southwestern corner of
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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
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and the road remained fortified and defended throughout the war, used as a supply route, and often traveled by Washington and his officers. It was
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to more accurately calculate postal rates are still present and have been preserved and restored. It is still in public use and maintained by the
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and a 1770s inn, both of which have seen more recent additions. Opposite Lake Celeste is Pine Run Farm, which dates to 1800.
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authorized in 1703 is included in the NRHP listing. This means that many other aspects of the structure, like the adjacent
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Old Albany Post Road passes through heavily wooded and lightly populated country along the southeastern edge of the
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The road received major improvements when the British Army realized it needed to improve defenses against the
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town line. Starting from an intersection with Sprout Brook Road at Continental Village just north of the
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to the "Mothers of the Revolution" was placed at the southern end. Homes and farms along the road were
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to Albany in 1850 made the road obsolete as a commercial and postal artery, and stage service ended.
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Old Albany Post Road briefly assumed more than local importance once more in the 1910s, when the
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during the war and the first map published. Its milestone locations are not the extant ones.
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to repair it, although it has not been decided whether it will be used for pavement or not.
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is nearby. It then turns more to the west and descends to the intersection with
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After the war, the new state began making further use of the road. A regular
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to the landscape. A portion of the road near Travis Corners was surfaced in
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All of the major work of building and widening the road was done during the
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Residents of Dirt Roads Express Opposing Views on Paving | Philipstown.info
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651:"National Register of Historic Places nomination, Old Albany Post Road"
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Bird and Bottle Inn restaurant at the junction with Indian Brook Road.
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Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
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concerns such as inaccessibility for police and fire vehicles during
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New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
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Town Plans to Pave Dirt Road Sections in 2013 | Philipstown.info
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National Register of Historic Places in Putnam County, New York
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trails. Later it would see military use, particularly by the
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Town Plan for Paving Stirs Dirt Road Dust | Philipstown.info
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The town has, in recent years, raised the possibility of
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next year all the remaining mileposts had been placed.
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designated a postal route between what would later be
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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55:View north along road near Travis Corners, 2008
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1510:Transportation in Putnam County, New York
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38:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
860:Old Road Society of Philipstown Library
760:"A Fork in the Debate Over a Dirt Road"
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831:"Historic Map of Old Albany Post Road"
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16:Oldest dirt road in the United States
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512:Rural Electrification Administration
216:National Register of Historic Places
715:"Capsule History of the Old Albany"
599:Indian Brook Road Historic District
560:Federal Emergency Management Agency
230:, and commercial use as part of a
125:6.6 miles (10.6 km) in length
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833:. Old Road Society of Philipstown
758:Berger, Joseph (August 8, 2008).
739:. Old Road Society of Philipstown
717:. Old Road Society of Philipstown
680:. Old Road Society of Philipstown
678:"Old Road Society of Philipstown"
485:New York City water supply system
238:placed during the early years of
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578:The entire 66-foot (20 m)
574:Contributing historic resources
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299:Clarence Fahnestock State Park
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649:Larson, Neil (January 1982).
175:is a 6.6-mile (10.6 km)
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286:Old Albany Post Road, in red
19:United States historic place
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325:In 1669 the government of
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150:NRHP reference
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1183:Richmond (Staten Island)
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438:18th and 19th centuries
919:Keeper of the Register
592:contributing resources
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420:Battle of White Plains
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214:, it was added to the
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934:National Park Service
914:Contributing property
562:has given the town a
552:April 2007 Nor'easter
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400:French and Indian War
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240:American independence
106:41.37528°N 73.89722°W
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342:Province of New York
173:Old Albany Post Road
144:Hudson Highlands MRA
30:Old Albany Post Road
1426:Bridges and tunnels
737:"Milestone Mystery"
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765:The New York Times
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393:Postmaster General
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924:Historic district
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1419:Other lists
1268:Westchester
1198:Schenectady
993:Cattaraugus
588:shade trees
584:stone walls
508:electrified
464:Iron mining
448:legislature
410:during the
346:Kingsbridge
226:during the
197:Westchester
181:Philipstown
109: /
85:Coordinates
65:Philipstown
1494:Categories
1258:Washington
1178:Rensselaer
1113:Montgomery
1098:Livingston
1003:Chautauqua
837:2008-12-25
660:2008-12-22
613:References
502:In 1921 a
444:stagecoach
398:After the
381:New France
358:Queen Anne
350:Rensselaer
236:milestones
232:stagecoach
228:Revolution
97:73°53′50″W
94:41°22′31″N
1400:Rochester
1395:Rhinebeck
1385:Peekskill
1346:Manhattan
1203:Schoharie
1083:Jefferson
966:by county
607:farmhouse
603:Civil War
556:driveways
514:, adding
493:Catskills
460:Peekskill
416:retreated
383:(today's
279:crosses.
177:dirt road
133:1669-1798
79:Peekskill
1459:Category
1405:Syracuse
1331:Brooklyn
1278:Southern
1273:Northern
1243:Tompkins
1233:Sullivan
1208:Schuyler
1193:Saratoga
1188:Rockland
1138:Onondaga
1078:Herkimer
1073:Hamilton
1053:Franklin
1038:Dutchess
1033:Delaware
1028:Cortland
1023:Columbia
1013:Chenango
978:Allegany
900:New York
548:washouts
504:monument
469:shunpike
424:surveyed
362:George I
292:monument
205:Garrison
203:east of
157:82003396
61:Location
1410:Yonkers
1313:Buffalo
1301:by city
1285:Wyoming
1228:Suffolk
1223:Steuben
1153:Orleans
1143:Ontario
1128:Niagara
1103:Madison
1063:Genesee
1018:Clinton
1008:Chemung
540:erosion
491:in the
339:English
309:History
264:meadows
1336:Queens
1308:Albany
1253:Warren
1248:Ulster
1213:Seneca
1173:Queens
1168:Putnam
1163:Otsego
1158:Oswego
1148:Orange
1133:Oneida
1118:Nassau
1108:Monroe
1068:Greene
1058:Fulton
998:Cayuga
988:Broome
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907:Topics
558:. The
532:paving
524:gravel
385:Quebec
377:French
335:Albany
193:Putnam
1326:Bronx
1299:Lists
1290:Yates
1263:Wayne
1238:Tioga
1093:Lewis
1048:Essex
983:Bronx
964:Lists
605:-era
564:grant
536:silts
414:. He
250:Route
130:Built
1469:List
1043:Erie
773:2008
745:2008
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686:2008
586:and
522:and
364:and
354:rods
333:and
260:lots
244:town
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166:1982
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