Croton's Old Post Road Inn, 1890

In January 1890, Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly published an article by C. Hills Warren examining the Albany Post Road's history with nostalgic reverence. Warren observed that the road's significance had diminished considerably since its heyday as the primary stagecoach route between New York City and Albany. Steam navigation and railroad expansion had rendered it obsolete for transportation purposes.

Warren embarked on a journey retracing the historic route, documenting how Manhattan's landscape had transformed from "broad fields and well-kept orchards" into urbanized blocks. He visited notable sites including Tarrytown's Dutch Church and Sleepy Hollow, recounting Major Andre's capture before reaching Croton.

At Croton, Warren visited Van Cortlandt Manor, calling it "one of the pleasantest incidents of my journey." He appreciated the property's historical significance and scenic Hudson Valley setting.

Warren's most valuable contribution describes Croton's hamlet appearance in 1890, particularly the Old Post Road Inn. Located on present-day Grand Street opposite Holy Name of Mary Church, the structure showed signs of decline. The building housed Miss Susan McCord, born there and remembering when stagecoaches arrived with hungry travelers.

Warren wrote that the inn appeared diminished: "There is little of the inn left about the old house now. The grass is growing in the road before the door." A new river route had diverted traffic, leaving the former inn stranded and forgotten—a fate the entire village would eventually experience when Route 9's construction devastated its waterfront decades later.