Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Building

Location

751 NY-146, Altamont, NY 12009, USA

Lat/Long

42.704950651289, -74.018790226092

Grant Recipient

Guilderland Historical Society

While it might be difficult to imagine driving past the historic structure today, the sprawling private residence on Route 146 in Altamont, New York was once a crucial stopping point on the Schoharie-Albany stagecoach route.

Established by Jacob Crounse ca. 1837, the Crounse Inn—sometimes referred to as the Crounse Tavern Stand—offered a place for travelers to rest and gather as they made their way between Albany and Schoharie. When it was first established, the Crounse Inn was located on a busy throughfare that would later be replaced by the Schoharie-Albany Plank Road in 1850. Notably, the Inn was located halfway on the route, and it became a popular destination where stagecoach drivers would change or rest their horses before continuing on their way.

When Crounse arrived in Altamont, then known as Knowersville, he was already an experienced innkeeper, having operated a public house on the Loonenburgh Turnpike previously. He set up shop on property abutting his son’s, who had arrived to the area earlier and was a practicing medical doctor. Upon arriving, he built the tavern stand in what, at the time, was the Main Street of the growing community.

Crounse ran the inn for over a decade before it changed hands and was purchased by James Keenholts, who continued to operate the structure as an inn and tavern under the new name of Keenholts Hotel. As for Crounse, he moved next door to his son’s house where he remained busy, making coffins and serving as the local postmaster.

Meanwhile, Knowersville continued to flourish. In the 1860s the arrival of the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad only furthered that growth. As visitors continued to make their way to the community, Crounse’s former inn, now Keenholts Hotel, continued to welcome travelers into the early 20^th-century, after which it was converted into a private residence, which it continues to serve as today.

A remnant reminder of the structures original purpose remains today: the steps that countless weary travelers used to disembark from their carriage after a long day of travel can still be seen in front of the structure.