Half Way House, New York

The Half Way House is one of the largest of the 20 or so occupied buildings divided by the international boundary between the US and Canada. It is also likely the oldest. It is between the Ports of Entry at the Fort Covington/Dundee Crossing, on Route 132. The building has been here since 1820, and has been a hotel, bar, and store. Its owner, Paul-Maurice Patenaud, has enjoyed and exploited its dual nationality for more than 50 years, and runs it now as the Half Way House Freight Forwarding company. Canadians who order things online from American stores can avoid the complications, expense, and delay of having them shipped across the border, by having them shipped here. Deliveries come through the door on the US side. Customers can then pick up the goods themselves, by entering the door on the Canadian side. There are many mailbox and shipping services that perform this function along the US side of the boundary, but this situation works especially well for people who are uninclined, or not allowed, to enter the US, for one reason or another.