The route passed through largely rural areas and entered only one community, the small hamlet of East Whitehall.

NY 273 followed part of the former routing of the Hampton and Whitehall Turnpike, a privately maintained highway that linked the village of Whitehall to a bridge over the Poultney River near the hamlet of Hampton, where it continued to Poultney, Vermont, in the 19th century.

The route progressed to the southeast, entering the hamlet of East Whitehall, where it intersected with another local road.

[6] The Hampton and Whitehall Turnpike Road Company was initially financed through 800 shares of stock valued at $20 each.

The toll charged at the gate varied by person; the exact amount was based on the vehicle used and the number of livestock and horses that were brought onto the roadway.

[17] CR 18A has since been reconfigured to follow a new highway leading directly from NY 22A to the Poultney River bridge.