Hamilton Cottages - Abandoned

The Hamilton Cottages is an abandoned tourist boarding house and cottage complex in the Catskill Mountains of New York.

Boarding houses began to develop in the Catskills in the late 1800s as working-class families sought refuge from the dirty, unhealthy city in the mountains as it was thought that the higher elevations, clean air, and pure water could cure many ailments. ¹ Families would rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and meals were usually not included in the tab.

The earliest boarding houses were on farms that enabled rural families to supplement their farm income. ¹ In some instances, farmhouses would be enlarged, or entirely new structures would be built to accommodate guests. Like tenements in New York City, the boarding houses typically had shared bathrooms and flexible spaces, where living rooms could double as bedrooms or workrooms. Privacy was a luxury.

The advent of the automobile led to fewer stays at boarding houses as it became more feasible for tourists to conduct day trips without the need for overnight accommodations. Additionally, by the middle of the 20th century, expectations for family privacy and guest services made taking in boarders unappealing. ¹ It also became uneconomical, as new motels began to take the place of boarding houses.

The Hamilton cottages began in a converted farmhouse and were expanded upon with three additional structures. A two-story motel was added in 1965 which was expanded with additional rooms in 1970. The property was listed for sale in 2016.