Homowack

The Homowack Lodge, located in the Catskill Mountains of New York, was a resort that operated from 1920 until its closure in 2007.

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History

Spring Glen, originally known as Homowack, was renamed in 1891 due to the numerous natural springs in the surrounding hills. ⁸ Sam Meyerson, the first Jewish resident in the Shawangunk Mountains region of the Catskills, settled in the area along Homowack Kill around 1900, and more Jewish families soon followed. ^{8 15} The County Line Methodist Episcopal Church offered their building for worship, and the Spring Glen congregation was formed in 1908. Between 1916 and 1918, the Spring Glen Synagogue was built and was available for daily prayers. Spring Glen was formally incorporated in 1920.

The congregation grew and began offering resort-like services as Homowack Lodge, becoming part of the “Borscht Belt,” an area known for its Jewish summer resorts. ² Tourism in the Catskills peaked after World War II, when massive resort facilities, such as Grossingers and The Pines, were built in the countryside. The area began to economically decline in the 1960s due to the increasing convenience of air travel and the advent of interstate highways.

On January 7, 1959, a fire destroyed two employee apartment buildings containing 43 rooms, causing an estimated loss of $40,000. ¹³ Another fire on May 27, 1964, damaged a new 72-room addition to the lodge, but volunteer firefighters saved the main building. ¹² The loss was estimated at $100,000.

January 1, 1977, a new indoor sports complex opened, featuring various courts, a pro shop, and lounges. ¹⁰ By 1978, the resort also included a redesigned golf course, tennis courts, playgrounds, pools, bowling alleys, an ice skating rink, and live music and disco. ¹¹

Machne Bnos

In 2006, Homowack Lodge was purchased by Machne Bnos Square, a Jewish Hasidic sect based in New Square. ⁹ Over 10,000 Hasidic Jews gathered at Spring Glen on August 19, 2007, to celebrate the founding of the New Square Shtetel. ^{3 6 9} The facility was split between Spring Mountain Resort and the Congregation Bais Trana Children’s Camp, with plans for various improvements. ⁹

However, problems arose as the town and state did not receive any permits for construction, and neighbors complained of zoning and environmental issues. ⁶ On July 9, 2009, ⁷ an oil spill was reported, and inspectors found numerous issues, including leaking roofs, exposed wiring, plumbing issues, mold, and violations with the water and sewer plants. ⁴ The fire alarm and sprinkler system were also not operable. The inspectors also found a leaking petroleum bulk storage tank, an unmaintained sewage disposal facility, and the waste being buried on site. ⁷ The state gave the owners until July 13 to correct the problems, but they were not remedied. ⁴

The state sought a voluntary evacuation of camp residents on July 15. ⁵ Despite the request from the state, Machne Bnos continued to harbor more than 200 girls on the property. ⁴ On July 23, the state denied the congregation’s permit application for an overnight camp certification and ordered the congregation to vacate the premises the following day. ⁹

The group was then ordered by the state to hire a third party to conduct 24-hour fire watches and act as an on-site fire marshal. ⁴ Machne Bnos was also ordered to hire plumbing and electrical contractors, a consultant to remove mold, and a certified wastewater treatment system operator to maintain the sewage disposal treatment plant.

On August 8, a county judge gave Congregation Bais Trana three more days to evacuate the resort and girls camp, and issued new rules, including locking unoccupied areas and closing the pool and main kitchen due to mold. ⁷ Bais Trana evacuated the complex the following day. ¹⁴

In 2014, Brooklyn-based Beautiful Earth Group purchased the derelict Homowack Lodge through a county tax auction and paid $392,000 in back taxes owed. ¹ The group planned to restore the hotel section for private use and open the remainder to the public for recreational purposes, including restoring the pools, tennis courts, and other facilities.

On July 9, 2023, the abandoned Homowack Lodge burned. ¹⁶

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Sources

1. Beam, Andrew. “New owners see green future for Homowack.” Times Herald-Record, 25 Dec. 2014.
2. Larson, Neil. Division for Historic Preservation, New York State Parks and Recreation. Liberty Downtown Historic District, 2005 Sept.
3.  “Thousands Gather for Founding of New Shver Shtetel.” Yeshiva World, 20 Aug. 2007.
4. “Skver Camp (Homowack Lodge) Remains Open Despite Many Violations.” Yeshiva World, 17 Jul. 2009.
5. “Skver Asked To Evacuate Homowack Lodge.” Yeshiva World, 15 Jul. 2009.
6. Hust, Dan. “Planned Hasidic ‘city’ At Former Homowack Causes Stir in Township.” Sullivan County Democrat, 10 Oct. 2012.
7. Hust, Dan. “Homowack must evacuate.” Sullivan County Democrat, 8 August, 2009.
8. Shapiro, Dorthy. “Spring Glen Synagogue History.” The Catskills Institute. Article.
9. Lieberman, Steve. “State seeks evacuation of kids camp.” Journal News [White Plains], 1 Aug. 2009, pp. 1A, 8A.
10. It’s Happening at Homowack! Times Herald-Record [Middletown], 26 Dec. 1976, p. 122. Advertisement.
11. Bring Us Your Generations. Journal News [White Plains], 20 Aug. 1978, p. 12C. Advertisement.
12. “Year 1964 One of Severe Drought.” Kingston Daily Freeman, 31 Dec. 1964, p. 18.
13. “Fire Destroys Two Resort Buildings.” Times Record [Troy], 8 Jan. 1959, p. 4.
14. Rubin, Ben. “Congregation empties camp.” Journal News [White Plains], 10 Aug. 2009, p. 3.
15. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Spring Glen Synagogue. By Kathleen LaFrank, Oct. 1998.
16. “Homowack Lodge burns in Summitville.” Mid Hudson News, 12 Jul. 2023.