The Pines

The Pines is an abandoned resort located in the Catskill Mountains of New York.







Table Of Contents

The Pines is an abandoned resort located in the Catskill Mountains of New York.

History

The Pines began as the Daisy View Hotel in South Fallsburg, offering guests modern amenities such as hot and cold water in every room, showers, tub baths, dancing, live music, and kosher dining. 14 In 1931, it was replaced by the Moneka Lodge, a Mission-style hotel. 13

The original owners, Silverstein and Weiner, sold the hotel to Harry Cohen and May Schweid in 1946. Renamed the Pines Hotel, it expanded into one of the largest resorts in the Catskills.

Recreational facilities included tennis courts, skiing, golf, swimming, and other outdoor activities. 2 The resort also featured multiple bars, a lounge, a ballroom, a card room, and a nightclub. The nightclub became a popular venue for entertainers such as Buddy Hackett, Robert Goulet, Tito Puente, Joan Rivers, and Tony Bennett. 2 4

In 1949, the hotel added a new recreation building, followed by a 35-room expansion in 1953. A distinctive outdoor swimming pool featuring an arched bridge that connected cabanas to a rooftop bar and the “Bamboo Room” was completed in 1959 at a cost of $75,000.

Between 1959 and 1961, a new lobby, card room, and indoor pool, designed by architect H.D. Phillips, were constructed. In 1962, the resort added the 1,300-seat Persian Room nightclub, the Wedgwood Room lounge and the Viceroy Room ballroom.

The mid-1960s saw further expansion with new convention rooms and guest wings, including the Savoy, Hampshire, and Regency wings. A nine-hole golf course was developed, and by December 1965, an ice-skating rink, ski chalet, and double chair lift were installed. 17 The chair lift was the first of its kind in the southern Catskills. 12 17

Over time, the Pines and similar resorts helped define the “Borscht Belt,” a region known for its Jewish summer resorts, cabin colonies, and camps. 1

Decline

Tourism in the Catskills peaked after World War II when large resort complexes such as Grossinger’s and The Pines were developed. 1 By the 1960s, however, tourism in the “Borscht Belt” began to decline. Air travel had become more affordable and accessible, and the expansion of interstate highways made long-distance automobile travel easier, reducing the appeal of regional resorts.

Between 1982 and 1986, 40 acres of The Pines’ property were subdivided into 78 condominiums known as Pines Country Estates. 15 Plans were also drawn up for 600 additional homes to encircle the golf course.

In the 1990s, Cliff Ehrlich, vice president of The Pines and the Catskill Resort Association, sought to establish a casino in partnership with the Oneida Nation. 16 The Oneidas had expanded from hosting bingo games in 1985 to opening the Turning Stone Casino in 1993. Ehrlich envisioned an Oneida-operated casino at the defunct Monticello Raceway, but the effort ultimately failed.

In January 1996, the kitchen and dining room at The Pines collapsed, forcing a temporary closure while repairs were made. 11

The Pines closed permanently in late 1998 when Fallsburg Estates LLC purchased the property from the Ehrlich family. 2 8 However, the new owner filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002 and contested property tax assessments. A settlement was reached in July 2007, requiring the company to pay $1 million in back taxes while having the hotel’s assessed value gradually reduced to $500,000.

In 2006, Fallsburg Estates proposed demolishing the golf course and ski areas to make way for 700 homes. 10 Later, the plan was revised to replace the hotel, golf course, and ski areas with 300 to 400 homes. 2

A series of fires further devastated the property. The 28-room Carleton staff building burned in 2003, followed by the former daycare center on July 29, 2007. 2 9 The Ritz staff quarters burned on August 8, 2 8 the ski chalet on September 20, 6 7 and the Dorchester staff quarters on September 23. 5

In July 2008, the town of Fallsburg ordered the demolition of at least five deteriorating wooden outbuildings, some nearly a century old. 3 These included the former annex, clubhouse, and the Dorchester, Sheridan, and Marlboro buildings, all in a state of collapse.

Ownership of the property became the subject of legal disputes. 4 Abraham Piller, claiming to be a 50% owner of Fallsburg Estates, sued partner Moshe Schwimmer and Princeton Realty Associates in state Supreme Court. Court documents revealed that the property’s deed had been transferred to Princeton Realty, an entity linked to Schwimmer. A religious court in Brooklyn, consisting of a tribunal of rabbis, also attempted to mediate the dispute, but no resolution was reached.

Suspicious fires devastated the abandoned Pines resort on June 17, 2023, June 19, 2023, and October 29, 2024, 18 19 20 the latter destroying the Regency and Savoy Buildings. The causes remain undetermined.



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Sources

  1. Larson, Neil. Division for Historic Preservation, New York State Parks and Recreation. Liberty Downtown Historic District, 2005 Sept.
  2. Yakin, Heather. “The Pines no longer shines in the Catskills.” Times Herald-Record, 30 Aug. 2007.
  3. Whitman, Victor. “Town of Fallsburg to order buildings razed.” Times Herald-Record, 4 Jul. 2008.
  4. Whitman, Victor. “Hotel in ruins; ownership in question.” Times Herald-Record, 19 Jun. 2008.
  5. Mayberg, Nathan. “Building razed in yet another fire at Pines Hotel.” Times Herald-Record, 24 Sept. 2007.
  6. Yakin, Heather. “Another Pines building burns.” Times Herald-Record, 22 Sept. 2007.
  7. “Fire destroys ski chalet at the Pines.” Times Herald-Record, 21 Sept. 2007.
  8. Yakin, Heather. “Another part of Pines Hotel burns.” Times Herald-Record, 9 Aug. 2007.
  9. Yakin, Heather. “Suspicious fire levels building at the Pines Hotel.” Times Herald-Record, 21 Jul. 2007.
  10. Yakin, Heather. “Pines resort land eyed for 700 homes.” Times Herald-Record, 17 Dec. 2010.
  11. Silverman, Francine. “Bygone Borscht Belt.” The Catskills Alive!, Hunter, 2009, p. 45.
  12. Conway, John. “Resorts and Recreation.” Remembering the Sullivan County Catskills, History Press, 2008.
  13. “Moneka Lodge.” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 28 Jun. 1931, p. L3.
  14. “Daisy View Hotel.” Evening Public Ledger [Philadelphia], 28 Jun. 1922, p. 28.
  15. Peterson, Iver. “Catskill Hotels Put Housing on the Menu.” New York Times, 21 May 1989.
  16. Nieves, Evelyn. “A Tradition, and a Resort, at Twilight.” New York Times, Apr 14, 1995, p. B6.
  17. Morgan, Sheldon. “Catskill Hotels Beckon the Skiers.” New York Times, 5 Dec. 1965, p. 30.
  18. Robayo, Patricio. “Massive fire devastates historic Pines Hotel.” Sullivan County Democrat, 1 Nov. 2024.
  19. “Once Popular Catskills Resort Engulfed in Flames.” 101.5 WPDH, 30 Oct. 2024.
  20. Robayo, Patricio. “Massive fire engulfs abandoned hotel.” Sullivan County Democrat, 23 Jun. 2023.

6 Comments

  1. Richard Sloan
    November 4, 2022
    Reply

    My father, Daniel Sloan, conducted religious services and Passover seders with Moishe Oysher at the Pines in the 50’s, and in the early or mid 60’s my stepmother, Mimi Sloan, sang in the Persian Room a couple of times. I was there for all of this. Some of my happiest memories were at The Pines. I remember Jerry Erhlich playing chess with my father in the card room, and Mae Schweid still worked in the office. (I guess Jerry was your dad and that Mae was your grandmother!)

  2. Floyd
    September 24, 2022
    Reply

    Back in the 70s I met a mother and her daughter in the dining room. They had a robery at their house and were just trying to get away and relax.

  3. George
    June 20, 2022
    Reply

    I stayed at The Pines back in 1993 or 1994 when it was a sponsor of, and provided accommodations for, the Wheel and Rock to Woodstock 150 Mile Bike Tour to benefit MS. The place was a dump but it was a great event, thanks to the efforts of the staff and the always cool vibe around the cycling community. All the MS events are good, and this one ended with a free concert at Yasgur’s Farm in Bethel. One of the best times I ever had with my ex-wife, among many — most before we got married LOL.

  4. Adam Dobkin
    April 21, 2021
    Reply

    I went to the Pines Hotel Resort on 1986. I met a future friend, an older sister who had a younger who I would date, and go to Harriet Berk s prom.

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