By Dede Terns Thorpe, Town of Hunter Historian
On June 27, 1881, George Harding opened Hotel Kaaterskill, just eight or nine months after construction began. Elias Dutcher was credited for its completion, opening ahead of schedule.
Important names credited to its construction:
– Architect, S.D. Batton from Philadelphia, PA.
– Master Builder, Elias L. Dutcher from Cairo.
– Lumber and Road, Meech & Dibble from Platte Clove.
– Millwork, Edwin Lampman from Haines Falls.
This information is credited to the Catskill Mountaineer website.
The original dimensions:
– Main Building: 324’X44′ had four stories.
– Towers: 34X34′ had six levels.
– North & West Wing: 224X42’was four levels
– East Wing: 90X26′ had four levels.
– North Wing: 141X30′ had four stories. (from the end of the East Wing)
– Laundry: was one mile away: 120’X80′.
– Barn: 240’X32′ (a reasonable distance west of the Hotel).
– Icehouse: 65X30′ (next to the hotel).
KAATERSKILL HOTEL SOLD – Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 03, 1922…
“The Hotel Kaaterskill property at Catskill, N. Y., was sold to Dr. Harry Tannebaum of Oak Court, Lakewood, N.J., formerly owner of the Hollywood Lodge, Highmount, N. Y.
This property covers an area of six-hundred acres, comprises a township, and contains the main building, annex, and outbuilding with several lakes. The main building includes one thousand bedrooms, exclusive of other rooms; also bowling alleys, billiard rooms, and numerous recreation rooms. The property consists of a 9-hole golf course, which will be enlarged to an 18-hole course.
The property was initially constructed by day labor in 1882 by George Harding, the leading patent attorney of his time, and cost over one million dollars [today, that’s equal to just under $29 million] to complete. It was necessary to cut through roads and level mountain tops in its erection.”
An impressive accomplishment, even with today’s equipment!