Ellenville Marker Text:
An eastern gateway to the Borscht Belt, Ellenville has attracted visitors since the 19th century. In 1901, the Slutsky family opened the Nevele and Fallsview hotels. Both offered a picturesque valley setting, waterfall, and extensive amenities. The Nevele’s distinctive 10-story tower, skating rink and bas-relief sculpture represent the modernist architecture movement of the mid-20th century.
At its peak in the 1950s, Ellenville had 20 bungalow colonies and 29 hotels such as Jans, Kleinman’s, Sun Ray, Zisselman’s, Arrowhead Lodge, Breeze Lawn Hotel, Echo Hotel, and Melbourne Hotel. It was also home to Mount Cathalia, a Chinese American ski resort.
In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson, the only sitting president to visit the Catskills, dedicated a hospital in Ellenville with Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Both stayed at The Nevele.
Stand-up comedy originated in the Borscht Belt. Comedians such as Lenny Bruce, Red Buttons, Rodney Dangerfield, Phyllis Diller, Gilbert Gottfried, Susie Essman, Shecky Greene, Mal Z. Lawrence, Bill Maher, Jackie Mason, Marilyn Michaels and countless others performed here.
Evan Trent: Mayor of Ellenville
Dara Gottfried -- Film, Podcast, Album and Live Event Producer. Manager and Photography Archivist of the Arlene Gottfried collection, and wife of Gilbert Gottfried
David Slutsky -- one of the 4th generation of the Slutsky family that, over the years, built, owned, and operated the Nevele.
Elliot Auerbach -- a lifelong Ellenville resident, comes from a family that owned and operated Ace Hardware in the village. He served three terms as Mayor of Ellenville and brings a deep, personal connection to the Borscht Belt era from mucking stalls at the Nevele Hotel stables and working as a busboy at the Fallsview, to serving as a ski instructor at the Pines Hotel.
*This project is made possible with funds from the New York State Legislature and administered by Arts Mid-Hudson.
Arrowhead Lodge
Boxer's Hotel
Breeze Lawn Hotel
Mount Cathalia
Eagle Mountain House
Evergreen Manor
The Fallsview
Fountain Hill House
Griswold's Tourist Inn
Hastie's Mountain House
Kinberg's Castlewood Inn
Merryville Hotel
Mount Meenagha Lodge
Mountain Spring Hotel
Nevele Country Club
Orchard House(Cohen's)
Overlook Hotel
Parkway Inn
Pine View House
Rabinowitz's
Rande's Hotel
Rivera Country Club
Ritter's Sagamore Inn
Shatzin's
Sunshine View House
Terrace Hill Hotel
Wayside Inn
Boxer’s Dairy Farm
Brook Lake Heights
Fishman’s
Hand’s (later Jan’s)
Ideal
Jan’s (previously Hand’s)
Kleinman’s Farm
Kozan’s
Laurenkill
Luxor Manor
Mike & Ann's
Oakwood Cottages
Pine View House
Reichel
Steinberg’s
Sun Ray Bungalows
Swerdloff’s Lakefront Cottages
Zisselman’s
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