Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project

09/19/2026

let’s dream anyhow…

shots out of a mid-1960s brochure for the homowack lodge in spring glen, NY.

our 20th marker is coming soon… stay tuned 😉

09/16/2026

Ballroom dance lessons on the Concord Hotel patio by the hotel’s dance instructor, Tony Mellusi in the 1960s!

These are just some of the many photos featured in the book chachainthecatskills, available now. A website with a full photo gallery is in the works and will debut later this month - stay tuned!

❤️

09/11/2026

A postcard view of Swan Lake, NY in the 1960s - featuring the Stevensville Hotel in the distance!

C. BBHMP

09/10/2026

TAKE ME TO THE AVON LODGE!

09/07/2026

Summer is forever.

Happy Labor Day!

Pines Hotel, South Fallsburg NY, 1970s, C. BBHMP

09/04/2026

18 miles to Lake Huntington… 💚

Very excited to se everyone for our marker dedication honoring hotels in western Sullivan County, today at 5 PM outside of Sullivan West! Then, join us at Delaware Valley Opera for a special screening of the iconic film Dirty Dancing at 7:30 PM! This is not one to be missed!

09/03/2026

Postcards from the Villa Roma in the 1970s & 1980s ❤️

09/02/2026

Founded in 1944 by Ernesto and Hilda Vindigni as a modest Italian-American boarding house, The Villa Roma in Callicoon was purchased by Martin “Marty” Passante in 1969. Under Marty’s ownership, the property underwent a remarkable renaissance, expanding into a sprawling year-round Catskills resort with the Forum Nightclub, indoor recreation, timeshares, skiing and an 18-hole golf course. After more than five decades under Passante’s ownership, Villa Roma was sold in 2024 and continues to operate today as one of the last major surviving resorts of the resort era.

09/01/2026

The Recreation Farm Society in Fosterdale began as a convalescent home operated by the Workmen’s Benefit Fund, providing an affordable alternative to expensive sanitariums for those in need of extended care. By the 1950s, rates were as little as $3.50 per week for tuberculosis patients and $7 for others, including room, board, and professional care. New buildings were added in 1960 and 1974, and the property continued to operate with lodging, dining and agricultural facilities before closing by 2000.

The property later reopened as The Meadows, a resort offering family-style meals, a lounge, shuffleboard and other outdoor recreation, with lodging spread among several buildings including the 20-room Maples, 12-room Juniper, four-room Sycamore and three-room Birches. In 2004, broker Simon Gelb arranged a proposed sale that would have transformed the former Recreation Farm into a synagogue, hotel and food facility for members of the Satmar Hasidic community, but the deal ultimately became entangled in years of litigation and bankruptcy proceedings. The Recreation Farm still sits vacant to this day, awaiting a new life.

Slide 1 (1960s v. 2026) courtesy BBHMP.

08/31/2026

In Lake Huntington, a New Marker Tells a Bigger Borscht Belt Story! Thank you as always, Radio Catskill!

The marker will be the 19th installed by the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project.