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Parksville was a farming community until the arrival of the O & W Railroad in the late 19th century. Many farms began operating as boarding houses, attracting city guests seeking fresh air, food, and respite. By the 1920s Klein's Hillside Hotel offered an escape from grueling tenement life with amenities like running water and privacy. Opening in 1928, Young's Gap was one of the first all-inclusive resorts open year-round. Eventually accommodating 600, the hotel had an indoor pool, theater, synagogue, and on-site shopping. In 1949, the hotel was featured in the film Catskills Honeymoon. Notable entertainers Bobby Darin and the Barry Sisters performed in Parksville.
The last train to Parksville ran in 1953. By the 1960s, with the construction of Route 17, many hotels and bungalows closed. Parksville will be remembered for its legacy of about 14 bungalow colonies, including Breezy Hill, and Weinstein's, 65 hotels such as Lash Paramount, Tanzville, and Sunset Acres, an African American resort.
( back ) Borscht BeltFrom the early 1920s through the 1970s, the Borscht Belt was the preeminent summer
resort destination for hundreds of thousands of predominantly East Coast American Jews. The exclusion of the Jewish community from existing establishments in the 1920s drove Jewish entrepreneurs to create over 500 resorts, 50,000 bungalows, and 1,000 rooming houses in Sullivan County and parts of Ulster County. The Borscht Belt provided a sense of community for working and vacationing Jews. The era exerted a strong influence on American culture, particularly in the realm of entertainment, music, and sports. Some of the most well-known and influential people of the 20th century worked and vacationed in the areas. Beginning around 1960, the Borscht Belt began a gradual demise due to many factors, including the growth of suburbia, inexpensive airfare, and generational changes.
Erected 2025 by Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project, Sullivan County Historian.
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