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| Borscht Belt - Roscoe |
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Roscoe marks the northwestern edge of Sullivan County, where the Willowemoc and Beaverkill Rivers meet. A gateway between the Catskills’ fishing country and the resort corridor to the south, Roscoe became a hub for artists, nature lovers, and anglers with the arrival of the O&W Railroad in the late 19th century. By the 1940s, Roscoe promoted itself in the O&W Railway Vacation Guide, boasting picturesque views likened to the Alps.
During the Borscht Belt’s heyday, Roscoe was home to over a dozen hotels welcoming Jewish vacationers. Opened in 1900, the Campbell Inn was known as “A Little Switzerland in the Catskills,” featuring panoramic views and late Victorian architecture. Once Mountain Springs Hotel, Marian Gables Inn offered fresh air and lakeside recreation. Blending modern comforts with serene lakeside surroundings, Tennanah Lake House offered guests both relaxation and style. Its Century Room was a cutting-edge example of mid-century architecture.
Other local hotels included Alpine Country Club, Antrim Lodge, Chiloway, Hillside River View, Huff House, Lakewood Farm Inn, Pine Lawn, Rieping’s Lodge, and Rockland House.
Side 2
Borscht BeltFrom the 1920s through the early 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 area. Beginning around 1960, the Borscht Belt began a gradual demise due to many factors, including the growth of suburbia, inexpensive airfare, and generational changes.
Jewish American Society for Historic Peservation
Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project
Sullivan County Historian
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