The Oldest Frame House in the Catskills was a popular destination in the northern Catskills in the early 1900s. Postcards typically showed the house in varying states of disrepair, but with the house still having an air of history and dignity. Postcards of the old landmark were for many years a favorite of visitors to that section of the Catskills and they used to be sent out by the thousands to various parts of the country.

The Oldest Frame House in the Catskills was located by the road that ran from Haines Falls to the Laurel House. The dilapidated farmhouse was traditionally dated to the late-18th century, with the sign hanging on the front of the building stating that it was built in 1787.

In October 1901, it was reported that the old frame building was nearly destroyed by a fire. Fortunately, the flames were discovered in time and extinguished by a bucket brigade led by John Foley of Catskill.

In March 1912, 12-year-old Howard Janton visited the old building with his family. He wrote that “the house was rapidly decaying. There were two rooms on the ground floor and a loft overhead. It has been uninhabited for over forty years. There were many holes in the floor, and we had to be careful where we stepped. There was a big hole in the wall that was used as a fireplace. Some charred sticks were still noticeable. There was broken furniture scattered about. The yard was fully of broken glass.”

In October 1926, Francis Kelly visited the house, writing that “it is a very old house and there are only two rooms in it. It is a very nice little house, too. Every year there is something done to the house to keep it from falling apart. The roof is all patched up. And there are holes in the shed. Over the shed there is a sign, “1787. The Oldest House Standing in the Catskills.” There is also an old doghouse that is all boarded up and an old barn. It is a very pretty thing to look at. I shall never forget my trip to Haines Falls and the oldest house in the Catskills.”

By 1936, the house had seen better days. Jacob West of Schoharie had worked in Haines Falls in 1910 for Ed Adams during the heyday of his extensive meat business. West was one of 25 butchers employed by Adams and he had a daily route like most of his fellow workers, his district being Hunter and the vicinity. At one time when the town was unusually pressed for sleeping quarters, West slept in the small building which had become famous. West returned to Haines Falls and the house in August 1936 and “found the old building standing, but in a very story state. He expressed the opinion that unless it was remodeled it would very likely fail to survive another winter.”

The Oldest Frame House in the Catskills likely met its end sometime in the late 1930s. If the advertised 1787 construction date is accurate, the building would have been around 250 years old at the time of its demise.

595_The Oldest Frame House standing in the Catskill Mts. (A. D. 1787.) Haines Falls

Vintage postcard of the Oldest House in the Catskills, supposedly constructed in 1787. The postcard was published by the Rotograph Company and manufactured in Germany.

Oldest House in the Catskills