Laurel House – Catskill Mountains
Greene County
The former Laurel House hotel, perched near the top of famed Kaaterskill Falls, the highest falls in New York State, was constructed as a boarding house in 1852 by Peter Schutt, and later managed by his son Jacob L. Schutt. The house originally had room for 50 visitors but was expanded after the Civil War and again in the early 1880s to accommodate approximately 300 people. The hotel was very popular given its location near the falls, its views of Kaaterskill Clove and its moderate pricing when compared to the more upscale Catskill Mountain House and the Kaaterskill Hotel. The hotel was named for the mountain laurel (kalmia latifolia) that grows and blossoms around the area.
One year after its opening an 1853 advertisement stated: “LAUREL HOUSE, CATKILL MOUNTAINS LATELY erected near the brink of the well known Kauterskill Falls, one and a half miles west of the Mountain House, and about fifteen miles from Catskill, where visitors seeking the benefits of mountain air for health and recreation will find all the comforts of a retired hotel at moderate rates. Stages will be in readiness at the landing from the boats and cars at Catskill to convey passengers directly to the house. Parties desiring rooms for the season or month may secure them by early application by letter addressed to the proprietor. Catskill, June 25, 1852. J. L. SCHULT. (New York Daily Herald. New York, NY. June 30, 1853.)
The grand hotel operated until 1963, was acquired by New York State two years later and its grounds added to the Catskill Forest Preserve. The state intentionally burned the historic structure in March 1967. Today Kaaterskill Falls remains one of the popular destinations in the Catskills.
