Scene on Lake Showing Campbell's Inn, Roscoe, N.Y.
This vintage Catskills postcard depicts the historic Campbell Inn at Roscoe in Sullivan County, New York. The postcard was published by the Eagle Post Card Company located in New York City. The postcard was never mailed.
The century old Campbell Inn was a once famous resort located in the iconic fishing haven of Roscoe, New York. The resort, prominently located on a hillside overlooking the hamlet of Roscoe, first opened its doors circa 1900 under the ownership of Jefferson Campbell (1854-1916), a Roscoe native, prominent local merchant and partner in the firm Campbell, Sprague & Co. With room for 200 visitors, it was largest summer boarding house in the area for many years. The hotel was located on over 107 acres of property that included a grand lawn, a small man-made lake and surrounding forest.
In 1900, just after its opening, the Campbell Inn began advertising itself in the newspapers: “THE CAMPBELL INN, ROSCOE, SULLIVAN CO., N.Y. House newly built; elevation 1,450 feet; accommodates 100; convenient to depot, post office and churches; large, airy rooms; excellent spring water; abundance of shade, all modern sanitary improvements; good trout fishing; good table. Terms and particulars of J. CAMPBELL. Proprietor.” In the 1920s, after an expansion that doubled its capacity, the Inn advertised itself as: “1,450 feet elevation; accommodates 200; 4 hours from New York; 10 minutes' walk from village; orchestra; dancing, tennis, boating, bathing, etc. All rooms running water. Rates $25 to $40.”
After the passing of Jefferson Campbell, the hotel was owned and operated by his oldest son Harry Campbell. In 1932 the Wood family purchased the property from Harry Campbell and successfully operated it for 54 years. The resort was sold by the Wood family in 1986 to Boris Potapovsky. With its better days long behind, the hotel closed sometime in the late 1990s. In the early 2000s there were plans to demolish the Campbell Inn and replace it with a luxury 11-story, 200 room hotel and spa. However, these plans were never enacted and the Inn remains vacant.
