Hotel Hike - May 22

[mike]

The area before the building was enlarged. They would use the flow of the water to run the saws. I believe that the Laurel House also used it for a water source. We also believe that it was used to dam up and release to show the flow of water over the falls. People uses to pay 25 cents (I think that amount is correct?) to see a high flow of water over the Falls.

I tend to think that Rush map is the most accurate source. He called the building the Saw Mill. The confusion is with the Glen Mary building. Rush shows it a little further down. The Laundry building is on the other side of Lake Creek.

Kaaterskill Hotel used the water from the pond, and had a large cistern. There are water pipes that do run down to the Laurel House. I have not seen any for the Kaaterskill Hotel.

There was a lot activity in this area. Well worth the investigation. It will be good to investigate the building.

[TimMallery]

My intention is to get to the Laurel House parking lot around 9AM, walk down Spruce Creek, and then up Lake Creek to Scribners. Then try to get a picture of the back section of the house at the end of Schutt Road without getting shot/arrested to compare to the picture of the Glen Mary Cottage. Then I'll head off towards the building. My guess at this point is that it was a mill that was later used as a pump house for the Kaaterskill Laundry, which was in this area. You're certainly welcome to come if you can. I'll send you my cell number...

The dam to turn on the falls was just below the Laurel House. If you look at the second picture of the slideshow at http://www.catskillarchive.com/laurel/index.htm, you can see the dam. This one replaced the mill on Spruce Creek that was originally used.

One problem with the maps is they show where Glen Mary is, but that doesn't mean the cottage was there.

[TimMallery]

Reread the section of The Catskills by Evers to see what I missed. What he says was is the Scribners house was being expanded to become the Glen Mary House, which is wrong; and he evidently later discovered he was wrong because he told Justine Hommel it was where the state horse corrals were. So when he said it was bulldozed by the state for the parking lot, he was talking about the Scribners house - which at the time he thought was the same as the Glen Mary. I am now convinced that the building in the Anthony stereoview was on the site of the last house on Schutt Road - the site matches perfectly, and a building is there on the old maps. And since the stereoview is labeled Glen Mary Cottage, I'm going with that. I just wish I hadn't been sick during Evers' last years, I might have gotten down to Woodstock and shown him the stereoview. I missed a lot over the past few years... Oh well, keep moving forward I guess.

It was great meeting you today Mike, and thanks for showing me that sawmill/laundry. Another piece in the puzzle...

[mike]

I had a great time hiking with you. I learned a lot. I did go back this week and measure the saw mill / laundry house. In the next couple of weeks I should be able to make some CAD drawings that might answer some more questions. Here are a few facts:

Stone House: 500 sf - 8' outside wall
Saw Mill Foundation 4400 sf
Laundry House: 900 sf (poured slab)
water containment: 100,000 gallons of water
building by Lake Creek: 160 sf

Laurel House Landry House: 3,000 sf

The location of the foot bridge appears to be correct. After further investigation, the indented foot path leads up to both locations. Still not sure what the building beside the foot bridge was.

I should have all the information available in the next couple of weeks.

I have been also reading Rusk book (1879) which is helpful.

You description of the Scribner House and Mary Glen seems logical. So much activity and history in this small section of land. Amazing how quickly it can disappear.