Bear Mountain Inn
Encyclopedia
The Bear Mountain Inn is a 1915 hotel and restaurant owned by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission
and located on Route 9W at the northern end of Seven Lakes Drive
, just south of the Bear Mountain Bridge
in Rockland County, New York
. It is presently named Bear Mountain Inn & Conference Center. As of fall 2011, the first floor is now open and features the 1915 Cafe and Bear Mountain Trading Company gift store. Renovations continue on the second and third floors.
.
Stone used in the foundations, wall facades and the two remarkably large fireplaces, was obtained from old walls on the properties acquired for Bear Mountain State Park
. Chestnut
timber used for framing, certain trim, siding and floor-covering, was also obtained from local parklands and milled on site. Despite appearances to the contrary, the building's basic framework is constructed of steel.
In the 1915 cellar was an electric lighting plant that was also planned to furnish power for an escalator from the excursion boat landing to the plateau on which the inn stands. The ground floor included a “luncheon counter” while on the second floor veranda, “moderately priced Table d'hote
” meals were sold. The main dining room offered “service equal to any metropolitan restaurant.” According to a New York Times article published in June 1915, “There are no windows or doors. When cool weather comes, the upper floor is to be inclosed [sic] in glass.” http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E06E5D91631E733A05754C2A9609C946496D6CF&scp=2&sq=%22Bear+Mountain+Inn%22&st=p
In 1922-23 the building became a year-round facility with steam heat and enclosed windows. The aim was in part to make it a center for winter sports. Between the 1930s and 1980s changes to the floor plan were made and some historic details and decorative motifs were concealed or lost, and much of the original, rustic furniture
was removed. A current renovation aims to restore some of these details.
When it became used for overnight accommodations, the third floor was initially remodeled as a dormitory. Later, individual guest rooms were installed with shared bath facilities. In 1975, individual bathrooms were installed as part of a larger renovation.
At various times during the 1930s and 40s, the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, the New York Giants
football team and the New York Knickerbockers
basketball team made the inn and adjacent athletic facilities their training headquarters. Also during this period, entertainment headliners included Harry James
and Tommy Dorsey
, and some believe Kate Smith
wrote her 1931 theme song “When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain
” while at the inn. If so, the mountain in question might be Anthony's Nose which lies to the east across the Hudson River. http://books.google.com/books?id=EaQA-hHDIg4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Palisades+Interstate+Park&lr=
Madame Chiang Kai-shek spent two weeks “in seclusion” at one of the outlying lodges of the Bear Mountain Inn in the spring of 1943, meeting with Wendell L. Wilkie there April 25 before proceeding to the White House
for a brief stay.
Following the outbreak of World War II
, the park commission gave up direct management of the hotel and it was offered as a concession. http://books.google.com/books?id=EaQA-hHDIg4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Palisades+Interstate+Park&lr=
Terminal Operating Corp. operated the hotel from 1941 until 1965, when it was taken over by Restaurant Associates Inc. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20C10FE39541A7493CBAB178DD85F4C8685F9&scp=357&sq=%22Bear+Mountain+Inn%22&st=p As of 1991, ARA Leisure Services operated the inn. A similar contract was announced in December 2008 with Guest Services Inc. of Fairfax, Virginia. http://www.guestservices.com/files/Press_BMI_Release_Final.pdf
A $12 million renovation by H3. HardyCorp to restore the inn's “original rustic splendor” announced by the park commission in 2005 was to require closing the building to the public for 18 months. As of 2009, no further timetable had been disclosed. http://www.wcbizj.biz/focus/wrapup/12080804.php http://www.palisadesparksconservancy.org/news/72/
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/nyregion/04bear.html?scp=1&sq=%22Bear+Mountain+Inn%22&st=nyt Reports since then have put the expected cost across a fairly wide range, while accounts of certain other details have also varied. On April, 2009, a comparatively detailed report in a local Orange County media outlet put costs at $15 million, and also said work had been ongoing http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090416/NEWS/904160326. When completed at an uncertain date, Bear Mountain Inn may include 15 "suites" for guest accommodations, and much of the building (20,000 square feet) would be available (as previously) only for private "catering" for local weddings and other events.http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/overlook-lodge-stone-cottages-cliff-house-undergo-million-dollar-renovations/
http://www.visitbearmountain.com/accommodations/bear-mountain-inn
The first floor of the Bear Mountain Inn is now open. This includes the Bear Mountain Trading Company gift store and the 1915 Cafe.
Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Palisades Interstate Park and its creator, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, was formed in 1900 by governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster M. Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the destruction of the Palisades by quarry operators in the late 19th century...
and located on Route 9W at the northern end of Seven Lakes Drive
Seven Lakes Drive
Seven Lakes Drive is a 17.91 mile long parkway in the U.S. state of New York. The southern terminus of the route is at New York State Route 17 in Sloatsburg. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 9W and U.S. Route 202 a mile south of Fort Montgomery in Bear Mountain State Park...
, just south of the Bear Mountain Bridge
Bear Mountain Bridge
The Bear Mountain Bridge is a toll suspension bridge in New York State, carrying U.S. Highways 202 and 6 across the Hudson River between Rockland and Westchester counties...
in Rockland County, New York
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
. It is presently named Bear Mountain Inn & Conference Center. As of fall 2011, the first floor is now open and features the 1915 Cafe and Bear Mountain Trading Company gift store. Renovations continue on the second and third floors.
History
The building has been called "among the earliest examples of a monumental rustic park lodge of a type that became common in state and national parks". Construction required five years at a cost variously reported as $100,000 and $150,000. It was designed by the New York City firm of Tooker & Marsh, in a style strongly influenced by that of Adirondack Great CampsGreat Camps
Great camps refer to the grandiose family compounds of cabins that were built in the latter half of the nineteenth century on lakes in the Adirondacks such as Spitfire Lake and Rainbow Lake. The camps were summer homes for the wealthy, where they could relax, host or attend parties, and enjoy the...
.
Stone used in the foundations, wall facades and the two remarkably large fireplaces, was obtained from old walls on the properties acquired for Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain State Park is located on the west side of the Hudson River in Orange and Rockland counties of New York. The park offers biking, hiking, boating, picnicking, swimming, cross-country skiing, cross-country running, sledding and ice skating...
. Chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
timber used for framing, certain trim, siding and floor-covering, was also obtained from local parklands and milled on site. Despite appearances to the contrary, the building's basic framework is constructed of steel.
In the 1915 cellar was an electric lighting plant that was also planned to furnish power for an escalator from the excursion boat landing to the plateau on which the inn stands. The ground floor included a “luncheon counter” while on the second floor veranda, “moderately priced Table d'hote
Table d'hôte
Table d'hôte is a French loan phrase which literally means "host's table". It is used as restaurant terminology to indicate a menu where multi-course meals with only a few choices are charged, at a fixed total price. Such a menu may also be called prix fixe . The terms "set meal" and "set menu"...
” meals were sold. The main dining room offered “service equal to any metropolitan restaurant.” According to a New York Times article published in June 1915, “There are no windows or doors. When cool weather comes, the upper floor is to be inclosed [sic] in glass.” http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E06E5D91631E733A05754C2A9609C946496D6CF&scp=2&sq=%22Bear+Mountain+Inn%22&st=p
In 1922-23 the building became a year-round facility with steam heat and enclosed windows. The aim was in part to make it a center for winter sports. Between the 1930s and 1980s changes to the floor plan were made and some historic details and decorative motifs were concealed or lost, and much of the original, rustic furniture
Rustic furniture
Rustic furniture is furniture employing sticks, twigs or logs for a natural look. Many companies, artists and craftspeople make rustic furniture in a variety of styles and with a variety of historical and contemporary influences...
was removed. A current renovation aims to restore some of these details.
When it became used for overnight accommodations, the third floor was initially remodeled as a dormitory. Later, individual guest rooms were installed with shared bath facilities. In 1975, individual bathrooms were installed as part of a larger renovation.
At various times during the 1930s and 40s, the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
football team and the New York Knickerbockers
New York Knickerbockers
The New York Knickerbockers were one of the first organized baseball teams which played under a set of rules similar to the game today. The team was founded by Alexander Cartwright, considered one of the original developers of modern baseball....
basketball team made the inn and adjacent athletic facilities their training headquarters. Also during this period, entertainment headliners included Harry James
Harry James
Henry Haag “Harry” James was a trumpeter who led a jazz swing band during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 1940s. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone.-Biography:He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a...
and Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
, and some believe Kate Smith
Kate Smith
Kathryn Elizabeth "Kate" Smith was an American Popular singer, best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". Smith had a radio, television, and recording career spanning five decades, which reached its pinnacle in the 1940s.Smith was born in Greenville, Virginia...
wrote her 1931 theme song “When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain
When the Moon Comes over the Mountain
"When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain" is a popular song, published in 1931, and credited as written by Howard Johnson, Harry M. Woods, and Kate Smith...
” while at the inn. If so, the mountain in question might be Anthony's Nose which lies to the east across the Hudson River. http://books.google.com/books?id=EaQA-hHDIg4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Palisades+Interstate+Park&lr=
Madame Chiang Kai-shek spent two weeks “in seclusion” at one of the outlying lodges of the Bear Mountain Inn in the spring of 1943, meeting with Wendell L. Wilkie there April 25 before proceeding to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
for a brief stay.
Following the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the park commission gave up direct management of the hotel and it was offered as a concession. http://books.google.com/books?id=EaQA-hHDIg4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Palisades+Interstate+Park&lr=
Terminal Operating Corp. operated the hotel from 1941 until 1965, when it was taken over by Restaurant Associates Inc. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20C10FE39541A7493CBAB178DD85F4C8685F9&scp=357&sq=%22Bear+Mountain+Inn%22&st=p As of 1991, ARA Leisure Services operated the inn. A similar contract was announced in December 2008 with Guest Services Inc. of Fairfax, Virginia. http://www.guestservices.com/files/Press_BMI_Release_Final.pdf
Renovation project
Bear Mountain Inn had been closed for renovations since about 2005, and remained so as of late 2010. Media reports on this topic from time to time were somewhat contradictory. A brief note in the New York Times on Nov. 29, 2009, concerned a high-end charity fund-rasing event for the project, and said renovation was to begin in 2010, though given earlier reports (see below), the accuracy of this report may seem unclear http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/02/nyregion/benefits-445720.html?pagewanted=2.A $12 million renovation by H3. HardyCorp to restore the inn's “original rustic splendor” announced by the park commission in 2005 was to require closing the building to the public for 18 months. As of 2009, no further timetable had been disclosed. http://www.wcbizj.biz/focus/wrapup/12080804.php http://www.palisadesparksconservancy.org/news/72/
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/nyregion/04bear.html?scp=1&sq=%22Bear+Mountain+Inn%22&st=nyt Reports since then have put the expected cost across a fairly wide range, while accounts of certain other details have also varied. On April, 2009, a comparatively detailed report in a local Orange County media outlet put costs at $15 million, and also said work had been ongoing http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090416/NEWS/904160326. When completed at an uncertain date, Bear Mountain Inn may include 15 "suites" for guest accommodations, and much of the building (20,000 square feet) would be available (as previously) only for private "catering" for local weddings and other events.http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/overlook-lodge-stone-cottages-cliff-house-undergo-million-dollar-renovations/
http://www.visitbearmountain.com/accommodations/bear-mountain-inn
The first floor of the Bear Mountain Inn is now open. This includes the Bear Mountain Trading Company gift store and the 1915 Cafe.