C. Burton Hotel
Encyclopedia
The C. Burton Hotel, also known as the Sycamore House, is located on NY 55
a mile west of Grahamsville
, New York
, United States
. It is a wooden Greek Revival
structure dating to 1851.
It is possibly the only Greek Revival building in Sullivan County
with column
s, and the only one with a ballroom
. In its later years it was used as a house and a medical office; currently it is unoccupied. In 2005 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
structure on a stone
foundation
. Its front facade
is centered on a recessed porch
, with large fluted
Doric
columns, echoed by similar cornerboards. A broad gable
d roof is covered in metal cladding
, and round-arched louver windows are near the top at either end. The rear features a polygonal bay with two entrance doors.
The building is sided in clapboard
. The roofline is marked by a deep molded
cornice
with returns and a wide entablature
.
Three French doors give entrance from the recessed front porch to the interior, which retains its original plan. The large entrance hall has a set of stairs which lead to the ballroom upstairs, as well as a smaller area that may have been partitioned off from it to make a kitchen. Many areas, particularly in the central portion of the building, also have their original finishes and trim, including some marble
mantel
s.
appearance belies its original construction and expansion. C. Burton originally built the small southern section as a roadside tavern
in 1851. Although he was not on the main turnpike
route through the area at the time, business was apparently good enough that he expanded the building threefold two years later, adding the current main block.
It continued to do well under his and other ownership throughout the rest of the century, first for travelers and then as a regional vacation center, with guests coming via stagecoach
from the New York, Orange & Western station in nearby Fallsburg
. Starting in 1898, the Grahamsville Fair was held on the land behind the hotel, boosting annual visitation. Early in the new century, the first of two doctors began using it as a residence and office while continuing to put up guests as well, under the names Sycamore House and Hawthorne House.
Grahamsville's resort traffic began to decline with the change in vacationing patterns as the 20th century progressed, and it was just north of Fallsburg and other areas to the south and east that had been dominated by Jewish summer communities, which captured most of that market, the largest segment
still regularly visiting the Catskills
for extended periods in the summer. In 1944 its owners sold to another family who used it exclusively as a private residence. In 1994 those owners in turn sold to another family, which has been trying to restore
the house while living elsewhere.
style
, and its size, is unusually sophisticated for a rural commercial building far from any major city then (or now). The massive columns and recessed porch are possibly the only such instances of those features on a Greek Revival building in Sullivan County
.
New York State Route 55
New York State Route 55 is a state highway in southern New York, running from the Pennsylvania state line at the Delaware River in Barryville to the Connecticut state line at Wingdale...
a mile west of Grahamsville
Grahamsville, New York
Grahamsville is an unincorporated hamlet at the junction of NY 42 and 55 in the Town of Neversink, in Sullivan County, New York, USA. It is near the western end of Rondout Reservoir, and is the southernmost community in the Catskill Park...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a wooden Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
structure dating to 1851.
It is possibly the only Greek Revival building in Sullivan County
Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
with column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s, and the only one with a ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
. In its later years it was used as a house and a medical office; currently it is unoccupied. In 2005 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Building
As it currently stands the building is a rectangular two-story six-by-two-bayBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
structure on a stone
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
. Its front facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
is centered on a recessed porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
, with large fluted
Fluting (architecture)
Fluting in architecture refers to the shallow grooves running vertically along a surface.It typically refers to the grooves running on a column shaft or a pilaster, but need not necessarily be restricted to those two applications...
Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns, echoed by similar cornerboards. A broad gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof is covered in metal cladding
Cladding (construction)
Cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes....
, and round-arched louver windows are near the top at either end. The rear features a polygonal bay with two entrance doors.
The building is sided in clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
. The roofline is marked by a deep molded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
with returns and a wide entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
.
Three French doors give entrance from the recessed front porch to the interior, which retains its original plan. The large entrance hall has a set of stairs which lead to the ballroom upstairs, as well as a smaller area that may have been partitioned off from it to make a kitchen. Many areas, particularly in the central portion of the building, also have their original finishes and trim, including some marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
mantel
Mantel
Mantel is a municipality in the district of Neustadt in Bavaria in Germany....
s.
History
The building's seamless and symmetricalSymmetry
Symmetry generally conveys two primary meanings. The first is an imprecise sense of harmonious or aesthetically pleasing proportionality and balance; such that it reflects beauty or perfection...
appearance belies its original construction and expansion. C. Burton originally built the small southern section as a roadside tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
in 1851. Although he was not on the main turnpike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
route through the area at the time, business was apparently good enough that he expanded the building threefold two years later, adding the current main block.
It continued to do well under his and other ownership throughout the rest of the century, first for travelers and then as a regional vacation center, with guests coming via stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
from the New York, Orange & Western station in nearby Fallsburg
Fallsburg, New York
Fallsburg is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The town is in the eastern part of the county. The population was 12,234 at the 2000 census. The town takes its name from a waterfall on the Neversink River...
. Starting in 1898, the Grahamsville Fair was held on the land behind the hotel, boosting annual visitation. Early in the new century, the first of two doctors began using it as a residence and office while continuing to put up guests as well, under the names Sycamore House and Hawthorne House.
Grahamsville's resort traffic began to decline with the change in vacationing patterns as the 20th century progressed, and it was just north of Fallsburg and other areas to the south and east that had been dominated by Jewish summer communities, which captured most of that market, the largest segment
Market segment
Market segmentation is a concept in economics and marketing. A market segment is a sub-set of a market made up of people or organizations with one or more characteristics that cause them to demand similar product and/or services based on qualities of those products such as price or function...
still regularly visiting the Catskills
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
for extended periods in the summer. In 1944 its owners sold to another family who used it exclusively as a private residence. In 1994 those owners in turn sold to another family, which has been trying to restore
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
the house while living elsewhere.
Aesthetics
The hotel's implementation of the Greek RevivalGreek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
, and its size, is unusually sophisticated for a rural commercial building far from any major city then (or now). The massive columns and recessed porch are possibly the only such instances of those features on a Greek Revival building in Sullivan County
Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
.