#ABANDONED CASTLE IN THE CATSKILLS SERIES#
#ABANDONED CASTLE IN THE CATSKILLS CRACK#

Hides from South America were transported into the region by land and finished in tanneries. More significantly, the tanning industry thrived because of the abundance of hemlock bark and the high demand for leather products by soldiers of the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Civil War. 4 Sawmills, grist mills, and other early industries that could be powered by water flow began to populate along the river corridors.

The earliest permanent settlements along the river formed after the Newburgh-Cochecton Turnpike was completed in 1801. 4 The logs were lashed together as rafts and steered through the narrow and shallow streambeds. Lumbering, the earliest industry in the Catskill Mountains, began to develop prior to the American Revolution along the Delaware River valley and along two major tributaries, the Beaverkill and Willowemoc, which had enough flow to enable the timber to run downstream to Trenton, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To see more of her work visit her website. Scheinfeld’s work is currently on display at Yeshiva University Museum till April 12, 2015.Dundas Castle, the former estate of Ralph Wurts-Dundas, is an abandoned mountain retreat in the Catskill Mountains of New York. In addition, destruction and activity from people who have entered, destroyed, scrapped, squatted, and the like, have all provided additional layers and colors.” “Nature has and still continues to be the force that bring me back into the hotels time and again – to see the changes that occur over mere months, or a year. It this natural force that intrigues Scheinfeld. “In winter, floors were like ice skating rinks, in spring, objects and remnants thawed, in the late spring and into the summer, plants that were growing inside the hotel spaces bloomed, in fall, leaves and colorful adornments were scattered around - all creating a colorful and layered narrative - infused with weather and nature - whose powerful and inevitable force has reclaimed most, if not all of these former hotels.' Also, the different seasons brought a different feel to each photo. (MORE: Resort in Ruins: Abandoned Hotel in Croatia (PHOTOS) )įor Scheinfeld, it was important to photograph the hotels in all four seasons, because when they were open they were open year-around. “Sometimes I trespassed, other times I knew someone and other instances, I met someone who told me about the hotel (maybe they owned it, or visited it) and I then went to find it, often using Google Earth – as some hotels no longer have ‘entrances’ and might just be a broken pillar on the side of the road.” “In total, there were once 600 hotels, so I had a lot to work with, look into and seek out,” she said. Scheinfeld started with hotels she knew of or had been to when they were open and then expanded to hotels she’d never visited.

She then began researching and reading about the Borscht Belt, pinpointing where the hotels were located so she could start looking for their remains. “When I was in graduate school, was given the advice to ‘shoot what I know’ and the idea of doing a project about my hometown, its history and contemporary, evolved.” “When I was a child, I went to some of the hotels, and worked at the Concord as a lifeguard in 1995, shortly before the hotel closed,” said Scheinfield. “It was always unavoidable to hear a story of the Borscht Belt in its heyday, especially as a kid growing up in the area,” explained Scheinfeld. Borscht Belt is the name given to the area, which became a popular vacation spot for New York’s Jewish families from the 1920s up to the 70s. Photographer Scheinfield still remembers the Borscht Belt of her youth. (MORE: No Vacancies: 10 Abandoned Hotels and Resorts (PHOTOS) )

#ABANDONED CASTLE IN THE CATSKILLS CRACK#

In addition to rain, freeze and thaw cycles also cause the buildings to crack and crumble, and strong winds can peel away at roofing and siding, he explained.

'As structures deteriorate, rainfall entering buildings can cause extensive water damage, including significant flooding,' according to Meteorologist Christopher Dolce. The elements have taken their toll on the buildings after years of neglect.

These hotels, once bustling with activity, are now silent and overtaken by nature.

#ABANDONED CASTLE IN THE CATSKILLS SERIES#

With her photo series on the ghost hotels of New York’s Catskills Mountains, photographer Marisa Scheinfeld captures eerie remnants of her hometown in the Catskills, and the crumbling and decaying structures that were once vacation destinations.

Abandoned castle in the catskills