Urban Exploration in Upstate Pennsylvania and New York

So, a couple of friends and I decided to take a little trip this past weekend to visit some interesting locations in Pennsylvania and New York.

Note: You can see all the photographs from this trip by clicking on any image that appears in this post, to view an interactive trip map click on the map image that appears at the end.

This is the main coal elevator at the complex.

Ashley Coal Breaker

Since it’s closing in 1976, The Huber Breaker in Ashley, PA has survived the ravages of time. The weather, vandalism and salvage operations have threatened its very existence. When the breaker is seen from Route 81, entering our valley from the south, one is reminded of the rich heritage we share in anthracite mining. When construction was completed in 1939, the breaker was the modern wonder of its time. It incorporated technological advancements as well as past architectural milestones that made it useful well past the expiration of deep mining in our area. This testament of longevity is precisely why the Huber is the last remaining coal breaker of that bygone era.

We arrived at the site at around noon, and spent the next couple of hours exploring all of the massive machinery. This place must have been very loud when it was running full-bore. Access to the site was very easy, no locked gates or doors, no issues of any kind.

View of the "Older" section of this sprawling complex.

Buck Hill Inn

Built in 1901 by Quakers as a 20 room mountain retreat in Monroe County, the Buck Hill Inn grew into the biggest resort in the Poconos with a four-story hotel made of stone and 270 rooms. It eventually closed in 1991 and sits deserted and partially burned out now, waiting on its’ fate – either restoration or the wrecking ball. In its’ heyday, violence, murder and suicide along with other assorted mayhem were well-known within its’ walls.

It was supposed to be a place that the Mob liked to frequent, and the owners were more than willing to bend a rule or three themselves. It’s said that in 66 years of operation, 73 people died at the hotel. Five, in fact, died in one room, #354.

A bride named Lorna Kilpatrick was murdered there by the very priest that married her the day before at the resort. He committed suicide, and Lorna’s ghost has haunted the room ever since. A maid slit her wrists in there while clutching a rosary. People refused to stay in the room because of the constant freezing cold, doors that wouldn’t stay shut – and the ghosts. The hotel had to shut the room permanently.

This place was boarded up and locked tight. Shortly after our arrival, a guard wheeled up in a jeep. He was a decent guy, though, and told us that pictures were “OK”, but to stay our of the buildings themselves. We stayed for a brief time, taking some exterior shots before heading to New York.

The view from the roof of one of the hotel buildings on the site.

Grossinger’s Catskill Resort

The Grossinger family came to the United States around 1910 from a section of Poland that was part of the Austrian Empire. After failing at several professions in New York City, the religious family chose Ferndale because of its established orthodox community – and because the Grossinger’s were farmers. In 1914, the Grossinger’s bought some property and opened a small farmhouse. They had planned to grow crops there, but the soil was not good enough for their farming, and quickly realized there was more money in taking boarders in. The first summer they had nine guests, and the next year so many came up that the overflow slept outdoors.

In 1919, the Grossinger’s purchased the Nicolas Farm one mile away from their property. They called their new establishment Grossinger’s Hotel, which had plumbing and electricity. For years they also owned cows, from which they got fresh milk daily. Jennie Grossinger was the leading force behind Grossinger’s. She was a well-known figure in the Catskills, known for treating every guest like a part of the family.

Grossinger’s started small but quickly grew. New buildings sprung up in the popular “Sullivan County Tudor” style, and new activities were added to keep up with the times. Grossinger’s always had the best people running activities, and was known for its unique features such as expensive sports facilities. More than anything else, Grossinger’s was a starting point for hundreds of would-be big stars. Everyone got their start in the Catskills, and Grossinger’s was the hot spot.

At its height, Grossinger’s was so encompassing that it had its own airport and post office (Grossinger, New York). The reason behind the post office was simple: the Town of Liberty was known for its sanitariums, and Grossinger’s didn’t want to be associated with this; so they became a town. After Jennie Grossinger died, the force behind the hotel diminished and it closed in the late 1980s. Its legacy will live on forever.

In stark contrast to the previous spot we visited, this place was totally accessible. No patrols or signs, absolutely no attempt to secure the facility, every door in every building wide open. We spent several hours here, and still only managed to see about a quarter of the complex. Very impressive place, no wonder it used to be known as “The Jewish Riviera”.

Weird 911 Memorial

A figure of a Law Enforcement Officer salutes the rest of the tattered figures.

On our way to the Delaware Water Gap from Grossinger’s, we stumbled upon a strange little group of carved figures. In a state of decay, and mostly burned, this group seemed to be someone’s attempt at memorializing the victims of the 911 tragedy, and POW’s from foreign wars.

The figures were carved from large tree trunks with a chain saw, and were actually very “folk-art” looking.

A little investigation at the convenience store across the way, tuned up an interesting little story.

It seems that the Artist, had taken several years to create this monument, before suddenly picking up and leaving the state for parts unknown a short time later.

Since then, the figures have been exposed to the ravages of time (and destructive vandals) leaving the place in the state it exists in today.

A lot of work went into this, it’s a shame I didn’t “discover” it earlier.

The view from the gap, where interstate 80 and the Delaware River cut through.

Delaware Water Gap

The Delaware Water gap was created millions of years ago when geologic pressure twisted the Silurian Shawangunk Conglomerate, therefore breaking or shattering the gray quartzite. As the pressure forced the quartzite up, the Delaware River slowly cut its path through the shattered quartzite. Otherwise the river may not have been able to cut its path.

Thousands of years of rain, snow and wind erosion gives the Gap its present look.

n the 1962, Congress authorized the building of the Tock’s Island Dam. This was due to control the flooding of the Delaware River due to hurricanes passing through the area. The dam was planned upstream of the water gap at Tock’s Island, but was never built, although the land for the proposed reservoir had already been purchased. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area was created from the land acquired for the planned reservoir.

We spent just a breif time here, snapping a couple of photographs, before heading southward to our homes.

Overall, it was a great little trip, definitely a nice little diversion from the cabin fever imposed on us by this winter.