Lake Mohonk Mountain House | |
 Mohonk Mountain House | |
   | |
| Location | New Paltz, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°46′07″N74°09′20″W / 41.76861°N 74.15556°W /41.76861; -74.15556 |
| Built | 1869–1910 |
| Architect | Napoleon Le Brun James E. Ware |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001280 |
| NYSRHP No. | 11108.000020 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | July 16, 1973[1] |
| Designated NHL | June 24, 1986[2] |
| Designated NYSRHP | June 23, 1980 |
TheMohonk Mountain House, also known asLake Mohonk Mountain House or simply Lake Mohonk, is aresort hotel located south of theCatskill Mountains on the crest of theShawangunk Ridge, New York. The property lies at the junction of the towns ofNew Paltz,Marbletown, andRochester.
TheNational Historic Landmark Program's "Statement of Significance", as of the site's historic landmark designation in 1986, stated:
Begun in the 1870s as a small resort for family and friends by the Smiley brothers, it became so popular that it was enlarged many times. Because of the Smileys' love of the outdoor life, the area around the hotel was treated as an integral part of the attractions of the resort. Much of this area was planned as an experiment in conservation of the natural environment and as an educational tool for studying botany, geology, and outdoor living.[2]
The resort is located on the shore ofLake Mohonk, which is half a mile (800 m) long and 60 feet (18 m) deep. The main structure was built byQuaker twin brothers Albert and Alfred Smiley between 1869 and 1910.[2][3]
From 1883 to 1916, annual conferences took place at Mohonk Mountain House, sponsored by Albert Smiley, to improve the living standards ofNative American Indian populations.[4][5][6] These meetings brought together government representatives of theBureau of Indian Affairs and the House and Senate committees on Indian Affairs, as well as educators, philanthropists, and Indian leaders to discuss the formulation of policy. TheHaverford College library holds 22,000 records from the 34 conference reports for researchers and students of American history.[7]
The hotel hosted theLake Mohonk Conference on International Arbitration between 1895 and 1916,[8] which was instrumental in creating thePermanent Court of Arbitration inThe Hague, Netherlands.[9] Those conference papers were donated by the Smiley Family toSwarthmore College for research.[8]
The house was given aUnited Nations Environment Programme Award in 1994 in honor of "125 years of stewardship". According to theNational Trust for Historic Preservation, "Through its buildings and roads, its land, and its spirit, Mohonk exemplifies America's history and culture. Mohonk has since managed to maintain its 19th century character into the 21st century."[10]
The resort was sued in 2014 by 200 guests who had become ill in anorovirus outbreak after staying there. They claimed that the owners had been aware of thegastrointestinal illness at the resort prior to the guests' arrival.[11][12][13] The resort settled the claims for $875,000 two years later.[14]
Mohonk Mountain House has 259 guest rooms, including 28 tower rooms, an indoor pool andspa, and an outdoor ice-skating rink for winter use. The property consists of 1,325 acres (536 ha), and much of it is landscaped with meadows and gardens. It adjoins theMohonk Preserve, which is crisscrossed by 85 miles (140 km) of hiking trails and carriage roads. The Smileys conveyed the majority of their property to the preserve, in 1963. At the time the preserve was called the Mohonk Trust.[15]
Mohonk Mountain House has hosted many famous visitors including industrialistJohn D. Rockefeller, financierCharles A. Schmutz,[16] naturalistJohn Burroughs, industrialistAndrew Carnegie, prolific authorIsaac Asimov,[17] and American presidentsRutherford B. Hayes,Chester A. Arthur,Theodore Roosevelt,William Howard Taft andBill Clinton.[18][19] Guests have also included actorAlan Alda,[20] former First LadyJulia Grant, authorThomas Mann, and religious leaders such as TheologianLyman Abbott, RabbiLouis Finkelstein, ReverendRalph W. Sockman, ReverendFrancis Edward Clark.[21]`Abdu'l-Bahá, the eldest son ofBaháʼí Faith founderBahá'u'lláh, stayed there in 1912 during theLake Mohonk Conference on International Arbitration as part ofhis journeys to the West.[22]William James Roe II described the resort as a "palace of peace" after his stay there, writing an article of the same name, published inHarper'sYoung People.[citation needed] Actor Kevin Bacon has also stayed at the resort.[citation needed]Dee Snider ofTwisted Sister fame often enjoys vacations at Mohonk with his family.[citation needed]
Ada Louise Huxtable, an architectural critic forThe New York Times, also visited the resort, calling it "unspoiled" and praising its ability to capture thepicturesque andsublime. She singled out the Lake Parlor and Lake Lounge as "notably good".[23]
The stonegatehouse appeared in the 1985 filmThe Stuff.
The resort was the filming location of the filmThe Road to Wellville (1994), starringAnthony Hopkins andMatthew Broderick.[24]
The resort is mentioned in the 22nd episode of the eighth season ofBlue Bloods.
Scenes from theAmazon Prime Video television seriesUpload were filmed at the resort.[25]
The resort was featured in the second episode of the fifth season ofBillions.[26]
The resort was featured in the "Hudson Valley, N.Y." episode ofAnthony Bourdain: No Reservations in 2010.
In theStephen King novelThe Regulators, the resort plays a minor role as a place fondly remembered by a protagonist. The epilogue is written as a typewritten letter on Mohonk stationery talking about some events at the resort.[27]
Condé Nast Traveler has given it nine awards since 2008, including "Number One Resort Spa in the United States" (2013).[28]Travel + Leisure has given the resort seven awards since 2009, including "Number Two Hotel Spa in the United States" (2013)[29] and "Number Six Hotel Spa in the World" (2013).[30]
Fodor's listed it as one of "10 Best Spa Trips" for 2012,[31] and in 2010 named it as one of 10 Best Hotels for Kids and Families.[32] In 2011,Every Day with Rachael Ray listed Mohonk as one of "Our Eight Favorite Resorts".[33]
Mohonk Mountain House is a member ofHistoric Hotels of America, the official program of theNational Trust for Historic Preservation.[34]
In July 2024, Americas Great Resorts added the hotel to its Top Picks as a landmark property.[35]
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