$145.00
Out of stock
Description
Description: This splendid albumen photograph shows the Rip Van Winkle House in all its glory. The house was located on the mountain road that went from Sleepy Hollow to the Catskill Mountain House.
The smaller house (shanty) was built in 1845. Ira Sax owned the shanty in 1867, and he hired William Comfort to build a larger boarding house. In 1880, Ira Sax sold the lot and Rip Van Winkle Boarding House to Elizabeth Lusk. Her husband, Gilbert Lusk, then managed the property and the boarding house. It is alleged that Thomas Cole painted an image of Rip Van Winkle over the door. Gilbert Lusk died in 1885, and his wife continued to operate the business under the management of H. A. Schutt and J. M. Miller.
The Mountain House Road and the Rip Van Winkle House began a steady demise in 1892 when the Otis Company built an inclined railway up the mountainside to the Catskill Mountain House. Elizabeth Lusk sold the property to Sarah Emory in 1893 who then sold the property to Robert M. Mabie in 1896. Mabie’s investment was a poor one. The property fell into serious deterioration and was abandoned around 1902. It is believed to have burned to the ground in 1918.
Photo is 4 1/2″ x 7 1/2″ affixed to what appears to be part of a stiff card stock album page. Verso has a charming photo of a dog in a landscape. Image of shanty has a large Yuengling lager sign over the door. Item #P00163
Condition: Both photos are in fine condition with great contrast and resolution.