Remembering Briarcliff Lodge -- by the Half Moon Press

October, 2004 issue

Remembering Briarcliff Lodge Author and historian Rob Yasinac writes in the introduction to his book, "Briarcliff Lodge," "My interest in Briarcliff Lodge is part of a larger effort to document decaying historic sites in New York State's Hudson River Valley. Here we have lost too many significant places. Resorts, brickyards, factories, churches, schools and homes are important, as they create a sense of place and help define our history and identity."

"Briarcliff Lodge" is a new title in Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series, joining titles such as "Sing Sing Prison," The Croton Dam" and "Croton-on-Hudson." Its publication follows the spectacular fire that destroyed the New York landmark on September 20, 2003.

With photographs from the Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough, the Westchester County and Ossining Historical Societies, and private collections including his own, Briarcliff Lodge is a remarkably thorough record of Briarcliff Lodge. It traces the period from 1890 to 2004 in both personal, official and detailed images with clear accompanying text.

When it opened in 1902, Briarcliff Lodge was America's premier resort hotel. Located some 30 miles north of New York City, the magnificent Tudor-style building was surrounded by dairy barns and greenhouses, all built by Walter Law, "the laird of Briarcliff Manor." Scenes of costume balls, golf outings, the dining room, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, the tennis courts as well as exterior shots of the buildings reflect the opulence of the resort.

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt were hosted at Briarcliff Lodge, as were Tallulah Bankhead, Johnny Weissmuller, Jimmy Walker, Babe Ruth and other luminaries. Opera diva Madame Lillian Nordica sang in the ballroom in 1911 to an audience including John D. and Laura Spelman Rockefeller, Frank A. and Narcissa Cox Vanderlip and Chauncey M. and May Palmer Depew.

The hotel business declined in the 1930s, here and at other nearby resorts, but Briarcliff Lodge continued as the home of the Edgewood Park School from 1936 to 1954 and as the King's College from 1955 to 1994.

Mr. Yasinac is a lifelong Westchester County resident who documents neglected historic sites throughout the Hudson Valley in an attempt to save them. He works for Historic Hudson Valley, serves as a trustee on the boards of Westchester County and Irvington Historical Societies, and is a member of numerous other historical organizations. He has lectured extensively on noteworthy aspects of the area's history for groups including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Lyndhurst and the Hudson River Museum.

"Briarcliff Lodge," $19.99, Arcadia Publishing. Available at area book stores, independent retailers, on-line bookstores or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or (888) 313-2665.