Buck Hill Falls is a private resort community in the

Pocono Mountains The Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos , are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania. They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, W ...

of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The settlement was founded in 1901 as a Quaker retreat by a group of Friends from Philadelphia, including Charles F. Jenkins who became and remained the president of the Buck Hill Falls Company until his death in 1951. The Inn at Buck Hill Falls, originally a small wooden hostelry, expanded ultimately to a large new stone building in 1926 and enjoyed popularity into the 1970s and 1980s. By the time of its closure, the Inn had over 400 guest rooms along with resort amenities, including an indoor swimming pool with a retractable glass roof, several lobby spaces, and a white linen dining room where guests were feted with fine food while occasionally enjoying live harpsichord music. Another feature of the Inn was the north porch, a huge covered stone structure with views of the surrounding Pocono mountains. Guests could take afternoon tea and relax in rocking chairs looking out over the mountains. However, changes in ownership, financial troubles, and several fires led to the closing of the Inn in October 1990. Although there was no single cause of the Inn's failure, the decline in the costs of air travel, allowing vacationers from New York and Philadelphia to avoid the long drive into the Poconos was certainly a major factor in its demise. The Inn property was bought recently. At Buck Hill Falls

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, while in charge of the

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, conducted a June 1935 conference on the future of housing and resettlement. Stuart Taylor also attended, as did

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

, who considered herself to be an observer. "You cannot just build houses and tell people to go and live in them. They must be taught how to live," said Mrs. Roosevelt. There is still an active community of both summer and year-round residents, many of whom come for a summer retreat from New York City or Philadelphia. Many families have been coming to Buck Hill for generations. The community still has the amenities of its past as a popular Quaker resort, including a 27-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course, 10 tennis courts, 2 lawn bowling greens, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The nearby villages of Mountainhome and Canadensis provide places to shop. Buck Hill Falls is known for its natural environment including its namesake waterfall, the annual Buck Hill Art Association Art Show, and the Foxhowe Association, which sponsors lectures and oversees the Friends meeting for worship in the summer. The Buck Hill Lawn Bowling Association has also hosted National Finals several times. Also, the Buck Hill Conservation Foundation is actively buying easements, and maintaining expansive trails throughout the of forest surrounding the settlement. Most recently, Buck Hill Falls (in partnership with neighboring Skytop, PA) became the home of the Buck Hill-Skytop Music Festival, the Poconos' premier classical music venue, featuring Opera, Chamber Music, and Jazz. In 2000, the Buck Hill Inn was used as a location for

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's ''

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'', and several liberties were taken with its history, including claiming that Buck Hill Falls was the site of 73 murders, the suicide of one maid, and one room being built on

ley lines Ley lines () are straight alignments drawn between various historic structures and prominent landmarks. The idea was developed in early 20th-century Europe, with ley line believers arguing that these alignments were recognised by ancient socie ...

, as well as ghost sightings. None of this has been proven to be true, yet the Inn still has rumors of being haunted from the local residents. In July 2003, The Buck Hill Inn was reported on fire due to arson. Two men were arrested and were both charged with arson, trespassing, burglary, criminal mischief, risking catastrophe, and other offenses. The two men started three fires in the Inn's Library, the main lobby, and a recreational building on the property that spread to a nearby annex. Because of the damage done to the historical Buck Hill Inn, there was great debate whether to demolish the building, or to restore it completely. The Inn was demolished in 2016. http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030711/NEWS/307119998&cid=sitesearch

References

External links

Buck Hill Falls Website

Barrett Township Community Portal
{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1901 Pocono Mountains