Roxbury, New York
Possibly most famous as the birthplace of the naturalist John Burroughs, Roxbury, NY is a treasure of the Great Western Catskills. As Burroughs said, “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” The Catskills offer just such a place, and Roxbury is the epicenter. Cradled between some of the larger peaks, the town is a mixture of quaint mountain country and modern resort community. With many calling it their second home, Roxbury offers four-season enjoyment. Home to artists, writers and outdoor enthusiasts, the cultural experience that is Roxbury brims with life and history.
Roxbury is also the birthplace of Jay Gould, the 19th-century railroad magnate. After a fire destroyed the Reformed Church in 1891, Gould paid for building an imposing early English Gothic-style replacement. After his death in 1892, his six children saw to its completion, renaming it the Jay Gould Memorial Reformed Church and dedicating several stunning Tiffany windows in memory of their parents. Behind the church is Kirkside Park, another gift of the Goulds. Renovation of its 11 acres in 1999 included refurbishing rustic bridges and paths along a branch of the Delaware River.
The valley of Grand Gorge is the headwaters of the Delaware River, but part of the town also drains east, eventually becoming part of the Hudson Rive watershed. With mountains all around, skiing, hiking mountain biking, are popular sports. Several top-quality golf courses are in the area, as are museums, cafes, restaurants and theatre.
Housing styles range from modest frame houses to all-white Greek Revival, Victorian and Italianate houses built in the mid- and late 1800’s. Outside of town you’ll find every strip of mountain home experience – graceful farm houses to Lincoln Log ‘A’-frames to stark modernist.
Less that three hours from NYC, Roxbury is a destination and a place to call home…or second home.