Brownville Hotel

Brownville Hotel
Location: Brown Blvd & W Main St, Brownville, NY

Built: 1820

Demolished: 1995 The first hotel built in Brownville was a small, wooden structure erected in 1805 by Jeremiah Phelps. Phelps' hotel operated until it burned down in 1819. A larger, three story limestone structure was built in its place in 1820 by Henry Caswell and Emerson Moody. Many illustrious visitors stayed at the hotel in its early years, including James D. LeRay and General Jacob Brown.

The hotel had rooms located on its first two floors, while a hall and several dining rooms occupied the top floor. The building operated as a hotel and restaurant throughout much of its history, save for a brief period in the late 19th century when served for a short time as a school. In the 1970's new owners of the building converted the hotel into apartments. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Several owners throughout its history tried to keep the Brownville Hotel going, but the structure fell into disrepair numerous times. By the 1990's the building had once again fell into disuse and disrepair. In November 1995, a collapsed roof caused by heavy snow deemed the building un-salvageable and the Brownville Hotel was demolished soon after.