White Horse Lodge
An advertisement for White Horse Lodge in the Baltimore Afro-American on August 4, 1956.
An advertisement from May 26, 1956 that provides directions to White Horse Lodge. The publisher is unknown, and the image was retrieved from fultonhistory.com
An article about a fashion and art show at White Horse Lodge. The article is from the Newburgh, NY Evening News on August 29, 1969.
Known Name(s)
White Horse Lodge
Address
Westbrookville, NY
Establishment Type(s)
Tourist Home
Physical Status
Unknown
Description
Site is comprised of 240 acres in Westbrookville, NY. An advertisement from May 26, 1956 directs visitors to head north on Route 17 and turn left on Route 209.
Detailed History
The White Horse Lodge, a Catskills resort, became an integrated vacation destination in 1952. After it opened to Black clients, the New York Age reported in its August 8, 1953 issue that a number of white customers continued their patronage of White Horse Lodge, and Black clients had also begun enjoying the resort. The article reported that three Tuskegee University students were employed at White Horse Lodge in the summer of 1953. The article reports the resort also hired employees of color in roles like bartending, food service, and the direction of social programming. White Horse Lodge was selected by CBS to be the honeymoon destination of the first Black couple to be married on television. This inspired more couples to make reservations for their honeymoons at White Horse Lodge, and it became a popular destination for newlyweds. The Evening News of Newburgh, NY reported in an August 29, 1969 article about an upcoming Afro fashion and art show taking place at White Horse Lodge, sponsored by the Regional Economic Community Action Program (RECAP).
White Horse Lodge was advertised as a year-round vacation destination. An advertisement in the Baltimore Afro-American from August 4, 1956 boasted a large dining room, a beautiful cocktail lounge, live music, and excellent food. The resort had a spring-fed swimming pool, sports, and a refreshing mountain atmosphere on 240 acres. According to a New York Age advertisement from August 29, 1953, Dorothy and Nat Lukin were the owners and managers of the establishment. Information as of Spring 2023.
