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 | ~ Excerpts from March 23, 1950 notes complied by Viola M. Shankenbery, daughter of Philip Shankenbery, original proprietor of the West Leyden Hotel. ~
The hotel was built during the year 1877 and was started during the spring of that year. |
| Mother’s diary carries the following notation. “We bought the hotel site of J.A. Pease, of West Leyden, N.Y., and built a three-story building 36’ x 36’ with two-story kitchen wing and one-story woodhouse attached. A large barn was also built at this time. Jacob Rauscher, a resident carpenter of West Leyden was the builder. We had a big raising and the frame looked nice standing there. The raising was on a Saturday and that night there came a big wind storm and the hotel frame was blown down. Fourteen of the long heavy timbers were broken in several pieces. The frame had not been braced for such a severe storm. Then we had to start all over again.” | Philip Shankenbery  |
| As I remember it, there were eight rooms on the first floor and the kitchen, twelve bedrooms on the second floor and the hall was on the third floor. Dances were held in the hall. Meals for the dances were served in the regular dining room on the first floor. There was no furnace but several of the rooms were heated by wood burning stoves. |
In 1885 a dance hall 36’ x 100’ was attached. It was completely finished in hardwood – sides and ceiling and the floor was laid in diamond shape patterns. I t was beautiful. The hall was lighted by kerosene lamps. The oil for these lamps was carried in one-inch cast iron pipe suspended from the ceiling by iron rods. About every five feet a lamp burner was fitted to the pipe, and a wick and chimney completed the lamp. At that time this was quite an up-to-date method of illumination.
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 | Dances were held at least twice a year – January 1st and July 4th were perhaps the outstanding feature of this hostelry. At these times invitations were sent out to former patrons of the dance and to many others. Sometimes for good entertainment as many as three orchestras were engage for the evening – and dancing was from 8 p.m. to 4 or 5 o’clock the next morning. A bounteous meal was served at Midnight.
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Oyster stew at New Years and watermelon on July 4th. Then there was cold sliced ham, baked beans, cabbage salad, biscuits, cakes, pies, cookies, pickles, coffee, mild and many other items to complete the meal.
There was also the care and checking of the horses, wagons, sleighs and blankets, for which the proprietor was responsible. The horses were stalled in various barns throughout the village. Hats and coats were checked and cared for in the main building, and all of this for $1.00 or $1.50 per couple. The building was destroyed by fire April 3, 1898 and during that same year the present hotel was built. | |
Many thanks to Nancy Schuff Kerin and Heidi Fey for the pictures and information! | |