Briarcliff Lodge, historic resort in the village, demolished 2003
Briarcliff Lodge was a large hotel built on a hilltop in Briarcliff Manor in the early 1900s using Tudor Revival style. The building had nearly 100 rooms with stone walls and wood details, surrounded by gardens, lawns, and curved paths designed by the Olmsted Brothers.
The lodge opened in 1902 on Walter Law's estate and quickly became a favorite spot for wealthy visitors, including future presidents and famous entertainers. After economic difficulties in the 1930s, it served as a school and later as college housing until closing in 1994, when it was eventually destroyed by fire in 2003.
The site of the former lodge is now home to a retirement community in Briarcliff Manor. Visitors interested in the location's history can find information through local archives, historical photographs, and museum collections that preserve the hotel's story.
The building featured a mooring mast on its roof designed to dock airships, a forward-thinking feature although no records show it was actually used for this purpose. This innovative addition reveals how the lodge planners envisioned modern luxury hotel design.
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