09/01/2026
The Recreation Farm Society in Fosterdale began as a convalescent home operated by the Workmen’s Benefit Fund, providing an affordable alternative to expensive sanitariums for those in need of extended care. By the 1950s, rates were as little as $3.50 per week for tuberculosis patients and $7 for others, including room, board, and professional care. New buildings were added in 1960 and 1974, and the property continued to operate with lodging, dining and agricultural facilities before closing by 2000.
The property later reopened as The Meadows, a resort offering family-style meals, a lounge, shuffleboard and other outdoor recreation, with lodging spread among several buildings including the 20-room Maples, 12-room Juniper, four-room Sycamore and three-room Birches. In 2004, broker Simon Gelb arranged a proposed sale that would have transformed the former Recreation Farm into a synagogue, hotel and food facility for members of the Satmar Hasidic community, but the deal ultimately became entangled in years of litigation and bankruptcy proceedings. The Recreation Farm still sits vacant to this day, awaiting a new life.
Slide 1 (1960s v. 2026) courtesy BBHMP.
