The Hamlet of Callicoon

Dutch hunters traveling west from the Hudson Valley first settled the area in the 1600's. Here, they found a location on the banks of a river where, among other sources of food, there was an abundance of wild turkey. They marked this location on their maps as "Kollikoonkill," meaning "Wild Turkey Creek."
The area became a prime source for fresh-cut timber and the Delaware River served as a natural access to the populated coastal centers of the east. During the 1760's, timber rafting began, where tree trunks were lashed together and floated to sawmills downstream.

Then, in the 1840's the Erie Railroad opened up the area, laying tracks along the banks of the Delaware River to link the Great Lakes with the Eastern Seaboard. In honor of the centrally located railroad station, the townspeople renamed the town Callicoon Depot.

Although the hamlet dates back to the 1600's, very few buildings are older than 1888, a date etched in Callicoon history forever because of a devastating fire that nearly wiped out the entire Main Street. The resilient community immediately rebuilt, replacing every building by year's end.

The fire of '88 is believed to have started accidentally in the Eickhoff Building.

The Delaware House, complete with ballroom and saloon, was considered one of the area's finest hotels; here Judge Ward held court in the saloon, fining those who disturbed the peace at a rate of "$5 and drinks for the house."

The first local high school, this 1908 building below incorporates architectural elements of an even older elementary school (c.1880). It was eventually replaced by a larger central school building outside of town.

The Delaware Free Library, a neo-classical building constructed in 1913 to house a bank, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This bungalow style station was built in 1898, to replace the existing station at the west side of the intersection, which was destroyed by fire.

The Western Hotel is the site of the storied murder of Laura Darling by her bartender husband. During the 19th Century, Chautauqua lectures, melodramas, concerts and roller skating events were held here.

Built in 1948, the Callicoon Theater is Sullivan County's last single screen movie house. The structure, from marquee and façade to the efficient fan forced-air system, remains exactly as it was built a half-century ago.

Originally used by the Delaware Hose Company, one of the three original volunteer fire companies that served the town. Then the building was Callicoon's first library.

St. Josephs Seminary, from 1900 until the 1970's, was used by the Franciscans to train boys who aspired to priesthood. The complex, which includes a Romanesque chapel, a massive stone main hall, and a three-story wood frame dairy barn, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is presently used by Delaware Valley Job Corps.