Reflecting on the history of Penn Hills Resort

STROUD TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A former honeymoon resort that put the Poconos on the map has been demolished following years of fires and growing safety concerns.

28/22 News took a deep dive into the resort’s history dating back to the 1940s and has what’s next for the property.

Some may see just an excavator and boulders left at this property in Stroud Township, but others remember history as part of the ‘honeymoon capital of the world’ era.

“Couples would flock here from really all over the country, all over the world. Penn Hills Honeymoon Resort in Analomink was one of the most well-known honeymoon resorts,” said Brianna Strunk, public relations officer, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau.

Decades of cherished memories happened here at the now-demolished former resort for those who experienced it, like Christine Wilkins.

“You had a bridge that went over the Brodhead over to the golf course and a lot of times we would go over and we’d take out the paddle boats and try to search for the golf balls that golfers lost in the stream,” said Christine A. Wilkins, president/general manager, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.

Wilkins’ grandmother worked in housekeeping at the resort, later getting her own job in administration.

Talking about its rich history, she explains how Penn Hills set the pace for the Pocono Mountains when opening in 1944.

It hit marks such as opening the area’s first indoor swimming pool and ice skating rink.

“You can see why the original owner, the Poalillos, fell in love with that property,” said Wilkins.

But that success came to an end with its closure in 2009, hitting obstacles like flooding and the real estate crash.

“It was like the unfortunate, perfect storm of bad things happening to the property at the same time,” said Wilkins.

Going through several owners, the property eventually sold at tax sale.

Wilkins was a supervisor at the time the Township stepped in following several fires and trespassing issues.

“We just didn’t want to see anything else more tragic happen there, like a loss of life or anything, so the Township did have to go through the courts to get approval to be able to start the demolition of the property and have it secured,” said Wilkins.

Stroud Township has placed a lien on the property to recoup the demolition costs with interest.

As demolition is nearly complete, Wilkins says she hopes it’s a step in the right direction for what’s to come and a reminder of where the Poconos all started.

“I hope people look back at the great strides that a lot of those owners made during that time. They worked very hard together, many of them came from nothing and they had built it up to what it was during that time,” said Wilkins

Stroud Township officials tell 28/22 news the property owner will be contacted and urged to clean up the property when demolition is officially complete. It will also need to be secured to prevent trespassing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.