Ashokan Adventures at Ashokan Dreams

"Fair View" - postcard of the farm house circa 1920's. Site of the current "Pavillion". This house was moved 100 yards down High Point Mountain Road and is no longer on our property.  The Ashokan Dreams B&B was created in the converted 1780's barn that is just visible behind the farmhouse in this image.  

The site for Ashokan Dreams has a long and colorful history. It was originally part of the estate of Robert Livingston, the second Governor of the State of New York and was part of a land grant from the Dutch. It became the Eckert's farm in the 1700's, and then the Hesley's Farm. It was purchased by Stella Kern in 1939. Stella was Mary Margaret McBride's manager and they called it the "Donrovin" Farm! It began to take shape in it's current form with an historic restoration of the massive barn in the early 1950's. This restoration was done on behalf of Mary Margaret McBride. She made her home here in West Shokan for over 25 years.     Mary Margaret McBride  (November 16, 1899 - April 7, 1976) was an American radio interview host and author. Her popular radio shows spanned more than 40 years. In the 1940s the daily audience for her housewife-oriented program numbered from six to eight million listeners. She was called "The First Lady of Radio."

Mary Margaret McBride - history



Mary Margaret McBride interviews her friend Eleanor Roosevelt, who often lunched at Ashokan Dreams.

NY Times Obituary - April 8, 1976 

1951 TV Pilot for Mary Margaret McBride

Mike Walace Interview 1957

Library of Congress profile of Mary Margaret McBride - First Lady of Radio

Library of Congress Recordings

Welcome to the Town of Olive

"Traveling west on State Route 28, Olive is thirty minutes from Kingston, New York—the first capitol of New York State-and is a little more than an hour travel time to the current state capitol of Albany. Being only two hours north of New York City and totally within the Catskill State Park, Olive has been a seasonal recreational area for New Yorkers. The boarding house days and hunting camps of the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s have vanished and are now seasonal second homes or primary residences for many city folk."

Ashokan Dreams had one "boarding house" suite of rooms as early as 1952. We continue that Boarding House tradition with 3 lovely queen suites and services to delight you during your stay.

What is the "Tradition of Boarding Houses"