Kirkside

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About Kirkside

A historic mansion once owned by Helen Gould, daughter of railroad magnate and Roxbury native son, Jay Gould was empty. Now it’s being reimagined as an engine – an economic engine. The house, Kirkside, is on state and national registers of historic places. It sits poised on the edge of the East Branch of the Delaware River, adjacent to a park whose manicured grounds were once the estate’s gardens. Reborn as the Inn at Kirkside, the mansion will be a welcoming destination hotel and restaurant, a school, and a hospitality incubator providing key support for the tourism industry in our region. Drawing students from BOCES, the Culinary Institute and SUNY, the Inn will provide much needed post-graduate experience for paid fellows. They’ll get hands-on experience and will be housed on site in the former guesthouse and will work with local farms and suppliers. The Inn’s other goal: economic stimulus. A thriving hub in Roxbury will encourage new businesses and create an economy where local young people no longer have to leave for good jobs. Bolstering strong interconnected communities, the Inn at Kirkside is key to MARK’s mission.

Neighboring Kirkside Park is also part of this vision. Its two historic barns were in disrepair but MARK has worked with the Town of Roxbury to renovate both. The North Barn has a new, fully operational state-certified community kitchen so local farmers and producers can create value-added products. The Inn’s fellows will be encouraged to use these and develop strong relationships to the farming community. The South Barn has been transformed into a pavilion for community and private events. Together Kirkside’s barns, park and Inn will create an interwoven model for sustainable development, anchoring businesses and entrepreneurship in the region.