Lost ski area - Elizabeth pa?
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Sincraft
February 11, 2021 (edited February 11, 2021)
Member since 09/5/2011 🔗
256 posts

Sorry if this has been requested, but Im looking for information regarding a lost ski area in Elizabeth PA.  I grew up near there as a kid and was hiking along RT48 and happy hollow road up a large hill when I noticed an empty pool, a chimney, and then as I walked further I noticed telephone poles and then I noticed the large pulley wheels and some cabling.  I dont recall much more but it definitely looked like an old poma or rope tow setup.

When I inquired with an older gent at the bottom working in his yard, he said it was a private ski and hunting club apparently then it burned down and the owners just sat on the property for many years.

It HAD to be before 1980 and likely even the 60s as it was old and almost taken over completely by mother nature by then.  

GGNagy
February 12, 2021
Member since 01/5/2006 🔗
504 posts
Hmmm.. having vague memories of a thread about an area like this on the old forum. However, I thought that a golf course near Round Hill Park was identified as the ski area in question. There was someone from that area that was posting at the time. Or... was that you? :)
Sincraft
February 22, 2021
Member since 09/5/2011 🔗
256 posts

So the golf course near round hill would be 7springs golf, now named victory hills I believe.   I could see them putting some slopes on there previously but as someone that had golfed there ALOT previous to the name change, I never saw anything that would suggest they had slopes there but then again I was more paying attention to where my slice went or where my beer went for that matter.

The place Im referring to is past the highschool if you are driving on rt48.  There is a housing plan that was built in the 70's and 80's there across the street or a bit off to the corner on the other side.  Right where the road splits to a road called happy hollow road.  There is a field with a small opening on the road but it opens up much further as you get into the property like a bowl.   

I'm sure it was a ski place at least for a brief period as I recall now seeing the bars that were connected to the lift at one time laying on the ground with rusted wheels and possibly even a cable.  

Someday Im going to try and search the borough records or call the borough building to see if anyone there knows. Im afraid it was so long ago those people working there wouldnt remember as they would have likely long since retired. 

GGNagy
February 23, 2021
Member since 01/5/2006 🔗
504 posts

     I wrote to the people who own the most likely properties (it is now a hunting preserve) and this was their response:

We have heard the same stories of ski lift being on the property.  We have not found any evidence of a ski lift.

 We have also been told there was a country club on the property at one time.  There are the remains of a club house, in ground swimming pool, and a bath house on the property.

Using various sites for historic imagery, I was able to go back in fits and spurts to images from 67, the 80s, and 90s. For a long time, there were a series of poles that crossed the property that appeared to have the pool, but they were for telephone/power as they continued in a fairly consistent line onto adjacent properties. So, I have not had any success in locating the aforementioned ski area.  



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