Once one of New York's Catskills' most famous and glamorous hotels, he closed his resort Grossingers. A fire destroyed the building at the location.
In its post-World War II heyday, Grossinger's attracted hundreds of thousands of vacationers annually, many of them Jewish. The resort had a 27-hole golf course, indoor and outdoor pools, a nightclub, two kosher kitchens, and a 1,500-seat dining room. Portraying the Eddie Fisher-like crooner and cited as the inspiration for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, his three-and-a-half-story building on the grounds of an old hotel on Tuesday night. A building caught fire. Firefighters dispatched to the scene were blocked by overgrown vegetation and concrete walls and had to pass through gates. An excavator knocked over the building after the fire was extinguished, according to a Facebook post from the Liberty Fire Department.
John Housechild, Sullivan County Fire Coordinator, said the main building was demolished about four years ago, but it was unclear what the building was used for.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The former 812-acre resort is located approximately 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of New York City.
Fisher not only made his debut with Grossingers, but also married his fellow entertainer Debbie Reynolds in 1955. Other celebrities who have appeared at the resort were Joel Gray and Leslie Uggams, and boxers Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey.
Grossinger's remained in business for nearly 70 years until his 1986 closure, suffering the fate of many local hotels after the area's charm faded. The site fell into disrepair in a redevelopment effort.
