The Fisk House in Bovina - A Great Place to Stay!

When people visit our area they frequently ask me where they can go to spend one or more nights in a relaxing and comfortable place to stay. When asked, I usually recommend The Fisk House, a cozy, inviting and intimate Bed & Breakfast owned and operated by Lee and Roxie Liddle located on Fisk Road (off Rt. 28) in Bovina.

While The Fisk House has only been open since Memorial Day weekend 2006, it has since firmly established itself as a lodging destination of choice amongst travelers. It is certainly one of the most talked-about BnBs in the area. As a matter of fact, it was awarded the New Business of the Year Award for 2006 by the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce. Anyone who stays at The Fisk House becomes acquainted with Lee and Roxie. The care they provide to their guests and warm laid-back manner make it easy for guests to relax, unwind and feel right at home.


The background and history of The Fisk House is rather interesting. Back in 2005, Lee and Roxie were looking around the area for a renovation project, something that needed a major do-over with the goal of placing it back on the market to sell once complete. In their search for such an investment property, they came across the home now known as The Fisk House. It was a seriously run-down home, the victim of substantial neglect and damage. It suffered from a fire just six years before which totally destroyed the living room and staircase. In addition to this, part of the foundation needed repair along with new electric service, furnace and well. The house was in very sad shape indeed and on the auction block when Lee and Roxie stepped in to secure the winning bid.

But this isn’t how the history of the home started. Actually, you have to go back to 1869 when the original structure on the property, a hotel, burned down. The current home was built by Earl and Amy Fisk in 1903 on the same foundation as the former hotel. Earl Fisk sold Rawleigh Products (antiseptic salves, medicated ointments, spices and extracts), which still exist today, to local farms and farm families. Earl and Amy had children and one of their daughters, named Laura, lived in the home not long before it was sold at auction. John Raitt, an author wrote about The Fisk House in his book titled ‘Root in the Road’ and referred to it as the “Hotel at the Hook”. It was given this name because the layout of what is now known as Fisk Road, prior to the construction of Rt. 28 had a turn in it that took the shape of a hook. Unfortunately, this portion of the road which was located near a beautiful stone-work Episcopalian church, which still stands and further enhances the charm and appeal of the entire area, is now gone.


Sometime around 1938-39, a stone bridge was constructed over the Little Delaware River where Rt. 28 lies today. Because of this improvement, the Fisks decided to change the back of their home to give it a more formal appearance by adding a rear porch with support columns, stairway, and large bay doors. These improvements were made sometime between 1938 to 1942.

As the years went by, the home gradually fell into disrepair and neglect. It was truly a sight for sore eyes. Then came Lee and Roxie. With Lee’s construction experience (he is the owner of Second Nature Construction specializing in custom homes and baths, commercial and residential painting, stone and masonry work, and historical restorations) and both Lee and Roxie’s vision for the home’s potential, they are the reason the home was given a second life. Ten hours per day, seven days each week for six months they tirelessly toiled to transform and lovingly restore the home to its original splendor and youth. Every molding, window, piece of trim was either restored or replaced with a historically correct equivalent. All the work Lee and Roxie did turned out to be a labor of love and a house rescue. While they worked on the home, Lee and Roxie fell in love with it and decided that they could never part with it. The home has now become a part of who they are and they greatly enjoy sharing it with their guests.

It’s interesting how what started as a hotel in the 1800s that later burned down and then after became a home has now come to be a Bed & Breakfast, once again caring for the needs of weary travelers. The Fisk House has been restored to its original elegance and ambience along with the added modern conveniences and functionality necessary to provide comfort to its guests. The home has wireless internet, cable T.V. in each room, insulated dividing walls between the rooms to ensure privacy, and air conditioning.


The interior of the home looks much the same as it originally did - except that it now has a total of 3 ½ baths instead of only one. The French doors in the living and dining rooms, while not the originals, are nevertheless from the same period that the home was built and have the original hardware (knobs, hinges, brackets). This is typical of the interior architecture. Roxie told me she fell in love at first sight with the staircase, railing (made of cherry) and landing between the first and second floors. There are five very tastefully decorated and charming bedrooms in the Bed and Breakfast - the Lavender Room, Rose Room, Peach Room, Cottage Room and the King Room. The Fisk House also has a comfortable living room, formal dining room, and modern spacious kitchen with center-island and eating area.

Outside there is a lovely field-stone porch overlooking the backyard along with an in-ground swimming pool for their guests. Lee and Roxie also rehabilitated a barn across the road from The Fisk House that serves as a multi-dealer antique store and art center featuring high quality antiques and collectibles.

The Fisk House is inseparable from its loving rescuers and restorers – Lee & Roxie Liddle. Together, the home and its owners make for a wonderful, charming, and friendly lodging experience for visitors to our area of the Catskills. Abundant outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, canoeing, fishing, skiing, and shopping are all in close proximity to the BnB. Or, if travelers simply want to rest, relax and restore their souls, there is no finer place around than The Fisk House.

You can find out more about The Fisk House online at http://www.fiskhouse.com/. You can also read about the Fisk Barn Antique & Art Center at http://www.fiskbarnantiques.com/.