Memorabilia of by-gone eras crowd every available space in the office of Alan Frishman, coordinator of the Catskills Bungalow Heritage Museum Project.

"But this is nothing," he said. "You should see my home."

Frishman has been a long-time collector of local items from '40s, the '50s, and the 60's, when the Sulllivan County Catskills region was a real tourist destination. He has many fond memories of growing up in the Mountaindale area, and of Hemlock Grove, his grandparents' bungalow colony there.

In its heyday, the Catskills had over 1,000 bungalow colonies. Streets in the towns were full, stores were busy, theaters and restaurants were hopping. But the singers, the entertainers, the summer visitors, the famous hotels and clubs with their famous clientele are all gone now, leaving only memories and decaying buildings.

Raymon Elozua, an artist and photographer from New York City, was captivated by the old bungalows, hotels, theaters, and other nostalgic reminders of the bygone times. Elozua decided to document this vibrant era which has all but disappeared, so he created a website (vanishingcatskills.us) with photos of many of the abandoned buildings that are still remaining.

In the course of his photographic journeys, he had an inspiration. Rather than just photograph decaying remnants of the past, why not try to preserve a piece of the era for future generations? Those "baby boomers" that have cherished memories of summers spent in bungalow colonies would be attracted to a bungalow museum that recreated the original conditions.

Frishman enthusiastically supports this idea. As part of his job as Chief Code Enforcement Officer for the Town of Fallsburg, he has been cleaning up many of the old buildings, including the bungalows. He estimates that he has easily removed over 1,800 units, from which he has salvaged and restored all manner of furnishings and equipment. His extensive collection of memorabilia could be put to excellent use in a bungalow museum.

The third member of the original team of the Bungalow Museum project, Evadne Giannini, is working to establish the project as a not-for-profit foundation. The goal is to restore at least three units back to pristine condition. The units will represent the different decades, and each will be complete with authentic furnishings and appointments, including playground equipment and appliances. For example, Frishman has an old Bendex washing machine which was used by the whole colony. Because of its vigorous washing and spinning action, the machine had to be bolted down in a little shed next to the bungalows. In the earlier years, there was a communal kitchen, too, and cooking was done over a woodstove. Each era of bungalow colonies had its own style and atmosphere, which will be faithfully recreated in the Bungalow Museum.

Three or four units for the museum have already been picked out, and their current owners have agreed to donate them. One unit is from the old Hemlock Grove colony, where Frishman grew up. The museum will be located next to the new visitors' center in Mountaindale, which used to be the old O&W train station. It is also adjacent to the Rails to Trails project in the area.

Frishman says that they are getting a lot of support for the Bungalow Museum project from people who spent summers in bungalow colonies when they were growing up. These people want to be able to let their children and grandchildren know what those summers in the Catskills were like, and how enjoyable they were. The colonies felt like extended families to the people who returned there year after year, sharing summers in the country. Now the founding members of the Bungalow Project hope to preserve this nostalgic bit of local history.

For more information about the Catskills Bungalow Heritage Museum project, contact Alan Fishman, coordinator, at (845) 436-8945.