Land in the amount of approximately 200 acres was originally purchased by Dr. Laban Lewis of New York City. The first Summer home of Dr. Lewis' was burnt to the ground in the Winter of 1868. In the late 1860's! early 1870's the next farmhouse was constructed, and is today the oldest section of the Inn, beginning on the ground floor, known as the TV/card room behind the lobby fireplace and cocktail lounge, and rising 3 stories to what is now known as "the Penthouse". Dr. Lewis used his new estate in the mountains as a Summer retreat and vacation spot for himself and his family, along with various friends and relatives who were invited up to visit. After a very short time too many of Dr. Lewis' friends and relatives asked to spend all or part of the Summer vacation season with the Lewis' at 'the Glenmere', as it was then called, and they began to charge weekly rates.

Laban Lewis and his wife had several daughters, and when it came time to pass on the family estate,it went to one of the daughters, who had married a gentleman named Brewer. Mr. Brewer and his wife were responsible for adding the front porch, lobby, dining room, expanding the kitchen, and the 3 floors of rooms in the front ofthe present day Inn.

Apparently there were from time to time lean years, through the Depression, and it was in these times that some of the land belonging to the onginal parcel, most notably the Birch Lake and HIgh Acres Park properties, were sold off.

The Lewis' . and the Brewer's after them were very much self sufficient at the Glenmere, as the property included fields of vegetables, orchards, and they also had their own cows, pigs, chickens, and horses. They had there own ice house, where they stored the ice which they cut from the lake in the Winter.

Over the years the Glenmere operated in the manner of the quintessential mountain holiday Inn, the Summer, between Memorial Day in the Spring and Labor Day at the end of the Summer, but also during the Spring for the Many guests came from New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut by way of the Erie Lackawanna Train. They would take the train to Cresco, P A, just a few miles away from the popular Summer resorts of Skytop, Buck Hill Falls Inn, Albert's Canadensis Hotel, the Spruce Cabin Lodge, and the Glenmere hotel, mong others.

The Brewer's, like the Lewis' before them, had only daughters, and so once again, the property_was1'assed to the next generation by way of someone marrying into the business. One of the Brewer's daughters Elvira Brewer, married Milton Carlton, a gentleman who had apparently been in the employ of nearby Buck Hill Falls Co., as an assistant greens keeper. His knowledge oflawncare and horticulture in general were still very apparent in 1968 when the property was sold to Chick and Patricia Daniels, recently of Canadensis. The Daniels' operated a Summer basketball camp for boys just up the road from the Glenmere, on 447 north going towards Golf Drive, and then frogtown and Panther and Newfoundland. The Daniels began their hospitality career in 1957, as Chick Daniels, then in college at East Stroudsburg State Teachers College, worked as a social director at both Chestnut Grove Resort in Swiftwater, P A, and Penn Hills Resort in Analomink, PA. The Daniels planned to go into a summer camp business together with Dave and Joan Toms, of the Antlers Inn and Resort in Swiftwater. The brochures and letterhead was drawn up and printed, but the land deal that had seemed to be imminent fell through and Camp Swiftwater was opened in Canadensis, on 12 acres of land purchased from Lolly Hay, which bordered Buck Hill Falls property on one side and route 447 and High Acres Park on the other. Camp Swiftwater opened for its' first Summer in 1960, offering weeklong camping for boys in cabins, activities such as nature hikes and arts & crafts, swimming, fishing, an in-ground trampoline, basketball games and instruction, softball games, movie nights, and the ever popular evening bull frog races. Year by year, through much attention and hard work, many nights spent doing mailings to high school basketball coaches and players, and major college coaches and professional coaches and players, Chick and Patsy built their Summer basketball camp into one of the East's if not the Nation's premier Summertime basketball camps.

The Glenmere resort property became available and given its proximity seemed like a natural next step for the thriving camp. It was (and still is) only a half mile from the basketball camp on the road and just s few minutes running through the woods. Many of the fathers of boys at camp would stay locally for a night or two to see how their sons were doing at camp, that is, every camper played in at least one game each evening, and as you might imagine, dads were interested in the progress of their boys.

The idea at the time was that the Glenmere would be a natural place for the fathers to stay, and that possibly the entire family might vacation during the week of basketball camp.

And so began the now popular Pocono Mountain resort specializing in family and couples get-aways, Daniels Top-O-the-Pocono's Family Resort. In 1969 Jamestown mobile homes were added near the outdoor pool.  In 1980 the indoor pool replaces the Hemlock Motels, which were moved to the new location at the softball field.  In the Winter of 1982 the Main Dining Hall replaced the "Barn Loft" accommodation and in 1984 two outdoor pools were added.

Open year round Daniels accepts reservations by the week in the summer season and on the weekends in the fall, winter and spring.  Please call us at 570-595-7531 or 800-755-0300 to schedule your visit with us. In the True Heart of The Pocono's!

A Little Bit of History

Daniels Family Resort 800-755-0300 or (570) 595-7531
Please Call for Reservations
Route 447 North, Canadensis, PA 18325
dantop@ptd.net

** All rates and prices are given as a sampling of our available packages. Rates may change based on accommodations and packages **

Daniels Top-O-The Poconos Resort
Year Round Pocono Mountain Resort

Route 447 North
P.O. Box 10
Canadensis, PA 18325
800-755-0300