Abandoned New York Ghost Town, What Happened In Parksville?

Parksville, New York is a small hamlet in the town of Liberty, NY. This Sullivan County town has been described as one of New York's "ghost towns", which is to suggest there are few or no remaining inhabitants. With a population of just over 1,000, I am not certain ghost town is appropriate but there is something strange here.

Parksville was once a thriving community featuring restaurants, a resort, ice cream shop, homes and much more. One short drive along old Route 17 in 2024 and you will see a town that has been mostly abandoned. Take a look at the pictures below. What happened to Parksville?

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In the early 1900's, Parksville was one of New York's booming railroad towns. As the trains brought tourists to the Catskill region, hotels were built and shops were open for business.

Over time the railroad was replaced by Route 17 as the main way to travel to Parksville and eventually Route 17 became Interstate 86. Once that change was made, traffic was routed right by Parksville and the business started to close shop.

Pictured above is the former Parksville Paramount Resort as it looked in July 2024. At one time the Paramount Resort was used as a boarding house and then became a hunters hotel and part of the Best Western hotel brand before a kitchen fire in 2000.

Let's take a tour of the abandoned ghost town known as Parksville, New York.