For decades, the Pine Hill Arms was more than an inn. It was a Friday night ritual, a roaring fire, and a place where neighbors became lifelong friends. Listed in July for $675,000, the landmark Catskills property has locals reflecting on what it meant—and what it could be again.

“First thing to do was to go to the Pine Hill Arms for their dinner on a Friday night,” said John Glatt, a true crime writer and resident of nearby Highmount since 2002. “I’ve met a lot of friends there that have stayed friends.”

The Arms has a long history of community life. For 44 years, it was owned and operated by Bob and Valerie Konefal, who ran the inn and restaurant until their retirement in 2017. That year, it was purchased by chef Daniel Hellmayer, who has continued to operate the property. Rooms can still be booked, but locals say the inn has lost much of the vibrancy that once made it central to Pine Hill life. Listing agent Laura Warren said the seller hopes a buyer will restore it to its former glory.

The Arms’ listing comes amid a broader wave of revitalization. The former Wellington Hotel is being redeveloped into affordable housing. Four new retail storefronts and expanded municipal parking are planned, while a new rail trail will soon connect the village to Belleayre Beach and Highmount. Together, the two projects underscore a pivotal moment for Pine Hill: a chance to preserve its historic character while addressing pressing needs like affordable housing, food access, and year-round gathering places.

Artist Gail Freund, Glatt’s partner, described the Arms as her weekend anchor and a place of belonging. “It really was a center and a magnet for Pine Hill. It was kind of where everything happened, and it really is well missed. I hope somebody will bring that back,” Freund said.

Karen Rauter, who moved to Pine Hill in 1987 to help run a youth hostel, recalled the Arms as the finish line for a local triathlon in the 1990s that started at Belleayre Mountain and ended with a run into Pine Hill. 

“It’s an institution in Pine Hill, it was the place,” she said. Years later, her husband’s band, Lali and the Pops, built a following playing “Locals Night” at the inn. “We went there every week for 18 months. I’m sure it’s a ripe opportunity for someone, but it’s hard to run a business.”

For Rauter, who chairs the Pine Hill Community Center, the Arms represents more than nostalgia. “It’s a key building in Pine Hill,” she said. “We need places of vibrancy where you can go to. Pine Hill Community Center can’t be the only center, it needs branches.”

The Next Chapter

Built in 1882 and set on nearly two acres along Main Street, the Pine Hill Arms includes 15 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, café, event space, and carriage house. The property has a liquor license.

“This is a chance to create something truly special,” said Laura Warren, the listing agent of Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty. “The Pine Hill Arms could become a true community anchor and a new go-to Catskills destination, defining the next chapter of Pine Hill’s growth.”

Local officials see the Arms as pivotal to that momentum. “Pine Hill is an increasingly dynamic place and we’d obviously love to see a longstanding local business continue,” said Robert Drake, deputy supervisor of the Town of Shandaken.

For residents like Glatt, Freund, and Rauter, the hope is simple: that the Pine Hill Arms remains what it always was, a place for locals and visitors alike to gather, eat, drink, and feel at home.

Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.