History of Orenda
Orenda meaning - humanities ability to harness the collective power of nature's energies as well as their own inherent spiritual energy!
The property it sits on what was originally an apple orchard. Owned by the Tortuga Family in the 1950’s, it was purchased by Phyllis and Mel Litoff in 1981 as their 2nd home. Mel and Phyllis owned and operated the Sweet Basil Jazz CLub, in NYC.They they expanded to host their family and friends including famous musicians. Both Phyllis and Mel went on to host the Belleayre Music Festival, which was an annual festival that played host to such artists as James Blunt, Rosanne Cash, Branford Marsalis, Frankie Valli, Obie Benson, Lyle Lovett, The Neville Brothers, Linda Eder, Ray Charles, and Wynton Marsalis many of which were hosted at their home. On 7 July 2002, at the age of 63 Phyllis lost her fight to brain cancer at the home in
In the fall/ winter 2017 Maria Turco, founder of Honor Yoga had sought out a retreat center that could serve as a retreat center and refuge for the Honor Yoga Family System her fellow healers, friends and family. In an impromptu drive up to the catskills she walked no further than the entrance to the front door and immediately felt the enormous healing, empowering, joyous and positive energies of the property.
History of The Area
Long before Middletown was Middletown, this area was occupied seasonally by Lenni Lenape (Delaware) Indians. The Lenni Lenape were named by the English the “Delaware” Indians as they lived on the shores of Delaware Bay and the river that emptied into it. They were an Algonquian speaking tribe (as opposed to Iroquoian), and their territory ran from the headwaters of the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers south to the Potomac. The Oneidas and Tuscaroras occupied lands to the north and west; the Mohicans, Esopus and Wappingers to the south and east.