Upstate New York is filled with charming old homes, many set on spacious, picturesque grounds. In the past, such properties were often available for little money, because they’re so far from cities and workplaces. Now, after the pandemic and the work-at-home revolution, these places are coming into their own, especially if not too far from a good-sized city.
This property, known as Hollows Farmstead, with a c. 1810 saltbox home, a guest cottage, two horse barns, and 9 acres of land, is located in Dover Plains, N.Y., east of Poughkeepsie near the Connecticut border, about a two-hour drive out of Midtown Manhattan. It’s listed by Raj Kumar of the Lillie K. Team at Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty, asking $965,000.
It can be difficult to balance the needs and wants for today’s homes while keeping a sense of history, but the current owners of the farmstead have done a bang-up job with their thoughtful renovations.
In the past, each room of a home had its own unique function, with a door or a threshold in between. Opening up a series of rooms to cater to a modern taste for enormous multipurpose rooms, takes away the sense of history and purpose from the house and completely destroys the old charm.
That, however, hasn’t happened here. Separate rooms retain their individual purposes, and details like the original hardwood floors and a wood-burning fireplace are in fine balance with modern conveniences like energy-efficient windows.
The farmstead’s 210-plus-year-old main house boasts 1,900 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and two baths. The fully renovated kitchen is painted green, with humble butcher block counters and bead board accents as well as updated designer appliances. There’s also a completely redone upstairs bathroom.
Painted dark blue, the 1,600-square-foot guest cottage adds another two bedrooms and one and a half baths, along with a living room with a wood stove and a well-appointed kitchen painted the same dark blue as the exterior. It’s perfect for weekend guests, visiting family, as a local rental, or even an Airbnb.
Though the property is listed in the bleak midwinter, it’s obvious from the photos that the surrounding land is very picturesque. There’s the Stone Church Brook that meanders through the property, along with a couple of simple foot bridges. The listing says the landscape produces “flowers from April to November, including hydrangea trees, wild hyacinths, cherry blossoms, wild foxgloves, magnolias, lilacs, and azaleas.”
And if the extra space for friends and family or short-term vacation rental options aren’t enough to help this property earn its keep, the seven acres east of the brook includes two barns and several pastures ready for housing horses, boarding other horses and/or organic farming.
