Price: $5.9 million
This 100-acre compound in the heart of New York’s Hudson Valley is just across the road from Olana, the grand home of Frederic Church, a leading figure in the Hudson River School of landscape painting.
Adding to the estate’s allure and historic authenticity, the 1876 Eastlake Victorian house was built under the supervision of Church for his friend and physician, Dr. Gustavus Sabine, and Church was heavily involved in its design and construction, according to historical records.
Known for its intriguing Orientalist architecture and spectacular views of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains, the 250-acre Olana Historic Site is now a popular tourist attraction with over 5 miles of carriage roads that serve as walking trails. The home was constructed between 1870 and 1872, and the interior remains much as it was during Church’s lifetime, with exotic furnishings and some 40 paintings by Church and his colleagues.
Since 2003, the seven-bedroom manor house across from Olana on what is now New York State Route 23 has served as a luxury bed and breakfast and then a vacation rental under the name Mount Marino Manor.
Celebrity guests have included Carly Simon, Jeremy Renner, Tom Cruise and Jessica Chastain, said owner Rita Birmingham. “Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams were here right after they had Matilda. It was their first getaway.”
“The location is really great,” she said. It’s got beautiful mountain views and it’s on 100 acres, surrounded by nature and hiking trails yet it’s convenient.”
“It’s two minutes to the city of Hudson,” she said. “It’s like I’m in my own private oasis, but in minutes I can be in great restaurants or shops.”
Birmingham bought the property in 2002 and renovated the former three-bedroom house to create seven en-suite bedrooms for guests, she said. She also built a three-bedroom Tudor cottage for her family and had a baby, she said. “It was quite a year!”
She ran Mount Marino Manor as a B&B until 2020, she said. “Through Covid, I had to pivot.”
That meant turning it into a vacation rental, where one family or party rents the whole house, instead of individual suites, she said. “I have done weddings in the past, but none this year. It’s a beautiful setting for weddings.”
“The dining room is huge, the house is huge,” Birmingham said. “It has a beautiful wraparound porch that everyone loves. People tell me it’s so wonderful to sit there and watch the sun set over the mountains with a glass of wine.”
Depending on the day or the season, nightly rates range from $1,295 to $1,795, she said.
“The really key piece is the 100 acres that it sits on,” said listing agent Jennifer Capala, of William Pitt/Julia B Fee Sotheby’s International Realty. It’s a mixed-use property now, with both residential and commercial, and it could be developed more extensively.
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“I think somebody will want to do an extended hospitality venue,” Capala said. “It’s a stunning location in terms of proximity to the Hudson, but it feels very private and tucked away. It’s a country hideout, yet you’re close to an urban area.”
The ground floor features a foyer with a staircase, a parlor/living room, the dining room, a large kitchen and an ADA-compliant accessible bedroom with a separate entrance, she said. The second and third floors each have three bedrooms.
Architectural details include hardwood floors, high ceilings, crown moldings and baseboards, wide doorways and hallways, built-ins, oversized windows and front and back staircases.
“The bones of the place are fantastic,” Capala said. “It’s super-solid and lovely.”
Added Birmingham: “It’s really a magical place. It’s bittersweet to leave. It never gets old. There are over 100 species of birds here, and I see four or five deer every morning.”
Stats
The 7,165-square-foot home has seven bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and one partial bathroom. It sits on a 100.51-acre site.
Amenities
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Amenities include a three-bedroom cottage, seven fireplaces, a three-bedroom cottage, a 5,600-square-foot barn, a wraparound porch, a winding tree-lined driveway and a network of carriage trails.
Neighborhood Notes
It’s just a few minutes to Warren Street, the main drag in the city of Hudson, which has lots of dining and shopping options as well as an Amtrak train station.
The home is also quite close to the Rip Van Winkle Bridge over the Hudson River and the city of Catskill.
Agent: Jennifer Capala, William Pitt/Julia B Fee Sotheby’s International Realty