It’s a unique thing in the United States to see a home up for sale that was built in 1700s, but what about a home that’s been in the same family since then? That’s almost unheard of, but that’s the story of a property new to market in the Catskills.
Lake Delaware Farm, as it is called, is an 1,600-acre estate centered by a circa-1787 home built by Gertrude Livingston, an heiress in one of New York’s most prominent families of the time, and her husband Col. Morgan Lewis, a Revolutionary War general who went on to become the third Governor of New York. The verdant, grand estate has remained in their descendents hands since then, with other notable names also marrying into the family and spending time there, such as Edith Stuyvesant Vanderbilt.
Designed by New York architect Thomas Hastings, the Greek Revival-style manor was purposefully sited on a hill to overlook Lake Delaware, the property’s 68-acre private lake. Renowned landscape firm of Frederick Law Olmsted devised the artful grounds, which include vast lawns and stone walls, so it’s no wonder it became a favorite getaway for the Livingston-Lewis family.
Julia Delafield, the granddaughter of Gertrude and Morgan, noted in a late 1800s biography, “The Grecian villa is quadrupled in size, it is a charming summer retreat and has never been visited by pestilence.”
It seems the property has remained in a state of bliss for some time, no doubt impressing through the Gilded Age, Roaring ’20s, and beyond. Traditional elegance and warmth still abound today, as do refined architectural details. Buyers can examine the beautifully-maintained fine wood paneling and intricate ceilings, dashing fireplaces, and original hardwood moldings and inlaid floors set within rooms built in either the 18th or 19th centuries. There are also nine spacious bedrooms, with the lake and its boat house just a quick stroll away for fishing, boating, or picnicking under white tents near the water in Old World, rural aristocratic fashion.
Both its long, familial legacy and it’s sheer size and beauty may be why it’s painful to part with Lake Delaware Farm. According to the Wall Street Journal, 10 generations later, the property is jointly owned by 10 cousins now. One of the sellers, Elbridge Gerry, shared with the publication that deciding to sell has been “emotionally brutal.”
Norah Burden, Owen Davidson, and Hall Willkie of Brown Harris Stevens have been trusted with this incredibly rare listing.