The Noxon House

A 1770 Georgian Escape Just North of NYC

Steeped in history and covered in vines, this 18th-century beauty was built in the exacting Georgian style by its namesake Benjamin Noxon, and once served as an upstate tavern. Mentioned in early 19th-century travel writings, it’s been thoughtfully revamped by an international editor/publisher and art world professional, its striking Divine Proportions preserved along with its original hardware and handblown glass windows.

Three bedrooms, one in use as an office, and three and a half baths sit under the home’s graceful hipped roof, its tidy slopes marked by four paired chimneys. Double-hung, handblown glass sash windows flood the ivy-dressed brick house with light, continuing the classic Georgian symmetry. And the home’s interior reveals originals too, found in its wood floors, timbers, beams, and its stately fireplaces and mantels built in 1770. The home's modernized kitchen is still anchored by an original hearth, and the dining room’s fireplace is flanked by the floor-to-ceiling built-in cabinetry in warm wood put in place in the 18th century. Architectural details are the home’s standout features, and furnishings are no exception—an artful mix of antiques and curated designer pieces.

Outdoor gardens are insulated by protected woodlands, with beds of feathery peonies and plump hydrangeas and a white picket fence on the lawn. Outdoor dining and seating nooks hide behind ferns and banks of trees and shrubs, and a photogenic wood barn rises from the manicured landscape just outside the home’s brightly windowed front façade.

Around

An easy hour and a half escape from New York City, the property is only six miles from Metro North in Poughquag, a picturesque Hudson Valley hamlet surrounded by orchards and pick-your-own farms. Barton Orchards is Poughquag’s destination farm, offering apples and tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, beans, squash and pumpkins, depending on the season. The farm features an aerial obstacle course, too. The Appalachian Trail cuts through the area at Depot Hill, and the area’s wild Hudson Valley landscape offers opportunities for hiking, biking, horseback riding and other outdoor recreation, such as golfing and exploring the lakes and waterways in the area, marked by the Berkshire foothills. Poughquag/Beekman offers an escape from city life into small town living, with local restaurants and taverns, several stables, the Beekman Golf Club, spa and wellness facilities, and locally-owned shopping, arts, and crafts outlets.

Location

Nearest airport: NYC (1.5-2 hours)

Best time to visit

April to October