In the rolling hills of Hudson Valley where the state of New York finds itself stands a Georgian mansion that is, by now, practically centuries old. Once a minor remnant of a glorious past, it has slowly begun to be revived – to an extent usually reserved for one of Hollywood’s greatest. This is not a story of restoration; it is a tale of passion, perseverance, and noble respect for history.
Of course, they discovered the estate, the A-list actor and his long partner-an architecture-and-design pair-through what they both said was fate. “The first time I wandered into this house, I could feel its soul,” the actor recalls. “It had a presence, a story that was meant to be retold again.” Having paid glimpse to Revolutionary War heroes, big gatherings of the 19th century, within the walls of a mansion built in 1795, their secrets were uncovered during the Prohibition era. But time had not been kind, and years spent empty had led to decay.
The couple bought the mansion abandoned for more than ten years-with crumbling stately facades and warped wooden floors, partly collapsed grand staircase. “There has been much work in store for us,” admits the partner of the actor, he has an eye for design, adding that he brought her inside the house immediately “But we had no doubts that we’d be able to return it to its glory.”
The structural reinforcement is first on the agenda. They together found cracks in the main support beam that runs beneath under the dining hall owing to poorly executed renovations made in the 20th century. “We had to work from the ground up-litterly,” chuckles the actor. “We cut open the basement floor, installed jacks to lift the structure inch by inch and painstakingly restored the original woodwork.”
In some ways, the house really prescribed the renovation. As layers of paint came off, original details re-emerged: hand-carved moldings, intricate plasterwork, and fireplaces framed in delicate marble. It was a couple with the joint resolve to save as much as possible and make every restored element a tribute to the craftsmanship of the past.
Respecting the Past, Enhancing the Present
Apart from restoration, the challenge really was to keep up with time while being as historically accurate as possible. “The aim was to make this house feel lived in, not a museum,” says the actor.
Of course, they did all of this with appropriate period furniture sources for the interiors. “We more or less traversed and scavenged the whole of New England,” explains partner with the actor. “Antique shops, estate sales, auctions-we found pieces that belonged here.” A lot of their items or pieces were rooted in the Valley itself, hence furthering the bond between house and history.
Yet, the house was not without surprises. They stripped wall-paper off from one room, and to their astonishment they found an old mural of the Hudson River painted probably in the early 1800s. “It was like finding buried treasure,” remembers the actor. “We brought in a specialist to take it apart piece by piece.”
In the dining room, inspired by the work-a-hand-painted mural commissioned from the 19th-century artist Rufus Porter-that rather dramatically evoked the grandeur of an earlier era. So delicately illustrated, in soft pastel tones, by trees and rolling hills, that it became one of the most distinguished features of the house.
A Soulful Home
Even then, tiny improvements factored in. “It would be just great for a couple of friends to come over, sit around-and let laughter ring around those halls,” says the actor. “Many historic houses feel very much like you’re walking on a thin line-it’s like you’re almost afraid to touch anything.”
The most loved room in the house-one of the grandest-finally owned by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Anchored by a well-used Persian rug, it beckons overstuffed armchairs for guests to recline in conversation and whisky beside a fire. Vintage maps of the area grace the walls, hinting lightly at the storied past of the house. Of course, this leaves one with little access to the area.
The kitchen has all the latest appliances but retains some old-world charm. To build that main island, reclaimed wood from the house itself was used, and a farmhouse sink sits under a huge window overlooking the fields. “Really, cooking here goes back in time,” the actor says. “Except now we have a really good espresso machine.”
Keeping the Legacy
The couple believes they are caretakers of the house, not owners. “We’re just one chapter in this long story,” mumbles the actor. “This house will live on after us, and that’s a beautiful thing.”
Now, of course, the mansion is a living history. Today, it carries life inside its walls, as much as it may say, perhaps even more than it may shed. Ample, gracious again in a resplendent past, it stands testimony to the fact that history can indeed be revived once cared for and milked.
“People walk in and say, ‘It feels like this house was always meant to be yours,'” smiles the actor. “But really, we’re always meant to be its.”