a hudson valley VERNACULAR

When Harlan Bratcher started looking for a country house in New York, in 1990, he knew what he wanted-something peaceful and serene, an escape from the hectic lifestyle of Manhattan.

- BRIAN D. COLEMAN

He had toured several Greek Revival homes but they were too large and fancy for his needs; his vision was something simpler, more rustic, a place where he could step out the front door and take the dogs for a walk in the woods.

While exploring the upper Hudson River Valley, he came across the village of Red Hook, where he discovered a 1938 stone cottage nestled on a forested hillside overlooking the Tivoli Bay Wildlife Reserve with views of the Hudson beyond. It was just what he had in mind.

Named Horizon Hil, the house was built in 1938 as a weekend retreat. Initially it was just one room: a vaulted, two-storey great room centered on a massive stone fireplace with a sleeping loft above. Harlan could imagine his Arts & Crafts pottery displayed on the deep windowsills and on the mantel. Beamed ceilings, hand-plastered walls, multi-light windows, and the picturesque front door opening to views of the Hudson River were beyond charming.

With eight and a half acres, including a small pond for summer dips and winter skating, there was room for gardens and a potting shed.