"STONEHURST" - Enter through the gates, past your very own gatehouse c. 1823, and be instantly transported to a fairytale setting on nearly 6 acres that is known as "Stonehurst." A mere 20 minutes north of New York City, Stonehurst sits on Rockland County's most bucolic address, 65 Rockland Road, Sparkill, NY. As you meander through a park like setting, down an impressive private driveway, surrounded by your own botanical gardens and views of nature in every direction, captivated by a fresh breath of tranquility, the first glimpse of this 1865 Gothic Revival stone masterpiece comes to life. This impressive three story 12 room home, steeped in history, is rumored to be built by the founder of American landscape architecture, Andrew Jackson Downing, with deep connections to Lord's Castle in neighboring Piermont, NY. This romantic 1865 villa is mostly granite, with local sandstone used for window lintels, sills and quoins, with eaves decorated by ornamental bargeboards. Prominent chimneys from the four Victorian fireplaces rise from the clipped, gabled slate roof. An 1867 photograph of the Dederer family on the front lawn indicates they were the first occupants, a highly respected family in the lower Rockland region. Isaac M. Dederer was actively engaged in community and government, serving as Town Clerk, Postmaster and Orangetown Supervisor from 1872-1873. The 12 room main stone house boasts diamond-paned windows, elaborate plaster rosettes, a black marble fireplace in the parlor and pocket doors in the library. Some of the door moldings on the first floor are 8 inches wide. The small sandstone gatehouse is said to have been occupied by the Dederer's during construction of the main house, now a whimsical legal rental cottage, guest house or art studio. Listed on the National Register of Historical Places and featured in numerous publications and every local historical home tour, the impressive list of prior stewards continues with Horatio G. Prall, former Rockland County District Attorney, as the owner from the mid 1870's until 1905. In 1905, the home was purchased by George Clarence Shoup, active politician, member of the Southern Society and president of the Autographic Register Society. In 1952 comes Albro C. Gaylor, former mayor of Piermont and editor of the Journal of Pediatrics, who lived in the home until 1968. Since then, Stonehurst has been in the Paronetto family until today, who purchased the home within minutes of driving through its gates in 1968, and has never been on the active market before. The pictures certainly tell a thousand words, but this is a property you must admire in person, akin to a museum, with grounds that act like a perpetual mural which change by the season. The property features vast gardens, priceless specimen plantings, magical vantage points, and also a barn with loft which was converted into a 3 car garage. From Stonehurst's legacy alone, this breathtaking property served as a stage for occasions that were memorable for everyone. While living here will definitely inspire the new ownership to creatively restore some minor patina of the past, this is truly a home and setting one could hardly duplicate today. Located just minutes to the thriving boutique river town Villages of Piermont & Nyack and a quick 15 minute drive from the George Washington Bridge, come tour Stonehurst today and create a new family legacy for generations to come. Home is being sold as is and will need new septic system. Proof of funds or pre approval is required for all showings.
