A Character-Filled Rental In The Hudson Valley

"If I were to name the three most precious resources of life, I should say books, friends, and nature. And the greatest of these, at least the most constant and always at hand, is nature." - John Burroughs

This, one of naturalist John Burroughs' most famous quotes, could easily be taken up as the creed for those of us who choose to make the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions our homes, favoring small community and time in nature over the big energy and infinite commercial opportunities of the city. Books. Friends. Nature. We might add FOOD to our ethos.

At the turn of the century, John Burroughs was one of the most popular and influential writers in America; his essays were read by millions of people, his company and counsel sought by contemporary luminaries from Theodore Roosevelt to John Muir. Credited with creating the modern American nature essay, the 200-acre grounds where his rustic writing cabin, Slabsides, sits in West Park are now open to the public and receive hundreds of eager literary pilgrims and nature lovers daily.

However, another Burroughs left the Hudson Valley a legacy in stone and wood. Julian Burroughs, John Burroughs’s only child, followed in his father’s footsteps as a creative force, a farmer, and a lover of the natural world. He was the largely unheralded designer and architect of the famous Stone Barns on Colonel Payne’s Omega estate in Esopus, which will soon have new life as a 4-star hotel. In fact, his creations dot the area, and while you may not know his name, if you’re a local, you’ve likely admired one of his buildings. 

Julian Burroughs was not a trained architect – he was instead what we might call a Renaissance man or a jack of all trades. A painter, photographer, Harvard graduate, writer, and woodworker Julian began his architectural journey by building his young family a home on some riverside land on his father’s estate, Riverby. Julian’s family still holds the house, and while they have no intention of giving it up, they are offering it for rent. We have the privilege of the listing, and the unique opportunity to spend time exploring the remarkable details Julian added to every room, details that tell the story of a curious, grateful, and adventurous mind, of a person who embodies what we’ve come to think of as the American spirit – innovation, optimism, and individualism are carved into every corner.

When you turn into the driveway, you pass by Riverby house and turn left just before a detached study John Burroughs built himself when Julian was a small boy (now a national historic landmark), long before he built Slabsides. It’s a quaint and historic little country lane with farm buildings that have fallen out of use but might be more picturesque for it - a lane that will give any history lover a tingle of recognition – something happened here that was both significant and creative! A member of our marketing team (a fan of both John Burroughs and historic homes) visited 5 Riverby Lane for a tour with Joan Burroughs, granddaughter of Julian, President of the John Burroughs Association, and historian of the family. In advance of the visit, Joan sent us a wonderful article, written by Julian Burroughs in Country Life In America Magazine, which details his process of building a hand-built house with almost no experience and some very concrete goals for form and function.

When his father gave him the land, Julian studied architecture books and found little that would help him, but through studying the homes of his neighbors he began to understand how he might build a house that would suit his four goals: first, to keep costs low – the final cost was $1,750; second, he wanted a house that could be easily cleaned – according to Joan, Julian’s mother was a fastidious cleaner and while it was an annoyance to many, it made Julian understand the importance of making the housework easy. He wanted a house that was temperate – the third requirement was that it be warm in the winter and the fourth that it be cool in the summer. Joan took us on a tour of the house with these guiding principles in mind.

"He starts out that article, what does a young graduate know about building a house? Well, actually nothing. But he did, it's all thoughtful."

Thoughtful is the perfect word. Throughout the house, there are built-in furniture pieces. By the time Julian finished the house, he had become an expert, self-taught carpenter and furniture maker. Desks for working, bureaus for storing clothes and dishes, cabinets, bookshelves, each unique, functional, and beautiful. Most notable and obvious are the unusually angled window seats in the living room and office on the first floor. Set in front of large windows with wonderful views of the river and the orchards and farm that surrounded the house when it was built, the angled sides are exactly right for leaning back and reading a book or writing. All this built-in furniture makes the rooms feel larger than they might if you had to add the storage and functionality they provide. They also make the rooms easy to clean – built into the walls, they don’t become home to dust bunnies as other furniture might. Most importantly, they are the result of a considerable thought investment and ingenuity. Julian was not just building for the aesthetic of the times; he was building to create the perfect living space on a budget.

The house’s exterior was finished with an infinitely practical and uncommon cladding – cedar slabs. These are the rounded edges of the tree left over when the log is squared off to be milled into boards, complete with bark. Julian used these slabs vertically on the exterior of the house, inspired by his father, John Burroughs, who used the same material as a cladding for Slabsides. The vertical orientation Julian adopted allows rain and snow to slide right off the building without accumulating between slabs.

While Julian was focused on practicality, placing large windows where they would catch the winter sun, summer breezes, and views, and a porch along the east side of the house to shield the interior from morning sun and keep it cool in the summer, he did everything with great artistry. There are decorative inserts of different species of tree bark in the hallway, Harvard’s symbol is painstakingly carved into bookcases, and poems and musings are whimsically embedded in trim boards. It is, quite simply, delightful. While much of America has embraced basic houses with grey vinyl floors, limited trim, and white tile, in the Hudson Valley, we’ve always had a love for the weird, quirky, creative details in a home that tell the stories of the lives of the people who have lived there. How could we not? Inspired by the handmade houses of artists like Julian Burroughs?

Halfway up the stairs to the second floor is a landing that feels lifted from cinema. Expertly framed in the dark-stained wood Burroughs used to trim the house, to the left, there’s a small set of stairs that leads to a magical door. While what’s behind the door is not included in the rental, it is fine because the fun lies in imagining what might be behind that mystery door! A passageway to Narnia? Mr. Rochester’s wife? We think we all can agree that a little mystery is a good thing in a house.

Colonel Oliver Hazard Payne's yacht, Aphrodite

To the right are stairs to the bedrooms, which are filled with light, carvings, and character, as well as a second, beautifully renovated bath - all three have windows that look out over the Hudson. The bedrooms have surprisingly huge closets for a home built in the early 1900s – part of Julian’s effort to keep things neat and tidy. Joan Burroughs shared that she understands one of the doors on the second floor likely came from Colonel Payne’s Aphrodite, which Julian Burroughs worked on in his capacity as the Superintendent of Payne’s estate. At the time it was constructed, it was the largest steam yacht to have been built in the United States and was built at Maine’s Bath Iron Works to steam up the Hudson and across the world. In a later life, it was sunk by the Germans during the invasion of Greece. The door remains.

The story of how Julian became Payne’s Superintendent, and the family came to live on Payne’s estate in a much grander fashion than they were accustomed to at 5 Riverby Lane, is a good one, relayed in Julian’s memoirs, available in part through Marist College’s archives. The tale provides a detailed snapshot of a time when hunting and fishing were part of most Hudson Valley residents’ days, ice boating on the Hudson was a regular pastime of both night watchmen and the Roosevelts, electricity was coming to the Hudson Valley, and residents were learning to “run” Model Ts. It is bursting with American spirit. It is one hundred percent worth the 5-minute read, as inspiring as a tour through 5 Riverby. If you're interested in reading more, get your hands on a copy of Julian's book "Hudson River Memories", which, while out of print, can be found on ebay and by searching the card catalogues of local libraries via Worldcat.org.

Finding a house to rent can be a slipshod affair. The options can be few, the condition of the homes so-so, and the outdoor space limited. 5 Riverby Lane is an entirely different affair. Beautiful, loved, well-cared for, set on an acre of land in the midst of a larger parcel, and filled with character and history, it is so special you may want, like the last tenant, to stay for decades. See all the photos below and enquire.

A huge thank you to Joan Burroughs for her hospitality, tour, and historical knowledge. For more information on John Burroughs, Slabsides, and the John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary, visit JohnBurroughsAssociation.org. For more information on Julian Burroughs, refer to the Marist Heritage Project archives and his book, "Hudson Valley Memories".