Chester NY Real Estate

The Orange County Town of Chester, in the black dirt region of Warwick Valley (more on this later!), is encircled by flourishing orchards, horse farms and wineries. In the 1970's, the village was a crafts center of dedicated artisans, now the Sugar Loaf Arts & Crafts Village, comprising everything from workshops and galleries in original 1700s structures to a world-class performing arts center, in the benevolent shadow of Sugar Loaf Mountain.

One of the tastiest tidbits about Chester is that Philadelphia cream cheese originated here. For proof, visit the Chester Historical Society to see photos of William Lawrence’s rustic creamery and the Lawrence Neufchatel cream cheese imprint plate. In a nutshell, Kraft bought Lawrence’s plant in 1928, and to this day sells his Neufchatel as Philadelphia cream cheese, interestingly enough with the date 1872 on the label, which can only relate to Lawrence’s era. A fun fact!

The Town of Chester can boast of a heritage that goes far beyond cream cheese, and some of the surviving buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. For one, there’s the 1915 Erie Station, Chester’s local history museum, where the Historical Society holds its monthly meetings. To get an authentic taste of the town, don’t miss their events, including the annual yard sale fundraiser, penny social and holiday special exhibitions. Being directly on the Heritage Trail, several yearly charity walks and runs avail themselves of the Museum's hospitality. We have the Historical Society to thank for a nice long list list of all kinds of cool people, places and things nearby.

There are things to do and places to go in Chester. Visit Knapp’s View at the foot of Sugar Loaf Mountain (it's preserved in perpetuity as open space for “passive recreation,” including bird-watching!) or Goosepond Mountain State Park, where you can investigate the 5,000+-year-old Greycourt Rock Shelter. 

Because of the "black dirt" in Chester, the area is abundant in beautiful farms; find delicious organic jams and produce at Pine Hill Farm, fruits and vegetables at Roe Orchards and organic produce at Sun Sprout Farm. And stop by the roadside shed for honey, eggs and syrup at the historic Fury Brook Farm, founded in 1731! Thirsty? Within a really small radius are four breweries: Rushing Duck, Long Lot Farm, Tin Barn and Drowned Lands Brewery.

It’s hard to express the richness of a place like Chester. It’s just like the black dirt, made up of years of hard work, history and helping hands.

Chester is a lovely place to live - it's rich in history and arts; the homes are too! You can find anything from pretty and practical ranches and townhouses, to rolling acre farms, arts and crafts estates, 1800s victorians and colonials, and newly built modern mansions. Whatever your taste, Chester is sure to satisfy. 

If you have any questions about Chester Real Estate and Chester Homes For Sale, feel free to contact Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty. We'd love to show you all that Chester NY has to offer.