Meet our home in the Hudson Valley, New York. We have been renovating two historic stone buildings, regenerating 14 acres of land in close proximity to the Hudson River and building and cultivating an organic garden for our guests to feel at home during the time they are in-residence.

The Hudson Valley was believed to be a spiritual place by the Lenape Nation that originally inhabited it. Their name for the river that ran through it was Mahicantuck - the river that flow in two directions. The (Hudson) river is in fact affected by tidal forces and brackish for miles north from its delta in New York City.

A bit of history:
The property was formerly home to Moravian-born, composer/pianist, Rudolf Firkušný. There are two historic buildings: The Well House and the Well Cottage. The Well Cottage was Firkušný’s studio and rehearsal space during the years he taught music at Bard Collage. For decades it was the location of concerts and cultural gatherings.

Prior to the Firkušný residence, the property was part of Hopelad, a 300-acre (120 ha) estate, home to Helen Huntington, a prominent socialite, patron of the arts, heiress and political hostess. Daughter of Helen Gray (Dinsmore) Huntington (1868-1942) and Robert Palmer Huntington (1869-1949). First wife of Vincent Astor (divorce), later wife of Lytle Hull. Having grown up in Rhinebeck, New York, she played alongside Vincent Astor, who lived at 'Ferncliff' nearby. Divorcing Vincent because of his infidelity, she went on to marry Lytle Hull.

A passionate supporter of music and the opera, she went on to help find the Metropolitan Opera Company, which held court at the Met. While many New York socialites owned or rented out a box on the grand tier of the Met on Broadway, famously called the 'Diamond Horseshoe', she owned two boxes, one for her and the other for guests, each box capable of holding nine persons. A large contributor to ballet, she served on the board of the New York City Ballet.

She resided regally at her Hudson Valley mansion 'The Locusts', a neobaroque mansion named it's black locust trees by her grandfather William Dinsmore. It was the second mansion to occupy the spot, the first one being far too large and dated for her to maintain. It was here that she played on the lawn with her six dogs and gave gala fundraising dinners in the gardens.

At 'Hopeland House', her Staatsburg, New York estate she frequently held fundraising political galas at which Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover attended. She served as alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from New York in 1924. She served as co-chairwoman of New York's Woman's Republican National Committee in 1926 and in 1927. She was a guest at the inaugural balls of Presidents Calvin Cooligde, Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower and the first one of Richard Nixon. Good friends with Nelson Rockefeller, she often co-hosted with Happy Rockefeller at her apartment in New York City. She also considered Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter, Elsa Maxwell and Cholly Knickerbocker good friends.