Nestled in a high Catskill Mountain valley and overlooking a pristine 68-acre lake, Lake Delaware Farm in Bovina Center offers not only extraordinary natural beauty but also a rare piece of American history. This stunning home is currently on the market for $14 million, represented by Brown Harris Stevens agents Norah Burden and Owen Davidson.
Built in 1787 by Gertrude Livingston and her husband Col. Morgan Lewis—Revolutionary War General, Governor of New York, and close friend to George Washington—the Lake House is among the oldest surviving residences in Delaware County. For over two centuries, the estate has remained in the hands of the same prominent family, a lineage that includes signers of the Declaration of Independence, senators, justices, and military leaders. Few homes in the United States can so vividly trace the story of the nation’s founding elite.
The property’s origins stretch back to the early colonial land grants, when the Livingston family secured vast holdings in the Hudson Valley and later acquired a portion of the Hardenbergh Patent, which encompassed much of the Catskills. Gertrude Livingston’s 20,000-acre inheritance became the foundation for the Lake Delaware estate, where she and Lewis built a Grecian-style mansion as a summer retreat after the Revolution.
The home described as “a charming summer retreat” embodies both elegance and grandeur. After many enhancements, the home been transformed into a sprawling retreat with refined architecture secluded in breathtaking wilderness.
Multiple living rooms and parlors, each featuring marble fireplaces and original hardwood moldings, provide both intimate gathering spaces and areas for grand entertaining.
Throughout, architectural details shine—from the dramatic Doric-columned portico and carved spiral staircase to inlaid floors and sun-filled parlors—blending historic craftsmanship with the comfort and warmth of a country estate designed for today’s lifestyle.
The home offers nine spacious bedrooms—each with an en-suite bath—plus a charming attic bunk room with double showers and sinks.
A large contemporary eat-in kitchen anchors the home with ample space for entertaining, while the elegant dining room, with its paneled walls and intricate ceiling tracery, evokes the atmosphere of a bygone era.
Today, Lake Delaware Farm encompasses more than 1,600 acres of rolling hills, meadows, and old-growth forests across the towns of Delhi and Bovina. The centerpiece remains the grand Lake House, which combines its original 18th-century architecture with later additions and modern comforts.
Beyond the home, remnants of other family estates dot the property, including the site of Ancrum with gardens designed by Fletcher Steele and the neighboring Aknusti, once a lavish Georgian-style mansion with grounds sculpted by Frederick Law Olmsted.
For those seeking more than just a home, Lake Delaware Farm represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own a living legacy. With its history, architectural grandeur, and unspoiled natural setting, the estate captures the romance of America’s aristocratic past while offering boundless potential for a bucolic family compound or visionary retreat. Rarely does history, beauty, and scale converge so completely in one offering—making Lake Delaware Farm a treasure to be preserved and cherished for centuries to come.
Leave a Reply