Montrest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Montrest
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North elevation of main house, 2008
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| Location | Nelsonville, New York |
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| Nearest city | Newburgh |
| Area | 160 acres (65 ha) |
| Built | 1868 |
| Architect | Arthur Raymond, William LaDue |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Hudson Highlands MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001252 |
| Added to NRHP | November 23, 1982 |
Montrest is a beautiful old house located on Lane Gate Road, just outside Nelsonville, New York. It was built a long time ago, in 1868, right after the American Civil War. A successful businessman named Aaron Healy, who dealt in leather, built it as a summer home. He chose this spot because it had amazing views of the Hudson River and the mountains nearby, known as the Hudson Highlands.
Later, Aaron Healy divided his large property between his two sons. Montrest, which was the house higher up on the hill, became the main home for the family in the early 1900s. Because of its history and special design, Montrest was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This means it's an important place worth protecting!
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What Does Montrest Look Like?
The Montrest property is quite large, covering about 160 acres (that's like 120 football fields!). It sits on a gently sloping hill, offering incredible views of the Hudson River, Bull Hill, and Storm King Mountain to the west.
The Main House
The main house at Montrest is a two-and-a-half-story building. It's made of wood and covered with brown and white shingles. The roof has four parts that cross each other, making it look interesting. On the west side, there's a part that sticks out with its own gabled roof. The front of the house has a large porch, called a veranda, where people can relax. There's even a special covered entrance for cars, called a porte-cochere.
Other Buildings on the Property
Besides the main house, there are several other buildings on the Montrest property.
The Farm Superintendent's Cottage
Down the hill from the main house is a smaller building called the farm superintendent's cottage. This one-and-a-half-story house is also made of wood and sits on a stone base. It has a similar style to the main house, with a pointed, or "Gothic," look. It has unique small, eight-sided windows at the top of its gables. There's also a porch with pretty, wavy decorations.
Greenhouse and Barns
Near the cottage, you'll find a greenhouse and a potting shed. These were built around 1900 to help with farming. While they aren't used for growing plants anymore, they show how the property once had a busy farm. There are also some old barns nearby.
Carriage House and Tenant House
At the entrance to the property, there's a building that used to be a carriage house and stable. This is where horses and carriages were kept. It's a one-and-a-half-story building with a stone base. Today, it has been changed to be used as a home. On the other side of the road, there's a tenant house, which is a two-story building where workers might have lived. There's also a garage nearby for cars.
Montrest's History
Aaron Healy bought the land for Montrest in 1867 and started building the estate the next year. In 1885, he split the property between his two sons, Augustus and Frank. Augustus got the lower part of the land and built a house called Breeze Lawn, which is no longer there.
Around the year 1900, Frank Healy had some of the buildings at Montrest made bigger. He hired an architect named Alfred Raymond to help. This was done to support more farming activities. During this time, the greenhouse, the tenant house, a chicken coop, and a corn crib were all built. Later, as cars became popular, the carriage house was changed so it could be used for cars and even as a place to live.
In 1947, the main house had big changes made to it. This was so the Healy family could live there all year round, not just in the summer. For example, an indoor laundry room was turned into a two-car garage and storage area. Today, Libby Healy, who is Aaron's great-granddaughter, still lives in the house. She has also worked to protect the land around Montrest. She hopes that some of the hiking trails on nearby properties might be opened to the public again someday.
