Owners Doug and Jace von Bushberger lovingly converted this 1847 Georgian manor on the Middletown/Bullville border into a warm, welcoming spot in the summer of 2018, and are raising their toddler, Sage, on the grounds.
“As avid travelers ourselves, we love that we are constantly living through our guests who visit us from around the country and the world,” the von Bushbergers say. “We feel privileged to be able to live, work, and raise our little girl in such a beautiful, nature-rich, and culturally diverse region of the country.”
Honoring its legacy, the couple named each of the home’s three guestrooms after people who were important parts of its past. There’s the Wilkison Suite: The exposed stone wall in the bedroom and its adjacent sitting room harkens to the home’s stonemason, Charles Wilkison. The Ashley Room’s rose-patterned wallpaper and linens reflect previous owner Laura Ashley — yes, that Laura Ashley (famous makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin also owned the place at one time). And the top floor of the home is the Clarkson Room, named after Guy Clark and Harrison Morgan, designers who owned the home immediately before the von Bushbergers. Each guest room has its own luxurious bathroom.
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Perhaps the best room on the property isn’t in the house at all. Sheathed in dark, weathered wood with a mossy roof, Manchester Cottage is a 19th-century structure that was brought over from England in the 1990s by then-owner, and singer-songwriter, Carolina Manchester Casperson. The cottage is truly magical; its Dutch doors and beamed ceiling are fairytale perfect. French doors open to a stone patio and views of the 60-acres-plus property, which is also a working farm and summertime home for horses. Two barn doors flank the fireplace; they lead to the most relaxing bathroom —including a walk-through rainfall shower, a vessel sink, and a copper Japanese soaking tub.
The main house has eclectic farmhouse touches that beg for visitors to enjoy a book, a glass of wine, or great conversation (all of which the innkeepers graciously provide, along with a delicious home-cooked breakfast).
“We love how authentically rural our area is, while still being so close to New York City,” Doug continues. “We are only 70 miles from the George Washington Bridge, but in many ways it might as well be 700. Much of our own property is farmed, and we are surrounded by dairy farms, horse farms, grain and vegetable farms…not to mention some of the region’s best vineyards and wineries. Yet with all of that so close by, our property is in itself an oasis: a very private 66 acres that guests can explore and enjoy without even getting in their cars.”
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