Unfinished 1855 ‘Bright Bank’ Mansion Overlooking Hudson River with Private Bay
$4,995,000 | Built 1851 | 7,275 Sq. Ft. | 8 Beds | 6 Baths | 79.8 Acres
33 Barclay St, Saugerties, NY 12477
Built in the 1850s, this 7,275 square foot ‘Bright Bank’ mansion is looking for a visionary owner to finish the restoration and bring her back to her former glory. The ‘Bright Bank’ mansion is on the market for $4.99 million in Saugerties, New York. Listing details: Introducing Bright Bank, a historic home built in 1855 overlooking the Hudson River in Saugerties with a private bay and rights to restore a deep-water dock. Bring your vision to this eight-bedroom, 7,275 square-foot mansion surrounded by almost 80 Hudson Riverfront acres. The current owner has begun the process of restoration: The interior has been demolished, with extreme care to preserve the original architectural details, including original doors, fireplaces, moldings, window carvings, radiators, the staircase, interior shutters, and beautiful, original parquet flooring. Close attention to detail was used when restoring the interior brick throughout the entire home, as well. The structure is sound, with state-of-the-art infrastructure newly in place.
While the original architectural details remain, many modern updates have been put in place to ensure easy updating including water and gas lines, and a new septic system. On the third floor, twin Juliette balconies were added to enhance the timeless charm. The basement has been updated with poured concrete and radiant heat. The new vision can be seen in various blueprints left for the new owners and can be used as a starting point or to be finished as planned. Bring your architect and your designer to finish this historic mansion with your own taste and vision for your own private riverfront estate, once completed, worthy of the cover of Architectural Digest. The abundant acreage with meticulous landscaping that is enhanced by the original fountain perched between the main home and caretaker home, gives you plenty of space for your own sanctuary, where you can install an inground pool, tennis courts, and vegetable gardens.
For the horse lovers out there, the large horse barn has been updated with a new foundation. The newly renovated artist studio was once an icehouse and now has a kitchenette, half bathroom, and spruce board floors made from a tree found on the property. Outdoor storage is abundant with several sheds that have been updated to great condition. Adjacent to these structures is an original footprint of another large barn and across the path, an original stone staircase remains. The caretaker home was built in 1948, featuring 2 beds, 1.5 bathrooms with a loft, an enclosed bluestone patio, and a working fireplace. Moving towards the back of the property, near the Barclay Street entrance (with remote controlled gate), you can find a garage with an attached greenhouse that has radiant flooring and a new gas furnace. The size of the home, with 2 separate entrances, gives you ample opportunities to expand.
Take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a historic property with a storied history. If the history of the estate is something you are drawn to it won’t disappoint. The use of this property dates back to the 1830s when Henry Barclay, the namesake of Barclay Heights, created his estate named, Ury. It is rumored that the naming of Barclay’s property is a nod to his family’s ancestral home in Scotland. In 1854, Blaise Lorillard tore down the Ury home and built the Bright Bank mansion in 1855, this is the structure that remains today. By 1859 the estate was purchased and enjoyed by J. B. Sheffield and his wife Agnes of J. B. Sheffield & Son, a renowned papermill company. After Sheffield’s passing in 1878, Agnes stayed in the home until she sold it in 1892 to Robert Mains, a brick merchant from England.
Mains had a successful brick business with brickyards along the river in Rondout and Stockport NY, producing around 35 million bricks a year. The property was then sold again in 1933 to Edwin Van Etten, Dean of the Episcopal Cathedral of Boston. Then in 1943, the property was sold to Ruth and Magnus Dale, where it soon became the Dale Sanitarium. This historic Saugerties medical facility was able to accommodate up to 40 patients and had an operating room and maternity/delivery room; the facility was very advanced for its time. The property is on the market for $4.99 million with Steven Gold & Richard Vizzini of Corcoran Country Living Wo 845-684-0304. Photography by Lazlo Andacs.
