The 1787 Lake Delaware Farm On 1,600 Acres In Bovina, NY On Sale!

401-645 Lake Delaware Drive, Bovina, NY 13740

There is something about an old house that a new build can never match. It is the feeling of the wood under your feet that has been polished by two centuries of footsteps. It is the way the light hits a hand-carved mantelpiece. If you love old homes as much as I do, you know that they aren’t just buildings—they are stories.

The Lake Delaware Farm is perhaps one of the most beautiful stories ever told in the Catskill Mountains. This isn’t just a house for sale; it is a 1,600-acre slice of the American dream that has stayed in the same famous family since the 1700s. Walking onto this land feels like stepping back into a time when life was grand, quiet, and deeply connected to the earth.

To understand this house, you have to understand the family that built it. Back in the late 1600s, the English King gave a massive amount of land to the Livingston family. They were the “Lords of the Manor,” and they helped shape the New York we know today.

Gertrude Livingston, a woman of great status, received 20,000 acres of this mountain paradise as a gift. She was married to Colonel Morgan Lewis, a man who wasn’t just a soldier, but a hero. He was a General in George Washington’s army and later became the Governor of New York. Imagine sitting in a living room where men like Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette were likely guests. This house was built in 1787, just four years after the Revolutionary War ended. It is a true piece of our nation’s birth.

The Lewises wanted their home to reflect the strength of the new American Republic. Instead of following English styles, they looked to ancient Greece and Rome. When you pull up the long, winding driveway, the first thing you see are the four massive, two-story columns. They are smooth, strong, and give the home a feeling of “The Grecian Style” that was so popular in the early days of our country.

The front porch runs the whole length of the house. It is the kind of place where you want to sit with a glass of lemonade and watch the fog rise off the mountains. The roof has these beautiful little windows called dormers that peek out from the attic, making the massive mansion feel cozy and welcoming rather than cold and stiff.

When you step through the front door into the center hall, you are greeted by an incredible sight: a hand-carved spiral staircase. In 1787, there were no power tools. Every curve of that wood was shaped by a person who took pride in their work.

On either side of the hall are two parlors filled with sunlight. These rooms have survived since the 18th century, and they still feel warm and happy. As the family grew over the years, they added more rooms, but they did it with so much care. You’ll find beautiful wood paneling, intricate patterns on the ceilings, and marble fireplace mantels that are like pieces of art. The floors are made of hardwood with “inlaid” designs—tiny pieces of different woods put together like a puzzle to create beautiful patterns.

While the house is very old, it has been kept up so well that it feels like a luxury inn. There are eight massive bedrooms, and every single one has its own private bathroom. This is very rare for a house this old!

Up in the attic, there is a special “bunk room” with its own bathroom featuring double showers. This is the perfect spot for the ultimate slumber party for kids or grandkids. The house also has a big, modern kitchen where everyone can gather to eat, a family room for movies, a laundry room, and even an elevator. It is the perfect mix of “old world charm” and “modern comfort.”

As beautiful as the house is, the real “star of the show” is Lake Delaware itself. It is 68 acres of crystal-clear water sitting right in the middle of your property. In the summer, the air up here is cool and fresh because the valley is so high in the mountains.

The lake has a historic boat house. You can walk down the sloping lawn, hop into a rowboat, and spend the afternoon on the water without seeing another soul. It is peaceful, private, and breathtakingly beautiful. It’s easy to see why the family traveled for days on horseback just to spend their summers here.

When you own 1,600 acres, there is always something new to find. Scattered across the property are old rock walls and “standing stones” that look like something out of a storybook. There are also delicate iron gates that lead you from one meadow to the next.

One of the most romantic spots on the estate is called “Ancrum.” Long ago, an English-style manor stood there with formal gardens designed by a famous landscape architect named Fletcher Steele. While that specific house is gone, the stone structures and a beautiful statue of the goddess Diana still remain. It feels like a “Secret Garden” waiting for someone to come and bring the flowers back to life.

Lake Delaware Farm is more than just a home with a lot of land. It is a place that holds the secrets of the Hudson Valley and the American Revolution. It has been a working farm, a family retreat, and a sanctuary for generations of leaders and thinkers.

If you are someone who loves the smell of old wood, the look of hand-carved stone, and the peace that comes from being surrounded by nature, this is the place of your dreams. It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a home that isn’t just a building, but a landmark.

What makes this house better than any other luxury estate? It’s the soul. You can buy a big house anywhere, but you can’t buy history like this. You can’t build a 68-acre lake from scratch, and you can’t recreate the feeling of a home that has been loved by the same family for over 230 years.

From the “bunk room” for the kids to the marble fireplaces for the adults, every inch of this 7,000-square-foot mansion was built to be enjoyed. It is grand enough to impress a King, but comfortable enough to feel like home the second you walk in.

Properties like this almost never come on the market. Usually, they are passed down from parent to child forever. This is a “once in ten generations” opportunity. Whether you want to start a family compound, a private retreat, or just want to be the protector of a piece of American history, Lake Delaware Farm is waiting for its next chapter.

The mountain peaks are calling, the lake is waiting for a swimmer, and the old spiral staircase is ready for the next hundred years of footsteps. Will they be yours?

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