164 S Mountain RD

Designed by American artist Henry Varnum Poor for Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Maxwell Anderson, the Katrina Maxtone-Graham Estate offers an uncommon opportunity to live within a remarkable piece of American artistic and literary history. Set on 25 private acres adjoining parklands, this South Mountain Road property brings together distinctive architecture, original artwork and a protected landscape within reach of Manhattan. A winding private driveway introduces the approximately 4,000 square foot main residence, where Henry Varnum Poor's ceramic artistry is woven throughout the interiors, including a remarkable fireplace installation depicting Anderson. Conceived as part of the home itself, these original works create an intimate experience of living within the artist's vision. The home later became the residence of sculptor Sidney Simon and poet, author and composer Joan Lewisohn Simon Crowell, daughter of prominent art collector and Museum of Modern Art trustee Sam A. Lewisohn. Their family's close friendship with Poor adds another chapter to the property's place in the creative community of South Mountain Road, whose residents included composer Kurt Weill and actress and singer Lotte Lenya. Today, that history accompanies the pleasures of a private country estate: an autumn morning walking the grounds, an afternoon welcoming guests and an evening beside one of two fireplaces. A charming guest cottage, separate estate manager's apartment and heated swimming pool complement the main residence, while open meadows and wooded grounds provide room to explore and enjoy the changing seasons. A conservation easement protects these 25 acres from development and subdivision, preserving the estate's meadows, woodlands and enduring privacy. A home of artistic and literary significance, a protected country setting and such easy reach of Manhattan make this a rare offering. Here is a place to put down roots and leave a legacy.