Pre-Revolutionary Stone Home in Athens

Shop on Black Friday? I don't think so. Rather, I found myself doing what everybody should be doing if they live in Upstate New York - hitting the back roads of the Hudson Valley with camera in hand.

Just past Sleepy Hollow Lake on Route 385 stands a cast iron sign marking the oldest continuously occupied residence in NY, if not the country. It's called the Albertus Van Loon House, erected in 1724 and still in use today.

Look at how the roof slopes and dips in certain spots. This is just a guess but because of the two chimneys there's probably two jambless fireplaces, one on each end. Like most pre-revolutionary stone homes, I bet there are wide board floors and massive carved beams on the ceiling. The windows look they are original leaded glass windows.

The once-tiled shingles on the gambrel roof have been replaced by a fireproof metal roof. The cranberry color matches the paint around the dormer windows, a nice touch.

I would have loved to have seen the inside but the drapes were closed tight and nobody answered when I knocked. I'm sure the owners are tired of giving tours. They are doing a wonderful job of preserving this historical gem.

The style is Dutch Colonial and the address is listed on the National Historical Register in Athens.