A Gilded Age train station transformed into three cottages is on sale for less than $1 million. See inside.

Sun, 03/03/2024 - 07:49

Old Depot Way was built in the late 1800s.
Courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

A train station from about 1889 turned into a three-cottage compound is on sale for $840,000.
The station, Old Depot Way, was on a train line that went out of business during the Great Depression.
Previous owners renovated the property for use as a family hideaway or, sometimes, an Airbnb.

A train station built during the Gilded Age has been turned into a three-house compound that is now on the market for $840,000.

The former station on Old Depot Way is in Stanfordville, a small town surrounded by farmland less than two hours north of NYC. It was built around 1889 along a once-popular rail line, according to listing agent George Langa, of Houlihan Lawrence.

From the late 1800s into the early 20th century, Langa said, trains brought city dwellers to bucolic spots upstate that were billed as summertime destinations.

Many of these historic lines no longer exist, he said. But the station and two outbuildings on Old Depot Way survived and were given a new lease on life by three owners over the past century. See inside.

Old Depot Way was once a popular stop within a thriving Gilded Age rail network.

According to Langa, Old Depot Way was built to bring New York City residents to the countryside town of Stanfordville.

"Stanfordville was a destination," Langa said. "There were advertisements for homes on the lakes. You could spend a weekend or a couple of weeks during the summer here."

Once the city dwellers arrived, he added, many of them also booked stays with locals.

"They would come pick you up at the station and take you to their house, and you could live on a farm within New York," Langa said.

After the Great Depression, the train station shut down and was transformed into a private residence.

The train station during its early years.
Courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

When the country experienced an economic downfall in the 1930s, an era known as the Great Depression, Langa said many train stations — including the one at Old Depot Way — went out of business.

"The rail lines were actually sold off," he said, adding that much of the "valuable" steel used to build the tracks was sold and sent to Japan.

"But the station stayed, and then slowly got converted to a residential property," Langa said.

He added that most of the renovations made to ensure the property was suitable for modern living were undertaken by its past three owners, who took care to honor the history of the once-bustling train station.

"All the owners have been very passionate to restore and maintain," Langa said.

The interior design of the main house is inspired by the original purpose of the building.

The current owners wanted to capture the original function of the building with the interior design. — The decor contains many nods to the building's past, including a ticketing area and train-themed signage.
Courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

The nearly three-acre property has three different buildings: the main house, which is the former train station; the coal house; and the freight house. The latter two structures have been turned into cottages. All of the buildings are a short walk from each other.

In the main house, Langa said, the current owner went to great lengths to style the interior design off of the original purpose of the building.

On the first floor, interspersed between the living room, entrance, and kitchen, are quirky details like a ticketing area, time boards, and artwork that nod to the home's past life as a train station.

There's even a fake skeleton in the living room wearing a train conductor's hat. It's hung next to a sign that jokingly reads, "Waiting on the next train!"

There's a subtle reference to a magical train platform made famous by the Harry Potter series.

The main house still has the original floors of the train station.
Courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

Harry Potter fans will appreciate the "Platform 9 and 3/4" sign above the front doors that lead out onto a terrace, built where the former train station platform once was.

The current owner has rented out the main house on Airbnb for $233 a night.

Langa said most of the furnishings are modern, but some pieces were kept from the original station.

A historic photo of the train station is kept in the main house. — A historic photo of the train station hangs in the main house.
Courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

These older, maintained features include the original flooring, the woodworking, and the outdoor decking.

A new owner may have the opportunity to keep the historic pieces.

"There are a few pieces that would be symbolic to the station, and that is always something that can be discussed after a transaction," Langa said.

The sellers ensured the train station was comfortable for 21st-century living.

The modern bedroom.
Courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

"They really tried to keep what they could while modernizing it," Langa said.

The main house has a cook's kitchen, complete with a rotisserie and convection oven, soapstone countertops, and a gas stovetop with a wok ring.

Upstairs is a bedroom, a bathroom, and a small office.

"There has been some updating, well, beyond updating," Langa said. "I don't even know if there was a bathroom in there in the 1800s."

The train station looks out onto a koi pond and is steps away from an old coal shed, now a separate cottage.

Langa said a shed near the station, once used to store coal, has also received a modern facelift and been converted into a guest house.

Between the main house and the coal shed cottage is a rock-lined self-sufficient koi pond.

The current owner rented the coal shed out on Airbnb for less than $200 a night. Per the listing, the space includes a "spacious" bedroom, a living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen.

Ninety-four percent of guests have given the location, near antique shops, wineries, and a ski resort, a five-star rating.

The third residence on the property is a former freight house.

Langa said the freight house has two bedrooms, a bathroom, a sitting area, and a kitchen.

Because each of the three homes on the property can be self-sufficient, the real-estate agent said a new owner could either continue operating short-term rentals or turn it into a family compound, as a few previous owners have done.

"Some people have rented out the individual buildings. Some people have just used it as a family complex," Langa said. "We're having a lot of people looking at it who have kids who are now in their 30s, starting families, and they're looking at purchasing it and residing in the main train station, but then having the other buildings for various relatives."

The property on Old Depot Way is a slice of New York history, nestled into the countryside by a creek.

According to Langa, it was standard practice to build train lines near water.

This train station is positioned right by Wappinger Creek, "one of the top 10 trout streams in New York State," he said. "It's beautiful."

Gilded Age folks arrived at the train station to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. But while Old Depot Way is still surrounded by nature, it isn't far from the outside world, Langa said.

"Within 15 to 30 minutes, you've got access to five different towns," he said.

While prospective buyers will be free to renovate and change the property however they see fit, Langa said that the current owners wish for it to be inherited by someone with an appreciation for history who can "continue the work that they've done with it."

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A Gilded Age train station transformed into three cottages is on sale for less …