Robert Redford and Scarlett Johansson called this 18th-century New York property ‘home’ in the 1998 film, The Horse Whisperer.
The Thomas McLean house was built in the hamlet of Battenville between 1795 and 1867 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. At 3,928 sq ft, it’s a tapestry of major US architecture styles, with the oldest part of the house a symmetrical, Federal centre hall home – so-called because a parlour flanks the hallway on either side. A salt-box style kitchen was added in 1800 (and given a Greek Revival makeover in 1830, including the addition of a four-column porch). Finally, a woodshed and summer kitchen was added on the north side in 1867.
Interiors of the four-bedroom home are brimming with period details, so it’s little wonder the Washington County manse has been used as a film location. These include fireplaces with original mantels and even original door hardware and plasterwork, done with lathe horse hair.
The New York property is for sale via Abbey McCormick of Keller Williams for $675,000, and it seeks an owner that will be as excited about the details of its window sashes as its square footage. It would also suit a fishing enthusiast: the 1.84-acre property has 200 ft of Battenkill River frontage, teeming with world-famous trout.
