Farmhouse Friday: History Improved in Ottsville

Windhorse Farm, 523 Geigel Hill Rd., Ottsville, Pa. 18942 |TREND images via Carol C. Dorey Real Estate

Have you ever had the chance to travel back in time to when our nation first began? Well, since our technology hasn’t quite advanced to that level, you probably haven’t, but this 1860’s farmhouse nestled in the backcountry of Ottsville, might make you think that you have. Settled on 13.6 acres of pristine Bucks County countryside, Windhorse Farm includes a stone manor house with a vintage barn and outbuildings that bring you back in time, even if you don’t have that time machine.

This expansive property at the top of a winding drive leading from a private country road is the textbook definition of a Bucks County “gentleman’s farm.”

The original 1860 farmhouse has been lovingly maintained through the generations and enhanced with a recent addition that respects its heritage while providing the spaces and amenities modern families demand. All of the farmhouse’s original detailing, including beam ceilings, random width chestnut floors, period moldings and hardware, and deep windows with old glass, remain in great shape today.

Just inside the front door, the living room features a large, Colonial-era stone hearth fireplace — one of five you’ll find in the main home, this one also has an original kettle used for cooking— and built-in cabinetry, typical of the historical charm that extends throughout the home. A door in the living room leads to the family room and the new addition that’s attached to it.

The family room also contains a large hearth fireplace and original period doors and hardware, plus one modern addition: a wet bar. The original rear wall was removed in order to attach the restaurant-quality kitchen and dining room to the space. The room’s soaring two-story-high ceiling makes the home’s original stone rear wall an integral design element, adding extra charm to this space that’s flooded with sunlight from extra-large windows.

The kitchen contains all the latest in features, including stainless steel appliances, whitewashed cabinetry, and butcher-block countertops. The adjacent dining area’s windows let you take in the view of your spacious grounds, and French doors connect it to the rear terrace.

Just off the living room, you’ll find a great office space with a nice fireplace and built-ins as well. Completing the first floor is the first of the bedrooms, featuring the same wooden beams and floors found in the rest of the home, a sweet fireplace, and a stunningly redone bathroom.

Traveling upstairs to the second and third floors, you’ll find three additional bedrooms and two baths, completing the manor home.

Walking down the property to the incredibly restored stone bank barn, one of the first things you’ll notice are the wooden French doors that open onto a large brick deck area and let in an incredible amount of light. An entertainer’s dream, this barn includes a spectacular great room with a high, vaulted beam ceiling, a media loft and a studio with half bath, guest quarters with two bedrooms, two baths, a wood stove and a kitchenette, and a catering kitchen with stainless steel appliances and red-painted wood cabinetry. The studio area provides the perfect space for playing ping pong, watching a football game, and playing pool all at the same time, while the loft is situated up and away from the activity below, offering a cozy setting.

Whether this home will be used to cater to your large party extravaganzas, or you’re looking for a place to relax and throw an intimate gathering, this home has you covered. A beautiful pool with views of the landscaped grounds, a stone summer kitchen with two pizza ovens and Argentinian wood grill, and a pool house with a camouflaged sound system all add up to the makings of a great outdoor party, no matter the size. This property also includes a two-car garage with a studio space above and a cottage

The landscaped gardens throughout the property provide not only beauty but privacy as well. Taking a page from the gardens of the lush countryside of England, you’ll find a hawthorn allée, herb, vegetable and rose gardens, as well as a preppy bent-grass croquet court. A riding ring with French drains, stables and tack room are also included in this masterpiece, making it truly a one-of-a-kind property.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 4 in main house, 2 in barn guest quarters

BATHS: 4 full in main house; 2 full, 1 half in barn

SQUARE FEET: 3,285 (main house only)

PRICE: $1,795,000

Windhorse Farm, 523 Geigel Hill Rd., Ottsville, Pa. 18942 [Nancy Ahlum |Carol C. Dorey Real Estate, Inc]