Three Mid-19th Century Italianate Charmers in Hudson Under $675K

Nestled amid the natural beauty of the Hudson River Valley and with historic charm galore, not to mention a train station right downtown, Hudson, N.Y., offers intriguing possibilities for the day tripper and historic house hunter alike.

Today it has the reputation of a bustling, artsy town with galleries, antique shops and the historic homes of artists — such as the nearby Thomas Cole National Historic Site and Frederic Church’s Olana. But Hudson’s story is a cycle of boom and bust.

The success years of the 19th century brought a building boom, and much of the amazing domestic architecture survived the later bust years. Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate and Second Empire are all on display (in various states of repair).

We’ve found three intriguing mid-19th century properties currently on the market — all with period charm at price tags of $650,000 or less.

Which would you choose?

First up is our least expensive pick, located at 72 North 3rd Street, north of the central business district. The circa 1850s-1870s Italianate frame house has a bracketed cornice and frieze-band windows — small, rectangular windows set just below the eaves or cornice. They are sometimes called eyebrow windows for their visual effect across the top of the “face” of a structure.

According to the listing, the house started as an 1840s cottage before its Italianate transformation. The four-bedroom home retains that cottage charm with some historic details — simple moldings, wooden mantels — as well as some stylistically compatible upgrades.

The renovated kitchen has a farmhouse sink and bead board, which turns up again in the one bath pictured (out of 2.5 baths in the house).

However, the true star of the property is the garden — obviously cultivated by a botanical enthusiast. There’s a tea house, workshop and water feature — which, in the pictures anyway, make the lot seem a whole lot larger than the reality of .17 acres.

The house is listed for $545,000 by David King of Gary Dimauro Real Estate Inc.

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Across town, near the eastern end of the business district, is 16 Worth Avenue. Another modest mid-19th century Italianate style house, it has a simple bracketed cornice at the roofline and another across the front porch.

The two-story house has wide floor boards and simple moldings, with living space on the ground floor and three bedrooms above. There are two full baths and one half bath, and the ones pictured have had recent upgrades.

The renovated kitchen is at the back of the first floor, leading to small rear sun room and the yard beyond.

Much like the first house, this one has a delightful surprise out back. While the garden is nice, it is the carriage barn in the rear that intrigues. According to the listing, it has electric and water, perhaps (depending on local laws) opening up the possibility of a guest suite or apartment in the space.

The house is listed for $565,000 by Raj Kumar of Select Sotheby’s International Realty.

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Finally, our most expensive pick of the three, at 240 Union Street. Another circa 1860s wood frame house, it too has eyebrow windows, but instead of a bracketed cornice it has a bracketed, pedimented door hood.

It is the only one of the three located within a local historic district — in this case, the Union/Allen/South Front Street Historic District, just two blocks from Warren Street and walkable to the Amtrak station by the waterfront.

The three-story home has some interesting details on the first floor: elaborate moldings, unusual brackets and fanciful tin ceilings. There are five bedrooms on the second floor, and the third floor is in need of work, according to the listing. There are 2.5 baths.

The renovated kitchen is sleek, and a fairly neutral backdrop. The back yard beyond has a large wood deck and simple landscaping.

The house is listed for $650,000 by Carolyn Lawrence of Gary Dimauro Real Estate Inc.

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