Three Pint-Sized 19th Century Cottages in the Hudson Valley for Under $400K

If you are looking for a bit of historic character in a diminutive package, one of these 19th century cottages may fulfill your old-house lover’s dream.

All of the houses are modest, with streamlined moldings and simple interior details in keeping with their small scale. All are located in historic towns of the Hudson River Valley, in Westchester and Dutchess Counties. They are also all under $400,000, with the least expensive coming in at just $185,000.

Which would you choose?

First up is the least expensive pick of the three, a former schoolhouse at 1245 Hopewell Avenue in Fishkill, N.Y. According to the Fishkill Historical Society, the simple structure was built circa 1803 as a private boarding school. It was moved from its original location to this spot in the 1830s.

Now a residence, the little yellow house has three bedrooms and 1.5 baths. Despite its exterior simplicity, it boasts some nice interior details, including a panelled fireplace surround in the living room.

The kitchen has mellowed brick floors and a fireplace complete with bread oven and a crane from which to hang your trammel and kettle. According to the listing some of the other details are not quite as old: The house has a new furnace, washer and dryer.

The house sits fairly close to the road but is on a large corner lot that also includes a garden shed. And the current owners have an expansive vegetable garden.

The house is listed for $185,000 by Lori S. Rheingold of Houlihan Lawrence-Lagrangeville Brokerage.

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In Ossining is a mansard-roofed cottage at 32 North Malcolm Street. The circa 1870s house is located just a few minutes stroll from the scenic Croton Aqueduct Trail and about a 20 minute walk to the train station.

The three-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom house has been renovated, and many of the historic details restored. The parlor has a lovely arched niche and wood floors.

The entry sports a narrow staircase with a graceful original newel post leading upstairs to the three bedrooms perched in the sloping angles of the mansard roof.

The kitchen and baths have been renovated — the kitchen with streamlined white cabinetry and a farmhouse sink.

The house is listed for $400,000 by Mavra Mita of Bhg Rand Realty.

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Our final cozy cottage is in Rhinebeck at 18 James Street. The mid-19th century house has a gracious front porch which gives it a larger presence than the previous two listings — but if the numbers are to believed it is actually the smallest of the three, at just 850 square feet.

The two-bedroom, 1.5-bath house has been thoroughly renovated. There are new finishes throughout, although a few original features survive, including some wide-planked floorboards and moldings.

Without a floor plan, it is tough to tell but the photos seem to show a fairly chopped-up layout with a very narrow living room. For some extra storage, however, there is a carriage house on the property.

The house is listed for $325,000 by Harry Heleotis of Illustrated Properties Group LLC.

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