Hudson River Cottage That Was Home to Orson Welles and John Steinbeck Goes Into Contract

This Medieval Tudor-style cottage in Palisades, NY had a pretty impressive roster of residents in the 1940s, including Orson Welles (he lived here while working on “Citizen Kane”), John Steinbeck, Sir Laurence Olivier, and Vivian Leigh. Perhaps this celebrity cache is what helped the $2.25 million Hudson River-front home attract a buyer, as the Post reports today that it’s gone into contract.

Known as “House in the Woods,” the three-bedroom stone cottage sits on a bluff overlooking the river, encompassing 2.4 acres of land. It’s located in the upscale hamlet of Sneden Landing, where Angelina Jolie’s mid-century modern childhood home is currently for sale and other past and presents residents include Mikhail Baryshnikov, Al Pacino, Lorraine Bracco, Bill Murray, and Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. But name dropping aside, the 2,245-square-foot home is truly charming with open hearths, pitched beamed ceilings, original wood floors, and a stone back house.

According to the listing, “this enchanting cottage was hand built with love, stone, brick and mortar,” in the 1920s by its owners who were inspired by the homes they saw while on a tour through the French countryside.

There’s a small roof terrace and stunning Hudson River views from the backyard.

Inside, it’s like stepping back in time thanks to chestnut plank floor made from trees on the property, leaded glass windows, and three fireplaces, one of which has two large millstones worked into it.

The current owners purchased the home in the ’70s, so this is the first time it’s been on the market in 45 years, but there’s no word yet on who the potential buyer is.

[Listing: 55 Woods Road by Richard Ellis of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty]

[Via NYP]

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Photos via Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty