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See inside! 156-year-old farmhouse hits the market — and it's incredibly charming

This New York farmhouse was once home to the daughter of music legend Richard Rodgers of Rodgers and Hammerstein.
/ Source: Zillow

The longtime home of Linda Rodgers, daughter of Rodgers and Hammerstein musical powerhouse Richard Rodgers, is on the market for $3.25 million — a luxurious farmhouse that was immaculately kept, according to her son, Peter Melnick. All three generations were composers, and the illustrious musical theater family enjoyed the home for decades. It's listed with Angela Kessel of Houlihan Lawrence.

Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow

“My mother really honored the structures of the home,” Melnick said. The oldest part of the house was built in 1860, and newer additions are nicely integrated to create a bigger footprint more suited to a contemporary lifestyle.

Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow

Luxury and privacy combine on 14 breathtaking acres, with a barn in view just beyond the pool. The barn has been structurally restored but is open for interpretation by new owners: a horse barn, recording studio, writer’s retreat?

Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow

The four-bedroom, five-bathroom main home is a well-appointed traditional farmhouse that was Rodgers’ primary residence for more than 20 years. Although she kept a stunning apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York, Melnick said, “it didn’t hold a candle to this place.” Maple Avenue is the “Fifth Avenue of Westchester,” a rare dirt road in the county with Martha Stewart’s home across the lane and the historic John Jay homestead just down the way.

Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow

The Steinway piano held pride of place in the home, and Rodgers had a music studio on the property for many years. As her husband aged, she embarked on a remodel of the first floor to make it safe and accessible for him. Melnick called the remodel, which added a first-floor suite and heated tile floors, “very handsome but highly functional without looking it.”

Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow

Rodgers died last year. "People adored my mother," her son said. "It is with a lot of sadness I let this place go. But I could count on one hand the number of days I’d be able to spend here.” He figures it's time to let the next family enjoy this piece of history.

Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow
Farmhouse in New York
Tim Lee / Zillow

Photos by Tim Lee Photography

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