The builder behind this 19th century cottage let his fancy go wild, ornamenting the archways of its wraparound porch with wooden scrollwork made all the more exuberant with its details awash in bright colors.

Located near the center of Rhinebeck, N.Y., the wood clapboard house on the market at 6363 Mill Street with its arched windows and overhanging eaves presents an appealing example of the simple Gothic Revival-style cottages popular at the time.

The house, circled in red, is indicated as the property of P. M. Fulton in 1858
The house, circled in red, is indicated as the property of P. M. Fulton in 1858. Base map by Robert P. Smith via Library of Congress

The house was included in a recent boundary increase of the Rhinebeck Village National Register Historic District, and the 2020 report speculates that it was built by carpenter Peter M. Fulton circa 1858. The origin of that date is a map from that year which shows a house on the site and Fulton as the owner. The map also has a list of architects and builders in the town that includes Fulton. Census records and city directories from the 1850s to the 1890s list him variously as a carpenter and a dealer in lumber and building materials. The National Register nomination notes that the scrollwork of the porch may have acted as a bit of advertising for Fulton’s skill. Upon his death in 1898, he was remembered by local paper Red Hook Journal as “probably the oldest lumber dealer along the Hudson.”

How long Fulton and wife, Sarah Cramer Fulton, lived in the house is unclear, but by a map of 1867 one B. Schultz is indicated as the owner while Fulton’s name is attached to a lumberyard on the opposite side of Mill Street. The house changed hands again in the 1870s, appearing on an 1876 map as the property of M. Smith.

By 1867 the house is indicated as the property of B. Schultz while Peter M. Fulton has a lumber yard on the other side of Mill Street
By 1867 the house is indicated as the property of B. Schultz while Peter M. Fulton has a lumber yard on the other side of Mill Street. Map by Frederick W. Beers via David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries

The only historic image found of the house so far is a sketch from an 1890 bird’s eye view of the town. While there is undoubtedly some artistic license taken, the house, at the intersection of Mill and South streets, is easily distinguishable with its peaked front and side gables and the arched, wraparound porch.

The bird’s eye view also shows something that no longer exists — the view from that front porch towards Mill Street. As shown, the house was always set back a fair distance from the street with a broad lawn. In the the 1950s, a Colonial Revival-style gas station was plopped down in front of the house, obstructing the view.

You wouldn’t know this from the listing photos, which show the landscape that now acts as an effective barrier — at least when the trees are fully leafed out — leaving the house with a tucked-into-the-woods vibe.

bird's eye view of rhinebeck in 1890
The house, set back from Mill Street and with its front gable and porch visible, on a bird’s eye view of Rhinebeck from 1890. Map by L.R. Burleigh via Library of Congress

exterior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

The interior of the roughly 2,598-square-foot house doesn’t include anything as exuberantly ornamental as the porch but it does have some fine period details including wide planked floorboards, simple moldings and an original stair with newel post.

The foyer, reached through what appears to be the original front door, has a diamond-patterned painted floor, perhaps a nod to the popularity of stenciled floors and painted floorcloths in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

The first floor includes double parlors, a dining room and a kitchen. The kitchen, the only room with a mantel, has track lighting, white cabinets and a countertop that appears a bit awkwardly sized for the space while another bank of cabinets has a butcher block top.

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

Upstairs a pair Gothic windows provide some light to the stair landing and more can be found in two of the three bedrooms. There is a fourth bonus room set up as a study.

The house has two full baths and one has a cast iron tub and a shower. Both baths have all-white fixtures and appear in fine condition.

In addition to the front porch there is a side porch leading to a stone patio with room for outdoor dining. The just-under-one-acre lot also includes two adjoining outbuildings, one with a parking pad in front.

The house is listed for $595,000 with Linda Lindsay and Paula Redmond of Corcoran Country Living.

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

interior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

exterior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

exterior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

exterior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

exterior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

exterior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

exterior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

exterior of 6363 mill street in rhinebeck ny

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