Cozy cottages, summer homes, and grand villas dot the landscape of upstate New York along the Hudson River Valley in Dutchess County.
In between tiny farms and along the rural roads, small towns are scattered along the Hudson River. If you blink you could miss a few of these tiny towns while driving through, but the architecture and colorful houses are worth stopping for.
There is such a diverse collection of architectural styles in this area. Above is a gorgeous example of a French Gothic Victorian home. The details of the windows and fretwork are exquisite for a country home such as this.
This traditional Victorian home, with hints of Queen Anne motifs, is nestled in a lush garden. The front porch is just waiting for someone to enjoy it.
A tiny Dutch Colonial cottage is nearby.
The architectural splendor of this old abandoned house is still evident...even though this rural home has probably been vacant for decades.
The simplicity of this modern Gothic Episcopal church fits right in with the architectural landscape in this area.
Another charming example of the Dutch style architecture. The street this house sits on is scattered with colorful, whimsical houses. The pastel sage green and accents of yellow, white and orange show off the delicate details of the windows and roofline. Fortunately, this little gem was restored to preserve its allure.
Then there is this shotgun style shack that even though is in slight disrepair, is charming on its own. The bright yellow façade happily sits beyond the double yellow line on the street.
This French Mansard style home from the 1860s to 1870s is full of fun flourishes - a lovely scalloped slate roof with charming fretwork on the roof line, architectural elements on the porch, arched double doors. This pretty Painted Lady is now a boutique inn in the village of Rhinebeck, New York.
And then, across the street from the Inn that was "our home" for a couple of days in Pine Plains, New York, was this church with bright yellow double doors smiling at us. At least I think that's a smile. Could just be staring at us.
Upstate New York is a unique rural landscape of houses. Our country has so much richness in its architecture that we have adopted from Europe and made our own. I enjoyed exploring and grabbing a bit of the architectural history of Dutchess County along the Hudson River Valley in New York this summer. What is your favorite style of architecture?
