170 years ago, when the Blakeslee family decided to settle their farm in the Catskills, this was the place they chose. This unique location is the perfect spot. Surrounded by mountains, yet well-lit by the sun much of the day, it’s nestled in a small valley full of rich soil; it has an ample supply of water, and abundant natural resources. Over the years, the family farm grew, and ended up in the hands of  Popsy Blakeslee, who ran the full farm operation, including a barn of dairy cows, and 300 acres of land.

His son, Robert Blakeslee, did not follow in the family farm business, but instead became the town doctor in Windham. In the late 40s, he married his spitfire of a wife, Josephine, and they began having their four daughters. Dr. Blakeslee had a bustling practice in downtown Windham, and eventually the family moved down the hill, to be closer to his medical practice. Dr. Blakeslee still lives in downtown Windham, but sadly Josephine passed away this past winter.

Right around 1950, Lillian Peterson and her husband bought the farm, and the land started to be divided. It was pared down to just over five acres of the prime section of the property, including the original post and beam farmhouse, the pond and the stream. The barn was taken down, the garage and one of the sheds fell into disrepair and were eventually removed.

Lillian was a brilliant seamstress and gardener, and was renowned around Windham for both these talents. She did upholstery work, made cushions and curtains, and all manner of fashions from a sewing machine set up in her back room, which was heated by woodstove. One of her part-time jobs that kept her busy after her husband passed away was as “housemom” at the Windham Ski Club.

Her passion though, as anyone who drives down Mitchell Hollow Road can see, was her gardening. Lillian was famous for her magnificent flowers and landscaping. She carved out beautiful gardens around the house and pond, and along paths to the stream, meadows and woods. To this day are fields of wildflowers, clusters of columbine, a corner garden of poppies, stands of red beebalm, clusters of irises, a hedgerow of lilacs … many of the gardens are surrounded by stone walls. We’re still discovering some of her gardens!

As she got along in years, she occasionally needed some help. Dick Johnson, the local beekeeper and good Samaritan, helped with the garden chores and other care-taking services. In her later years Lillian continued to garden, but eventually succumbed to dementia, and moved downstate to live in the care of relatives. She passed away around the turn of the millennium. After she left the house in Windham, it fell into disrepair for several years, and was eventually sold in 2007.

Cynthia DeMichele and her boyfriend Antony Rought, a.k.a. Cyd and Tony (Ant), enlisted the help of their family and friends, and together as The Treehouse Gang took on the project of bringing this property back to life. They saw that it was still structurally sound, and decided to bring it back, in spite of the naysayers who shook their heads and proclaimed that the house should have been bulldozed.

So, for over two years they have completely renovated the house, including new roofs, new plumbing including radiant heating under all the bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor, new electric, wiring for internet, cable, a monitored security and fire system with keypads on both floors, and high-temp, low-temp sensors throughout the building. The well-head is new, the water heater is new, the furnace is new. The building has been taken right down to the studs and rebuilt again, with insulation that exceeds code, all the modern conveniences, including brand new stainless steel kitchen appliances.

However, they’ve kept the wide plank floors, exposed beams, vintage glass in certain windows, old-school doors and knobs; the downstairs bathroom has a clawfoot bath-tub and a vintage pedestal sink. In the front room, there is a pot belly woodstove that sits on a giant hearth crafted from native stone, with an inviting little nook where one (or more!) could curl up next to the woodstove.

Cyd and her family had a vision of making a family camp where they could gather for holidays, ski trips, fall foliage trips, summer vacations, and year-round get-aways. The work they’ve put into this house is top-notch, as they planned it for their own future generations. Then, Cyd’s brother got transferred to Minnesota, and the idea of the family camp kinda disappeared along with that move.

So, now the house is just at the point where it’s ready for the finishing touches. All the hard stuff is done. All the new systems are in place. We just need to choose what color to paint it, and to start decorating.