Inside Edgewood: The Historic 1873 Mansion, Restaurant, and Inn at Hutton Brickyards
By Craig Friedman
For 150 years, the elegant mansion at the top of the hill overlooking the Hudson River in Kingston, New York, could be admired only from afar. This was private property, a historic three-story home built in 1873 for the successful brick merchant and manufacturer John Cordts just south of Hutton brick-works, which he co-founded with William Hutton in 1865. It was built in the classic Second Empire style — popular in Europe and North America from 1852 to 1870 — also known as the Napoleon III or mansard style.
In 2023, after years of renovations, the building and grounds were finally opened to the public as part of Hutton Brickyards, which serves as a hotel, event venue, concert space, and wedding destination. In 2024, a new bar and restaurant were unveiled on the ground floor and made available to the public.
It’s a jewel of a place set on 100 acres in an inspirational location with an extraordinary history. Visitors can now stay in one of the 12 charming guest rooms year-round or visit the bar and restaurant during the autumn and winter months. The property stands out from the crowd in five key ways.
1) The majestic mansion showcases eye-catching architectural and design details.
Built over 150 years ago, Edgewood looks impossibly perfect — like a set for a major movie. Located at 132 Lindsley Avenue in Kingston, New York, it combines High Victorian-era style and modern elements. The exterior boasts a centered tower, concave mansard roof, iron roof cresting, a columned front porch, and bay windows. Dark shutters add to the charm. Nearby are two gazebos with incredible views overlooking Kingston and the Hudson River, plus a two-story carriage house and a guest house. In 2007, historic preservationist Kevin McEvoy said, “The mansion, as it exists today, constitutes one of the finest examples of Second Empire architecture from the great estate era in the Hudson River Valley, and one of the last intact reminders of Kingston from its period of 19th-century economic importance, being directly related to the brick industry.”
Inside the 11,000-square-foot interior, there are 30 rooms (12 are guest rooms) with original 19th-century details including antique fireplaces with ornate mantels, oversized gold-framed mirrors, parquet hardwood floors, candle chandeliers, clawfoot tubs, and crown molding. Guestrooms are outfitted in warm whites and French grays with vintage touches and original 1800s details. Bright pops of mustard yellow mix with a sophisticated palette of weathered gray and black furniture. Warm and inviting, each room features a cozy seating area with a bistro table, creating a spot for drinking, eating, working, or simply relaxing. Guest room decor is heavily influenced by the history of the surrounding area. Edgewood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. And it even has its own Wikipedia page. The architect has never been identified.
The Cordts were wealthy and influential for generations. They came originally from Germany and arrived in the U.S. in the late 1830s, settling into Kingston in the 1850s. They weren’t just involved with brickmaking; they invested in real estate and shipping and wielded great political power. The mansion, known initially as “Edgewood Terrace,” was valued at $25,000 in 1875 — a huge sum at the time. Mr. Cordts retired from brickmaking in 1887 and died in 1891. His son, John N. Cordts, launched a volunteer fire company in the city, served in the New York Senate from 1904 to 1910, was a director of both the Kingston National Bank and Rondout National Bank, and owned and managed a furniture business in Kingston.
The building remained in the Cordts family until 1986 and continued to attract mavericks. Artist Hunt Slonem purchased the property in 2001 and renovated it with exceedingly modern, bold colors (this renovation was featured in the December 2014 issue of House Beautiful). He’s best known for his Neo-Expressionist paintings of bunnies, butterflies, tropical birds, and large-scale sculptures and restorations of historic homes. His work resides in the permanent collections of 250 museums around the world, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Whitney, and the New Orleans Museum of Art. For a glimpse of the man, his paintings, and his bird collection, you can view a clip from The Real Housewives of New York here. Or take in the riot of color from this Brownstoner article.
The current owner, Karl Slovin, bought the house and environs in 2021 and spent the past several years renovating it into the luxury guest house it has become. It is now part of the sprawling Hutton Brickyards, which, in the warmer months, offers riverfront cabins, archery, biking, kayaking and other outdoor activities. Note that all guests at Hutton Brickyards begin their stay by checking in on the ground floor of Edgewood Mansion. Parking is free and an electric vehicle charging station is available for a fee.
2) The restaurant serves seasonal fare while the bar offers craft cocktails — all prepared with local ingredients.
The bar offers instant ambience with its hardwood floors, crown molding, crystal chandeliers, dark wood cabinets, and mid-century modern chairs. The carefully curated drinks list includes local beer, wine, spirits, and signature cocktails.
The drinks menu pays direct homage to some iconic buildings built with Hutton bricks. For example, you can order an Empire State Building, Columbia University, Brooklyn Bridge, or Yankee Stadium. There’s something for everyone; the cocktails are made with vodka, gin, rum, mezcal, and brandy. For brunch on weekends, you can also order staples like a Mimosa, Bellini or Bloody Mary. Happy hour is 5 to 7, Thursday and Friday, available only at the bar.
The restaurant, featuring contemporary European cuisine, is open for dinner from Thursday to Saturday 5pm to 9pm, and for brunch on Sunday from 11am to 3pm. The menu balances healthy and decadent dishes. Starters include soup, salad, chicken liver, octopus and steak tartare. Entrees, which change based on what is available locally, have recently included pan-seared halibut, cacio e pepe risotto, filet mignon, roasted chicken, and the “Mansion Burger” made with short rib, chuck, brisket, smoked gouda, caramelized onions, garlic aioli, and truffle fries.
Both bar and restaurant are bathed in light that streams in from oversized windows during the day, and look out on the lush greenery surrounding the property: a panorama of finely manicured grass, flowering shrubs and trees. Groups can inquire about private dining space in Edgewood — ideal for holiday gatherings, baby showers, bachelorette parties, and reunion dinners.
3) You can see incredible views from the gazebos overlooking Kingston and the Hudson River.
Steps away from Edgewood mansion are two gazebos with views from the top of the hill. The first overlooks the historic Rondout neighborhood of Kingston and beyond. From there, you can also spot the doghouse that greets visitors as they drive up the hill to the mansion. The second gazebo, in wintertime, looks out at the Hudson River and Hutton Brickyards, through the trees when the leaves are gone. Vast lawns and seasonal gardens surround Edgewood. On warmer days, guests can take in the lush greenery while seated on the porch.
In addition to capturing selfies at the gazebos, guests have been known to star-gaze, grab cocktails during sunsets, and share private moments like a kiss or even a proposal. They’re also great for small group meetings — first thing in the morning, perhaps, with a thermos and mugs of coffee.
For those who want to walk or hike a bit, there’s a path from Edgewood down to the river, where guests can get up close to the Hudson and explore the region’s history as a center of brick production for more than a century. Some of the original iconic buildings, and a crane, can be viewed up close, though not entered. Feel like walking further? There’s a 1.9-mile segment of the 750-mile Empire State Trail (which was completed in 2017) that runs along North Street on the Hutton Brickyards property and through Sojourner Truth State Park.
4) No two guest rooms are alike. Each has its own period details.
Hutton is a gloriously restored hilltop manor home. Each of the 12 guest rooms boasts original 19th-century details (some have clawfoot tubs and Victorian bay windows) as well as modern necessities like free wi-fi, in-room coffee machines, central air conditioning and heating, wine openers, cellphone chargers, and in-room safes.
The “standard guestrooms” range in size up to 263 square feet, “luxury suites” range up to 541 square feet. Of particular note are these three suites:
LOFT SUITE
Located on Edgewood’s third floor, the Loft Suite boasts an open floor plan with a king-size bed, an exposed clawfoot bathtub, a fully renovated bathroom, a seating area, and sweeping views of the vast grounds.
CORDT SUITE
The Cordt Suite is situated on Edgewood’s third floor. It features a separate seating area for reading or relaxing with a glass of wine and a workspace nook to quickly catch up on emails. The bedroom has a king-size bed, and the fully renovated bathroom has a walk-in shower and a clawfoot bathtub.
EDGEWOOD SUITE
As Edgewood’s premier offering, this suite features expansive and breathtaking views of the grounds. With separate living and sleeping areas, it feels a bit like a home-away-from-home – comforts and conveniences included. A cozy dining area is tucked into a Victorian bay window, a large seating area, and in the bedroom; a king-size bed and fully renovated bathroom.
5) The mansion is available for weddings, corporate retreats, family get-togethers, and other group events year-round.
Edgewood offers the best of two worlds for celebrations and events — the grandeur of a sprawling 19th-century mansion paired with the intimacy of a small boutique hotel.
Wedding parties will find endless photo ops throughout the building: large group shots in front of the main entrance, smaller groups posing on the grand staircase, everyone boozing in the bar, wedding party members feasting on an elegant dinner or sumptuous brunch (served perhaps on the wide porch), or families playing board games in one of the sunlight-dappled rooms on the ground level. All this and you never have to leave the building!
Companies can host corporate retreats and teambuilding events knowing that the grounds have everything in one place: multiple meeting areas for companies of all sizes (Hutton Brickyards has 40,000 square feet of event space!), food and drink, strong universal Wi-Fi, impeccable accommodations, and a calming vibe throughout. Hutton Brickyards offers the following activities, which can be developed into a plan for a long or short stay: hiking, biking, nature walks, archery, yoga, kayaking, lawn games, fire pits (s’more kits are available), and two wood-barrel saunas. If you’re looking for a place where employees can build trust, improve communication, and foster a sense of creativity, you’ve found it at Hutton Brickyards.
For more info about edgewood, visit huttonbrickyards.com/edgewood.
See also: huttonbrickyards.com.
INFO & HOURS
Edgewood
Hutton Brickyards Riverfront Hotel & Event Space
132 Lindsley Ave
Kingston, NY 12401
845-514-4853
Dinner is Thursday to Saturday 5 PM - 9:00 PM.
Brunch is available on Sunday 11 AM - 3 PM.
Happy hours are Thursday and Friday 5 PM - 7:00 PM at the bar
Reservations required.
Open to the public with free parking.
