Nathaniel Hill Brick House
Montgomery, New York - February 6, 2011
A brick house in Montgomery, New York, built by one of the earliest settlers of Orange County, Nathaniel Hill, is simply known in the area as “the brick house”. Nathaniel Hill’s family has lived in it since 1768 and the house was donated to the county in 1975. It is now a museum open during the non-winter months. Today, the family allows the land around the brick house to be used as a park. (source: wikipedia.org)

Vi and I have been to its sister historic house, “the stone house”, at the Hill Hold Museum last summer. From that tour I remember it being said that anyone was free to come to either house to take photographs even when the museums were closed.

In my weekend trips searching for country scenes to photograph I could have gone to the brick house several times before but didn’t thinking I’d only be taking pictures of a house. But when I finally went there early Sunday morning, I was surprised to find many antique farm equipments on display. There were wooden sheds and shacks that take you back in time. And there was a creek by the house -- water is always fun to take pictures of -- although I didn’t go there because my tracks across the snow would have been the only ones and would have ruined the otherwise picture-perfect, pristine appearance of the house.

Many times I see decrepit but nevertheless idyllic-looking country barns as I drive around my county. They must be beautiful to photograph especially when set against purely natural landscapes. But I dare not take pictures because they’re on private land and I have to respect the owner’s choices of living peaceful lifestyles.

So taking these pictures at the Brick House Museum last Sunday it felt comforting to know that through the generosity of families like Nathaniel Hill’s and the county’s perseverance in permanently preserving its historical past, the sudden urges by those driven to capture the beauty that man has added onto Nature will never go un-quenched.

Click on a picture to enlarge.
Nathaniel Hill Brick House.
Side of the house facing west.
Orange County Farmers' Museum. Many farm equipment are on display some animal-drawn antiques...
...and some mechanized but, um, nevertheless ancient.
I'm not sure what this is so its identification will have to wait until spring when I the museum opens.
Barn.
Blacksmith's shed.
The approach from Berea Road.
Sunrise at the Nathaniel Hill Brick House.
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