Uptown Kingston at its finest: This handsome brick side-hall began life in 1850 but has been graciously expanded over the decades into one of the most iconic houses on the stunning "doctor's row" section of Fair Street. Beyond the sweeping front stoop and brick driveway, the property known as "Sunshine and Shadows" is entered through a gated porte cochere, adorned with windows rescued from Kingston's famed former post office, that opens to a completely private and fenced-in backyard oasis of mature trees and landscaping, patios and a large 2-story barn building. The house itself is equal to the lush setting, with remarkable features to be found on all four levels. On the high-ceilinged ground floor, a terrazzo-floored entry hall steps down to a double-length parlor with twin Italianate fireplaces and a stunning plaster bracket beam. That space is flanked by a bay-windowed study featuring paneling and cabinetry salvaged from both the "Mary Powell," a legendary Hudson River steam ship, and a Vanderbilt family mansion in Manhattan. The formal dining room, also bay-windowed, includes custom wainscoting, intricate multi-layered crown mouldings and another fireplace, one of six total in the house. Those rooms flow to a 20th-century addition featuring a large modern kitchen, half bath, back staircase and a handsome family room finished with reclaimed ceiling beams and pine paneling, all opening to the backyard. Upstairs are 5-6 bedrooms and two full bathrooms, all easily reconfigured into luxurious primary and secondary suites, if preferred. The attic level features something truly unique for star gazers of any age: its own observatory, clad in a salvaged brass marine facade. The finished basement level, entered through a discreet street-facing entrance of its own, is a former doctor's office featuring 1,600 additional square feet of sunny finished space, including an easily expanded half bath, multiple rooms, kitchen and a gracious common area with fireplace and Colonial Revival built-ins. It's the perfect accessory-dwelling unit or work space, and has also been permitted for use as a professional office. This is a rare blend of exceptional historic character, privacy and financial opportunity, all within a quick walk to the stores, galleries and other attractions that have made Uptown Kingston the hottest neighborhood in the Hudson Valley.
