Holiday, History and Harmony, Victorian style, in Rockland County

It might be a bit cold to step out onto the porch at this time of year, but visitors to Harmony Hall-Jacob Sloat House will have good reason to do so.

This year’s Dec. 7 Victorian holiday celebration at the historic Sloattsburg mansion marks the unveiling of the newly restored front porch, a 20-week, $200,000 project that provides an expansive event space and year-round destination for visitors.

The porch restoration at the 1848 Greek Revival home marks 20 years of fundraising by the not-for-profit Friends of Harmony Hall.

The money was raised through donations from two grantors, a local business owner and events produced by the Friends, including the Highlands Bluegrass Festival and Grateful Dead Tribute Festival.

The newly restored front porch provides an expansive event space and year-round destination for visitors. Submitted photo

The porch restoration work was done by Hudson View Construction, which faced significant challenges due to decades of neglect of the home’s exteriors by previous owners of the site.

The front porch is a significant defining feature of the 1848 house design and consists of 10 imposing columns and dramatic floor to ceiling windows that permit direct access to the porch.

The north end of the porch required a complete rebuilding after the removal of a non-historic 1960 bump room destroyed the north end of the porch.

The Friends of Harmony Hall hope the restored beauty and function of the porch will inspire new interest in Harmony Hall including civic minded residents interested in volunteer opportunities at the site.

There remain many critical restoration projects to accomplish, including the rear veranda/porch.

The front porch and the future rear porch restoration are priority rehabilitation projects that reinstate the safety and function of the home’s footprint, provide increased event production options and ultimately permit necessary interior of house restoration planning.

Other recent projects at the home included uncovering and restoring the elliptically designed historic grand staircase leading from the ground floor to the next level, with another 14 steps ascending to the top floor.

The clapboard and brick structure’s showpiece is the first-floor double parlor and dining room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, heart of pine floors, iron and brick coal-burning fireplaces, Colonial Revival style chandelier and plasterwork that includes detailed ceiling medallions.

The Sloat House, once home to a wealthy industrialist whose family gave this western Ramapo village its name, was saved from development through the efforts of the Friends, including two of Jacob’s descendants: great-great grandson Harrison Bush, and his son, Peter Bush.

Jasper Cropsey's detailed graphite drawing of the house hangs in Harmony Hall. Contributed photo

Famed Hudson River school painter Jasper Cropsey was a friend of Jacob Sloat and gifted the family with a detailed graphite drawing of the house.

The Friends of Harmony Hall, founded in 2006, has a twofold mission: to restore the 1848 house to the period occupied by the Sloat family; and to produce year-round fundraising events that promote the importance of the Ramapo Highlands and the history of the corridor.

Ye Olde Holiday Celebration

• The Victorian holiday event takes place on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Harmony Hall-Jacob Sloat House, 15 Liberty Rock Road, Sloatsburg, NY.

• Tickets are $10; $5 for members.The celebration includes live music, sweet treats, hot mulled cider, children’s crafts, unique hand-made crafts in Ye Olde Holiday Shoppe, and a visit from Santa from 2-2:30 p.m. The snow date is Dec. 14.

• Visit friendsofharmonyhall.org for information and tickets.

Robert Brum is a freelance journalist who writes about the Hudson Valley. Contact him and read his work at robertbrum.com.