Olana State Historic Site

Olana State Historic Site is an estate and house museum in Greenport, New York, set on a hill above the Hudson River. The building combines Victorian forms with Middle Eastern ornament using colored brick, wood, and ceramic tile, surrounded by roughly 250 acres of designed landscape.

Painter Frederic Edwin Church began building this residence around 1870 with help from architect Calvert Vaux. The work took several years and created a home reflecting Church's travels to Persia, Egypt, and Syria.

The name comes from a Persian word meaning 'our place on high,' which Church chose for his hillside retreat. Visitors can walk through rooms furnished with objects and textiles from various countries, reflecting the tastes of a traveled 19th-century painter.

The New York State Office of Parks offers guided tours through the interior and across the grounds with its paths and gardens. The tour takes about an hour and provides views across the valley and surrounding hills.

Church designed the stencil patterns himself, visible on the exterior walls and inside rooms. The amber glass windows create warm light that highlights the Middle Eastern tiles and carved woodwork.

Location: Greenport

Inception: 1872

Architects: Calvert Vaux, Frederic Edwin Church

Architectural style: Moorish Revival architecture

Elevation above the sea: 91 m

Reference: 23

Made from material: stone, brick, slate

Operator: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Part of: Historic Artists' Homes and Studios

Address: 5720 NY-9G, Hudson, NY 12534

Phone: +15187510344

Website: https://olana.org

GPS coordinates: 42.21778,-73.82944

Latest update: December 19, 2025 22:06