Dramatic Hudson River Stone Estate With SA-Quarried Floors Lists for $2.45 Million Near the Catskills
Realtor.com · Kellie Speed · 5 September 2026
TL;DR
A four-bedroom post-and-beam stone estate in Athens, New York, has been listed for USD 2,450,000 (approximately R45 million at current exchange rates). Known as Four Mile River House, the 3,458-square-foot property was built in 1997 and sits on 1.62 acres along the Hudson River, bordering the Four-Mile Point Preserve bird sanctuary. Noteworthy interior features include hand-hewn beams, two fireplaces, a chef's kitchen, and radiant-heated stone floors quarried in South Africa. Outside, the property offers 250 feet of shoreline, a private beach, an in-ground pool, an orchard, and a third-floor crow's nest with 360-degree views. The listing agent describes it as suitable for a primary residence, secondary retreat, or income-producing vacation rental, given its proximity to Hudson, Albany, and a nearby train station.
Our take
This listing is primarily of international lifestyle interest, but there is a neat South African thread worth noting: the radiant-heated stone floors were quarried right here in South Africa, a quiet reminder that SA's natural stone industry — slate, sandstone, and bluestone from the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga — has genuine global export reach. For SA stone suppliers, architects, and interior designers, it is a useful data point when pitching premium finishes to international developers and high-net-worth clients. For SA property readers more broadly, the listing illustrates a pricing dynamic that resonates locally: waterfront premiums are real and significant. In South Africa, comparable waterfront estates — think Knysna Heads, Hout Bay, or the Vaal Dam belt — command similar percentage premiums over inland equivalents, even if the absolute Rand figures differ. The dual-use model (owner occupation plus short-term rental income when vacant) is also a growing conversation among SA buy-to-let investors navigating tighter rental yields in urban nodes. Buyers, sellers, and agents in SA's luxury coastal and lifestyle segments should watch how international waterfront markets price scarcity, privacy, and protected-land adjacency — these are increasingly the same factors driving premiums in Plettenberg Bay, Langebaan, and St Francis Bay.
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