317 Mutton Hollow Rd, Stroudsburg, PA 18360

Some time around 1840 a farmhouse was built for a cattle farm in Hamilton Twp. The current owners, the Dunbars, have found records dating back to 1850 in the attic of the Monroe Cty Courthouse. There may be earlier records in the Northampton Courthouse as Monroe Cty was once part of Northampton. In 1969 the Dunbars purchased the property as a weekend getaway from the rigors of city life. They spent many pleasant hours restoring & renovating the home. Along the way they were surprised by details found in the home. Handmade bricks used to build the house were brought by horse & carriage from Philadelphia & are of double thickness. The stone basement, it has been rumored, was used during prohibition as a distillery and a pit (located on a neighbors property) was used for storage. Oh what fun! There are exposed chestnut pegged beams (no nails) & random planked pine flooring. The Dunbars, being artists & musicians, recognized the superior quality & special home they were uncovering. They restored & left the original solid wood paneling & doors. They found and retored inner walls of chestnut wood board over board with lattice & plaster. During winter the original occupants would use the living room as the kitchen and when the weather turned warmer would move to the summer kitchen. Having modern conveniences available, the Dunbars made the summer kitchen into the music room but kept the original exposed brick, fireplace and even the sleeping loft. The Dunbars added a beautiful, wrap around great room with floor to ceiling windows, Terra Cotta tile floors and full length glass & wood doors. The original brick exterior wall of the home was left as an interior wall. The doorways, and the pass through from the kitchen, were originally the exterior windows. Beautiful gardens & grounds still offer privacy and tranquility. A natural spring services the home & the original spring house still stands. Views at the top of the hill include rolling hills, a pond and stream, and homes built later as sections of the original property were given or sold to family & friends. The original barn stands on a neighboring property and a story has been told that a granddaughter of Jacob Houck wedded Earl Dennis, mayor of Stroudsburg, who would walk from the farmhouse to Stroudsburg and back. So no doubt while set in a peaceful & rural setting the home is close to modern day necessities like shopping, 1st class dining, local attractions & accessibility to major roads.