The Kings' Old
Poughkeepsie Home
For 32 years of their life, Dave & Mary lived in
Poughkeepsie, New York, located in the historic and scenic
Hudson River Valley. In its earlier years the river was know as
the "Rhine of America", and this reputation, alone with its
proximity to the the financial institutions of New York City,
enticed the Vanderbilts, Roosevelts, and other monied families
to build mansions along its banks. The beauty of the valley was
also the inspiration for the Hudson Valley School of
painting.
Dave's Big Project
The King family home in Poughkeepsie was certainly not a
mansion, and had no river view, but it served the family well
over the years. When the family reached the point where they
were outgrowing their original home, they decided to add on to
the existing house instead of moving. Since the lot did not
allow an expansion in the horizontal direction, it was
necessary to expand upward, and it took a number of years to
come up with a design that was both functional and visually
interesting.
This page shows three views of the main room, which has a dramatic cathedral ceiling that slopes up to over two stories high.
To build the addition, Dave acted as the contractor, electrician, plumber, and interior finisher. When he started the project he had no idea that it would absorb all of his spare time for the next 6 years! However, the satisfaction of living in a house that one has designed and built more than compensated for the effort involved.