124 Footbridge Rd Extension, Hudson, NY 12534

Homes for sale are routinely referred to as ''rare offerings,'' but more often than not, they fall short of that description. This is not the case with the Closson House, a true one-of-one piece of history, offered for sale for only the second time since 1840. Expertly restored by two artists, this remarkable home occupies a rare space between historic preservation and the lost art of creative living. Long before it became a buzz word, authenticity was the philosophical driver behind the restoration of this house, from Italian plastering throughout the interior to its sheep's-wool insulation, to the original clapboard exterior brilliantly revived via ''pickling'' with linseed oil--all sought-after luxuries in today's world. Modern municipal running water was introduced for the first time in the home's history, and the house was rewired, but with period fixtures and switches, of course. A new roof and steel gutters are among many other improvements that have been made. The...