Philip Johnson’s ‘Wolfhouse’ in Newburgh: This home is a Midcentury Modern work of art.

  |  February 14, 2025

Architect Philip Johnson was a pioneer of the Modern and post-Modern era.

His c.1949 Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut—now a National Trust Historic Site—was on the cusp of Midcentury Modernism. Today’s Upstater pick, the Wolf House, was designed by Johnson and built a year after the Glass House. The home’s second owners, Jeremy Parker, a creative director, and his friend Jiminie Ha, senior director of graphic design at the Guggenheim Museum, bought the 4,018-square-foot home in 2020, a week before the pandemic shut everything down. They set to work restoring and preserving what they called the “gem sitting on the Hudson River.”

You can easily host a crowd.

The home is delightfully open and airy.

Most of the built-ins are original to the house.

Huge picture window-walls capture river views.

We can’t get enough of that mountain/river view.

A glass partition separates a dining area and lower-level stairwell from the living area of the house.

The fireplace keeps the space cozy.

On the other side of a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace, a spacious living room takes in more of those beautiful views.

We bet it’s beautiful here even on a gloomy day.

The play of light changes during the course of the day.

Bigger than a traditional breakfast nook, the flexible space borrows terra-cotta tiles from the kitchen.

A second, casual dining area links the living room…

The galley-style space has terra-cotta flooring and a wide bank of windows.

…to the kitchen. Chef-grade, stainless-steel appliances complement the overhauled workspace. Parker and Ha worked with USM Modular Furniture, based in New York City, to use recycled and pre-owned pieces to help create USM’s first sustainably built kitchen.

The clarity of the walls allows for an unobstructed sight line.

Glass walls span the space between the dining room/stairwell and the primary bedroom.

An entire wall of built-in closets solves any storage issues, and a tiled desk has a bright red chair for a pop of color.

A rainshower head is a modern nod.

Gray tile covers the ensuite bath, which has a modern glass shower. Retro touches include the wall-mounted sink with chrome/Lucite legs, built-in linen cupboards, and an old-fashioned laundry chute.

Another glimpse at the primary bedroom solves any questions about how those glass partitions operate (hint: There are handles to pull). And more built-in storage is tucked under the picture window.

That big window keeps things bright.

This smaller, secondary bedroom has a closet and more storage options.

Integrated alcoves, a grab bar, and a towel hook in the shower are all welcome.

The hall bathroom is gray-tiled like the primary bath and has a big tub/shower.

A neutral and pretty room.

This is the other secondary bedroom on the main floor. It’s not huge, but it, too, has handy built-in storage that saves space.

It’s easy to appreciate the simple beauty of the home.

An open staircase slants down to the lower level, which is tiled in much the same way as the kitchen. Frosted glass covers the window and door here.

For a lower level, it’s quite bright.

The rich tiling continues into a fourth bedroom.

This is a hotel-like space.

This space is big enough for an oversized sofa and a king-sized bed.

Modern conveniences keep it comfortable.

The rust tile climbs the walls of the corner shower in the ensuite bath.

Gorgeous, no matter the season.

Gosh, those views are as stunning as the house itself. A one-car, attached garage is handy, too.

The home sits on 1.4 acres, not far from Route 84 and under four miles to the Newburgh waterfront district (and a Mega Boss at Newburgh Brewing Company).

If this Philip Johnson original beckons to you, find out more about 624 River Road, Newburgh, from Melissa Marcogliese with Compass Realty.

Read On, Reader...