Sprawling Catskills compound in the same family since the 1800's asks $10M — massive stone maze and bronze statues included

New York Post

2 days ago

Get lost in this $10 million forested retreat — literally.
A Colonial-style home and sprawling property in Arkville, New York is on the market for that sum — and it brings with it an unusual amenity: a handsome stone maze. The forested estate has belonged to the same family since the late 1800s, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The main house, built in 1970, offers eight baths and 7.5 bathrooms across nearly 5,300 square feet. If sold, the home and its 280 acres would set a record for Delaware County, listing agent Kathryn Johnson, of William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty, told the Journal.
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13 The estate is surrounded by lush Catskill forests.
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13 An aerial view of the winding stone maze.
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The home already claims one superlative — if the claims of the late artist are to be believed, the home possesses the largest stone maze built since antiquity.
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The winding maze, completed in 1965, runs 1,680 feet in length and its stone towering walls reach up to 10 feet high.
The complex stone structure includes bronze statues of Daedalus, his son Icarus and the Minotaur. In Greek mythology, the skilled inventor Daedalus constructed the labyrinth to keep captive the half-man, half-bull offspring of the Queen of Crete.
13 One of the home's sellers recalled days spent playing inside the enigmatic maze.
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13 A bronze statue of the minotaur stands tall at a dead end of the labyrinth.
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13 The maze's artist claimed this was the largest stone maze built since antiquity.
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The environmental sculpture was commissioned by the late financier Armand Erpf, who was inspired after reading 'The Maze Maker,' by the late British author and artist Michael Aryton, a fictional autobiography of Daedalus.
It was Aryton whom Erpf tapped to build the maze.
Erpf's children, who are selling the property, spent decades entertained by the installation. His son Tolomy Erpf told the Journal about playing in the maze with cousins during family reunions.
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'It has an echo as you walk along with your steps,' he told the Journal. 'My favorite time there is either in the morning or in the evening, when the sun creates really interesting shadows along the walls and the floors.'
13 The same family has occupied the property since the late 1800s.
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13 The property includes several outbuildings, as well as a pool and a tennis court.
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13 A sitting room in the main house with green crown molding.
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13 The dining room.
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13 A bedroom boasts views of the forest.
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13 A bedroom.
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13 Stairs lead up to the cupola.
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13 The home's large cupola offers panoramic views of the property.
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Beyond the winding maze is 40 acres of lawns, meadows and pasture as well as 240 acres of mixed forest, according to the listing. The estate's natural attractions include swimming holes and streams, moss lined paths and a five-stall horse barn. Other environmental art installations are scattered throughout the property.
The picturesque, white-washed main house was renovated in 2016 with modern amenities, according to the listing. Outbuildings include a guest house with three private apartments, a large pool and an accompanying poo house, an office cabin and a six-car garage.