ABOUT
The Beardslee Homestead is a 100-acre farm anchored by a beautiful Federal-style farmhouse parts of which the Cornell University has dated to the 1780s, a horse barn, carriage house, corn house, a hop house, and a historic tavern. The Beardslee buildings are located on the east side of the Unadilla River, where the river is the county line between Chenango and Otsego Counties, across the river from the town of New Berlin. Both the farmhouse and hop house are on the National Register of Historic Places. The property also features a modern cow barn and two horse barns. The property enjoys more than one mile of riverfront, including both sides of the Unadilla River, at least seven ponds, and long trails.
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According to the original owners, the Beardslees, the historical records of the tavern indicate that it was built by Matthew Bennett in the late 1780s or -early 1790s, and was originally located closer to the river and then rolled to its current location after being purchased by Jabez Beardslee.
THE OWNERS
After eight generations in the Beardslee family, the Homestead is now owned by the Greco family. Mr. Richard Greco, a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy and international merchant banker, is the President of The Montfort Academy, a classical Catholic high school in Westchester County. Mrs. Marla Greco, a lawyer, is the Director of Admissions at The Montfort Academy. Claudia Greco is a student at the Cornell University Nolan School of Hotel Management. Mary is the first Greco to be married at the farm and the social media manager of the Homestead. Cecilia is an environmental conservationist, while Richard III is a United States Marine. Maximilian is a business major in college, and Leo is an Astrophysicist-in-training.
Richard Greco
OWNER
Marla Greco
OWNER
When I was growing up, my father worked for Italian companies. We were very fortunate that every few years he had enough miles to fly our family to Europe. No matter how different our destinations were, one thing remained constant—part of the trip focused on agriturismo. My father believed that staying in farms, villas, and vineyards would give us more insight into the history and culture of the country than staying at more conventional hotels.
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One year, my father found a remote 500 year old farm in the bread basket of Sicily, and we stayed there for a month. This trip to the country side of Italy became one of the most memorable and formative experiences of my life. The estate’s gently rolling fields and valleys of golden wheat were peaceful and serene; the views are still etched in my mind. The farm with its endless miles of views and history was more beautiful than anything I’d ever seen. The owners allowed my brothers and sisters and me to pick fresh ingredients for our daily meals, and the chef allowed us to help him cook. It was truly a magical experience that years later inspired my father to buy a farm in Upstate NY and inspired me to want to work in agritourism.
Our beautiful and historic farm is reminiscent of our Italian farm stays. The main farmhouse dates back to the 1780’s; in fact, a 2007 study by Cornell's tree ring laboratory indicates the oldest portion of the house was built using trees planted in the 1600’s. The property has many farm buildings and barns perfectly situated for bed-and-breakfast rooms, farm-to- table outdoor dining, and various agricultural family experiences like I experienced in Sicily. We have apple and pear trees, a young vineyard, other fruits, and herbs as well as chickens, ducks, and turkeys. On the property there is also a fully restored 1860 hop house and museum of old farm equipment, now on the National Register of Historic Places, well-positioned to take advantage of the hops revival for craft beer. The Undadilla River is ideal for fishing, kayaking, swimming, and hiking. All of these things have the qualities to give other families the same unforgettable and unique memories and experiences the farm in Italy gave to my family and me.
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CLAUDIA GRECO
Senior
Cornell University Nolan School of Hospitality
Director of Hospitality, The Beardslee Homestead