Sophistication at the State Line
Pierce Peak is a fitting name for this award-winning swath of architectural perfection, set where New York’s Hudson Valley rises to meet Massachusetts’ Berkshire Mountains.
Located less than three hours north of New York City, in the Columbia County town of Canaan, 241 Cunningham Road is sited on more than 31 acres of rural seclusion. This dramatic length of modern farmhouse stretches out across a grassy hilltop with a 300-foot roofline, enclosing a more than 6,000-square-foot residence of four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and three half-bathrooms, divided between a main house and a guest house — the entirety framing panoramic views over the surrounding Hudson Valley countryside and Massachusetts beyond.
Designed by the renowned Burr & McCallum Architects, the home won the 2021 Best of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Western Massachusetts, and was nicknamed the “Thin Red Line” during its design phase. The architects describe the house as “a surgical slice cut through the top of a rolling hay field,” and the structure’s graphic presence as a brushstroke of red through the green grass is what makes the property so notable and dramatic, with the crimson sweep only interrupted by an infinity pool that catches the blue of the skies above.
In the primary residence, there’s a strikingly spectacular great room with walls of glass and cathedral ceilings crisscrossed with exposed timber beams. The main living area features a fireplace, a dining area, a kitchen, and a bar, all flowing into a screened three-season porch with a fireplace of its own. Natural and reclaimed materials have been ingeniously incorporated into the home’s design, including Boston cobblestones from the “Big Dig” and reclaimed lumber from New York City water tanks. As a result, there’s a very tactile connection to both the Empire State and Massachusetts, a thoughtful detail for a house that sits right on the border between the two.
The main house has two primary suites, while the guest house offers two additional bedrooms. The primary suites have floor-to-ceiling windows that are cleverly placed along the walls so that each room feels like you just stepped out of a painting, while the en suite bathrooms are impressively fabulous, boasting amenities like enormous showers and adjoining dressing rooms. The guest bedrooms are equally delightful, including a bunk room with two built-in bunk beds that feel like secret little nooks, complete with a pair of curtains for each that offer privacy and darkness at bedtime (and which can double as stage curtains for an impromptu puppet show). The bunk room also has a long window seat with storage underneath, with three windows peeking out onto the grounds above.
There’s a pool house with an outdoor shower, a dedicated fitness center, a fire pit, and a covered courtyard between the main house and the guest house that leads to the garage. The architects aligned the home’s levels with the natural contours of the hill, allowing it to flow from inside out like one smooth continuous ribbon. The 31+ acres mean that there’s plenty of open pasture to shape to your dreams — currently, the property also serves as an equestrian estate, with a covered riding arena, a five-stall barn with a tack room, and fenced paddocks.
It’s easy to enjoy the best of the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires from here, as it’s approximately a 13-minute drive to West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and a 20-minute drive to Chatham, New York, putting you within an easy reach of excellent dining, shopping, cultural destinations, and outdoor recreation spots. Heading to a concert at Tanglewood in the summer or skiing in the winter? Both are less than a 20-minute drive away. But more than anything, this is a place to savor the joys of home, whether it’s watching the seasons change through the panoramic windows or swimming a lap in the infinity pool, as the edge of the water blends into the infinite horizon.
