Olana State Historic Site

Olana, the famed home of Frederic Edwin Church, the nineteenth-century American landscape painter and a central figure in the Hudson River School, is among the most important artists’ residences in the United States and perhaps the greatest masterpiece the artist created. In the 1860s and 1870s, he partnered with Calvert Vaux to create an eclectic house with Victorian, Persian, and Moorish influences, among others, on a commanding spot in the Hudson River Valley. Church and Vaux also transformed the landscape to make use of the naturalistic effect, in keeping with the tastes of the Hudson River School. Church created elaborate stencil decorations in the house that complement the exterior. The name of the house, Olana, derives from the term for an ancient Persian fortified house.

Preservation of the house, grounds, and viewsheds became a call to understand the environment

We participated in a conditions survey at Olana in the late 1990s. The main house was deemed to be in urgent need of stabilization and restoration. Repairing the roof was recognized as the crucial first step in the process. With our assistance, the Olana Partnership carried out a study of the roofing system to determine problems and develop appropriate solutions to protect the house and its contents. Subsequent studies and tests produced plans that were executed and the work was completed in the ensuing years.

Preserving and protecting the legacy of Church and Olana is essential for understanding the great contributions to American art the Hudson River School made, as well as the artistic traditions of American artists. Even more importantly, Olana played a pivotal role in drawing national attention to the importance of viewsheds. It is not merely the house, but the grounds that are important at Olana. Vaux and Church fashioned a landscape that is appealing to visitors and very clearly reflects the values of the Hudson River School by showing the majesty of the American landscape. Preservation of the house, grounds, and viewsheds became a call to understand the environment created by Church. The combination of all three components forms an artistic treasure.

Today, Olana is open to the public, and the house, landscape, and furnishings remain as Church planned them.