Mill Farm covers 2,150 acres in Ancram, and for a cool $90 million it could be yours.
The real estate listing, first posted on Oct. 10, includes the two main houses, along with eight smaller homes and about 15 barns scattered across the pastoral landscape. Workable farmland segments the acreage, through which snakes 18 miles of gravel horse riding trails. The Punch Brook Stream provides the power for one of the centerpieces of the property, a functioning hydroelectric mill, replete with dam and waterfall.
The Mill Farm property was originally developed in 1775 by the Livingston family, which owned swathes of Hudson Valley land and was a prominent shaper of Revolutionary-era society. (Philip Livingston, a founding father from New York, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.) The family called the property “Defiance.” It not only housed a grist mill but also produced tools, cannon parts, and infantry materials for the Continental Army in its defense of the Hudson River from the British fleet. In addition to its scenic beauty and its partly preserved structures, Mill Farm stands as a piece of living history.
The current owner is Daniel Slott, a former investment banker at Bear Stearns, who bought the farm in 1982 for $250,000 and began raising Icelandic horses. His original lot was 160 acres, according to The Wall Street Journal. Over the following decades Slott made several more purchases of contiguous land to create the current 2,150-acre parcel. The motive behind his slow but steady accumulation of land? Preservation.
“The reason we are making an effort to sell it as a whole is really to focus on conservation,” said James Augustine of Compass Greater NY real estate, the listing agent for Slott, who could not do an interview owing to a busy schedule. They are looking for a buyer who can keep the farming identity and historical integrity of the property intact. “If we were to parcel the property off, there’s a lot less control over the 2,100 acres and what happens to it,” Augustine added.
The main architectural marvels are the 3,500-square-foot Crest Lane House, whose living room windows provide panoramic views of the rolling landscape, and the 5,500-square-foot Mill House, connected via three miles of gravel road. Both homes underwent extensive renovation. Slott hired carpenters who specialized in period techniques and, over 10 years, turned the Mill House from a dilapidated grist mill into a four-bedroom home using traditional post-and-beam construction methods. “There was a great emphasis on keeping the character of the building, but expanding it and modernizing it in a certain way for 21st century living,” said Augustine.
The water from Punch Brook Stream — flowing right next to the Mill House — is converted into electricity through a hydroelectric water turbine. It’s not quite a large water wheel of old, but a rare, green, and beautiful energy source nonetheless.
Other notable structures include a Dutch barn, which, according to an October 2025 interview with Slott in Main Street Magazine, he purchased in Amsterdam, N.Y., had dismantled piece by piece, and then reassembled at the Ancram property, preserving the historic piece of architecture. The old mill keeper’s house, next to the Mill House, has been converted into a home movie theater.
The land itself is of equal importance to the structures. It’s partly wooded, nestling many of the houses in shade. Other parts are gently rolling, stretching into the horizon. Some of this farmland is leased to cattle farmers, and other acres are farmed by employees of Slott, who has also partnered with Panthera, a conservation organization, to document and protect the wildcat habitats on the property.
Dutchess and Columbia counties have changed dramatically since Slott arrived four decades ago. “These were some of the most moved-to communities in the country during COVID,” said Augustine. Mill Farm’s staggering price tag is no doubt reflective of the supercharged desirability of the region, further exemplified by other properties recently put on the market, such as the 1,946 acres in Pine Plains and Milan owned by the Durst Organization, which was listed in October for $36 million.
As indicated by the price point, Slott is riding that wave. “We’ve had a very good start so far,” said Augustine, “there’s been strong interest in the property.” Whether that interest comes from an equestrian, a history buff, or a fellow investment banker, Augustine said Slott is hoping to find a buyer who shares a conservation mindset.
The then much smaller “farm” was known as Card’s Mill in the 1950s. It was so named after the owner, Ed Card. As a kid, I trout-fished in Punch Brook.
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