6468 French's Hollow Road, Altamont, NY 12009

Set on 7.7 wooded acres above the Normans Kill, this well-sited farmhouse offers breathtaking views of French’s Hollow Falls. Its entryway leads to a formal sitting room and dining room that retain their historic feel with original wood floors and exposed beams that run through much of the house. The middle of the first floor boasts a fully renovated kitchen with marble countertops (2008), gas range with double ovens, and large windows that overlook the falls. A more informal dining area and a family room share an exposed chimney with fireplaces on either side, one woodburning and the other a modern propane stove.
The second‑floor bedrooms retain original wide‑plank flooring, reflecting the home’s early construction while remaining practical and usable as everyday living space. Energy‑efficient windows are installed throughout the house, maintaining strong visual connection to the surrounding landscape.
The covered bridge that once spanned the hollow was replaced by a modern pedestrian footbridge, eliminating through traffic and leaving the property quiet and secluded. The rear of the property directly borders the Town of Guilderland Vosburgh Trails, a 124-acre network of public hiking trails. The 7.7‑acre parcel is predominantly wooded with bald eagles nesting nearby. The grounds include a basketball area, a dog kennel, and a large detached two‑car garage suitable for vehicles, storage, or workshop use.
Historic photographs and basement materials indicate that the earliest version of the house was a pre-1830s side-gable farmhouse. Later expansions altered the footprint and exterior form, resulting in the current configuration, while retaining some of the early fabric, including a stacked stone foundation under the oldest portion of the house, hand-hewn exposed beams and floor joists, and original wide-plank flooring.
French’s Hollow is among the earliest settled areas of Guilderland. As documented by local historian Mary Ellen Johnson in The Altamont Enterprise, it was first used as a Native American hunting ground before becoming an early center of industry. In 1795, Peter Broeck established a textile factory at the falls, using the waterpower of the Normans Kill. Throughout the 19th century, the hollow played an important role in local industry and daily life, with the falls serving as both a working resource and defining landscape feature.
Today, the property enjoys proximity to Altamont and the Town of Guilderland’s amenities, including the Thacher State Park and the Helderberg Escarpment, Indian Ladder Farms, the Altamont Fairgrounds, Altamont Orchards, nearby public lands and walking trails, The Helderberg Hudson Rail Trail, Clover Pond Winery, Carl J. Walters Tawasentha Park, the Guilderland YMCA and Public Library, and Western Turnpike Golf Course. The home is located within the Guilderland Central School District and offers convenient access to Albany and the greater Capital Region, while retaining a distinctly rural setting.