This stunning 1860 Italianate Victorian Painted Lady in the center of the Finger Lakes Wine Country is huge (4,290 sq ft) and beautifully restored.  Accompanied by its 2-story brick 1879 Carriage House – itself renovated into 1,220 sq ft of professional space with central A/C, while retaining the two bays with their 4+ automobile capacity – this is a truly unique property.  The 0.6 acre Main Street estate is a mere 5-minute walk to village center of charming Penn Yan, NY.

•    The Main House is an Italianate style two-story frame construction, built in 1860.  Overlooking numerous lawns, plantings, and flower gardens, with architectural details enhanced from a multi-color palette, it graces the Main Street historic district with its stately presence.  The exterior was repainted in 2019.
•    The main arched double doorway admits you to the front hall, with walls covered in original Lincrusta -- a British embossed wall covering from the late 1800s.  A unique circular marble-topped steam radiator, bronzed and fully functional, is to your right.  (The boiler in the basement is natural gas fired and serviced 2024.)  The grand staircase sweeps 18 steps up, curving left to the second floor.  At the far end of the hall is an 18-pane French door to the library (described later).  The hall door on your left that admits you to the first parlor, features a neo-classical etched glass panel.
•    The home's quiet elegance is apparent in every room with 10-foot-4-inch ceilings on the first floor, gorgeous wall and ceiling papers and tongue-and-groove oak floors with parquet accents in the formal rooms.  The Victorian formal double parlors with brass chandeliers and sconces are connected by an arched opening with working pocket doors and dual spindle spandrels overhead.  As in much of the house, marble-topped bronzed steam radiators supply heat.  Both parlors stun you with Bradbury & Bradbury vintage-style hand-printed Victorian wallpaper.  The walls and ceilings are covered in an intricate construction of Anglo-Japanese and Eastlake elements and the brass chandeliers are surrounded by medallion accents.  The second parlor features a bay window with a surprise sunburst ceiling treatment.  This parlor also hosts the original marble fireplace (now non-working), mantelpiece, and towering over-mantle mirror with carved-wood frame.  To the left of the fireplace is a tall arched doorway containing twin doors, each with etched glass panel in the same neoclassical style as the front hall door. This opens onto the porch and was an original carriage entrance.  The doorway to the right of the fireplace connects to the second foyer that opens on the south porch.  Matching the parlors, this entryway features Victorian wall and ceiling paper, and a formal pier mirror stretching nearly to the ceiling.  The parlor bay, fireplace surrounds, and entryway all feature lovely original parquet details that complement the tongue-and-groove oak floors subsequently installed.
•    The 13' 11" x 23' 10" formal dining room is awe-inspiring with an 18-arm brass chandelier and Eastlake style hand-carved chestnut wainscot, doorways, and crown molding.  Four massive 8'8" doors of solid chestnut encourage grand entrances and exits.  At one end of the dining room is an original multi-tier mirror-backed built-in shelf.  The windows all have intricate brass latches and shutters that fold away and disappear into the frames.
•    Beyond the dining room's northeast door is the office, with original wainscot, and a walk-in closet.  Beyond that, the 14' 9" x 15' 6" library is large and comfortable, ideal as a media room.  One wall has a built-in bookshelf, and an 18-pane French door connects to the front hallway.  Behind another door is the front basement stairway which leads to the 15' 6" x 23' partially finished recreation room.
•    The full-height butler's pantry lies beyond the dining room's northwest door and connects to the main pantry.  To the right of the main pantry is the powder room and to the left, the kitchen.
•    The large kitchen (14' x 14' 2") has a center peninsula counter with a downdraft exhaust gas stovetop (Kenmore Elite model #790.31113510) brand new in October 2017.  The 27" by 51" electric convection double oven (Kenmore Elite #790.48173000) was newly installed 2015.  The 36 inch 4-Door Refrigerator refrigerator/freezer (Samsung #RF31FMEDBBC) has a 29.7 cu ft capacity, Twin Cooling Plus system, ice and water dispenser, and counter-height FlexZone Drawer.
•    Off the kitchen is a sunny breakfast room (13' 8" x 14' 3") which also has its own outside door.  This room was our downstairs bedroom while we ran the B&B.  Rear stairways to the basement and to the second floor back hall are accessed through doors on the north kitchen wall.

•    Your first impression of the second floor comes while ascending the grand staircase as it arcs to the upper hallway.  The ceilings are 9' 3" high, and the hallway makes little sweeping turns with curved walls.  To your left is a reading alcove that overlooks the porch, front lawn, and across Main Street towards two of the local churches.
•    The second floor offers four bedrooms, three including en-suite bathrooms with modern Moen and Toto fixtures and ceramic tile or cultured marble shower walls.  The East Bedroom (17' 8" x 16' 6") is hexagonal and features a unique hand-painted ceiling mural over 100 years old.
•    The Ridley Bedroom (18' 3" x 14') is complemented with a bay window and a large private balcony.  A large walk-in closet connects to the bathroom.  The tub and shower walls are subway tile with custom hand-painted insets.
•    The Mackintosh Bedroom (18' x 11' 10") honors Charles Rene Mackintosh with Scottish Arts and Crafts themed Bradbury & Bradbury wall treatments.
•    The Woodland Bedroom (16' 4" x 12' 2") also displays Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper, inspired by the William Morris English Arts and Crafts movement.
•    The laundry room is on the second floor, a tremendous convenience.  The Kenmore high efficiency top loading large capacity 3.2 cu. ft. washer (model #110.28132410) and 5.7 cu. ft. dryer (#110.68132410) were new in 2015.  An on-demand Takagi water heater (installed in the basement) insures none of the bathroom showers or laundry room will ever run out of hot water.
•    Next is a cedar dressing room (6' 2" x 8' 11") with built in double clothes rack and utility cupboard.  Towards the end of the hall is the stairway down to the kitchen and beyond that, the door to the attic stairs.  The attic is not heated, but large and suitable for long-term storage.

The Carriage House
•    What truly sets this property apart from other Victorians is a second building, the lovely two-story brick Carriage House with cupola, built in 1879 by George Lapham, then owner and president of the Bank of Penn Yan.  Situated on the west end of the lot where the long driveway loops around, it crowns the property with stately elegance.
•    Not only does it have two enormous vehicle bays, but in the 1970s the Carriage House second floor underwent a total conversion to host the owner's law practice. The finished space is configured as a 5-room professional suite plus full bath with shower, totaling approximately 1,220 sq ft.  The suite has wall-to-wall carpet and, charmingly, Victorian wallpaper.  It is equipped with central forced air heating and air conditioning.
•    The unfinished attic/cupola area is accessed via a drop-down stairway and provides plenty of space for long-term storage. The Lennox heating/air conditioning unit is located here.
•    As with any modern renovation, there are plenty of electric outlets in all the rooms. The large reception area and largest studio/office have both fluorescent and dimmable accent spotlights.  The electric panel is 200 amps 3 phase (120/240 VAC) with 30 breakers and metered separately from the main house. It can easily support level 2 EV wall chargers.  The rooms are wired with CAT5e and multi-line phone jacks, with Verizon land line service available.  The Main and Carriage Houses are linked by buried 2-line phone, coax, and network cables.
•    The Carriage House inspires many possible uses:  personal office suite, studio space, spare bedrooms, or owners' hobby space.  It is also permitted by the Village for commercial lease, an income-producing option.  Furthermore, a Certificate of Occupancy will be granted after modest modifications, allowing for full residential rental opportunities.
•    The two large bays, totaling 907 sq ft with 10' 9" ceilings, behind suspended sliding barn doors and 9-foot-wide openings, are an automobile aficionado's dream. They can garage at least 4 cars and still have room for workbenches!  The driveway is 314 feet long, with a large turn-around loop.  At least 8 paved parking spaces are available on the property.
•    The Carriage House roof was fully replaced in 2015.

The Property
•    The property is on a 0.63 acre L-shaped lot in Penn Yan's Historic District: 346 ft. depth, 66 ft. frontage, 134 ft. rear width (27,410 sq ft total).  It is enclosed on three sides by 7-foot stockade fence.
•    The 314' long driveway has a large turn-around loop and 8 paved parking spaces.
•    A 6' 2" x 8' 1" Garden Shed is painted in palette matching Main House.
•    There are 3 major lawns: Front 34' x 66'; Back 66' x 75'; North 62' x 66'
•    Additional garden spaces include the island within the large turn-around and the garden adjacent to the south side of the Carriage House (currently planted with a grape arbor and berries).
•    Between the Carriage House bay doors is a rose trellis and climbing rose.  Outside the kitchen are an herb garden, wisteria, hydrangea, and peonies. The property is lined with forsythia and other flowering bushes, and many plantings of flowers in numerous varieties.
•    A Great Location:  Village Center is a 5-minute walk; Post Office a 3-minute walk; Public Library a 1-minute walk.
•    Schools:  The Penn Yan Middle School is a 5-minute walk (0.3 mi), the High School is 8 minutes (0.4 mi) and the Elementary school 9 minutes (0.5 mi).
•    Four churches are a block or less distant, as are the Oliver House Museum and Yates County History Center.
•    Utilities:  City water and sewer; Electricity is reduced rate from the Municipal Utility; Gas from NYSEG.
•    Wired for high speed (300+ Mbps) Spectrum Cable Internet and DirecTV.  Fiber service (1 Gbps) available.
•    Main and Carriage Houses linked by buried 2-line phone, coax, and network cables.

•     For much of its 160+ years, 208 Main Street was a family home. Previous owners were movers and shakers of Penn Yan society. The residents in the 1970s were responsible for much of the restoration now evident, including the gorgeous Victorian wall and ceiling coverings in the parlors, dining, and other rooms. They converted the carriage house into modern office space (with Victorian wallpaper) for the owner's law practice.
•     In 2008 the current owners bought the property for their home and to develop into a startup Bed & Breakfast. La Belle Vie opened in 2011 and quickly became one of the most highly rated B&Bs in the area.
•     To provide the requisite uncompromising experience, all the bathrooms were totally renovated with new ceramic tile and high-end Moen and Toto fixtures. A Takagi tankless on-demand water heater was installed so guests would never run out of hot water. This resulted in three bedrooms with private bath en-suite (and also a powder room on the main floor). Two of the bedrooms were upgraded with vintage-style hand-printed Victorian reproduction wallpaper by Bradbury & Bradbury, the same company responsible for the stunning wall and ceiling coverings in the Victorian double parlors on the main floor.

•    Penn Yan is at the geographical center of the Finger Lakes Wine Country, a naturally beautiful area in Western New York of rolling hills, dramatic waterfalls, prolific vineyards and Mennonite farms. Within a half-hour drive through farm and village, all of Keuka Lake and the west shore of Seneca Lake are accessible, encompassing well over 50 wineries, craft breweries, museums, state parks and water recreation. Due to the lakes' microclimate favorable for grape growing, the Finger Lakes region is home to some 250 wineries in total.
•    Penn Yan is 270 miles northwest of New York City, drivable in less than 5 hours.  Located just south of the village, the Penn Yan-Yates County General Aviation Airport (KPEO) is only 48 minutes by private jet from Teterboro (KTEB)
  

Business Expansion Opportunities:     La Belle Vie Bed & Breakfast, opened in 2011, has virtually a 100% 5-star rating on Trip Advisor and an extensive list of repeat guests.  Business branding, assets, and select antique furniture are optionally available.  We closed La Belle Vie during the Covid pandemic and have not reopened.

•    The B&B could be expanded on the main floor by converting the Library and Office into a large bedroom and en-suite bathroom, providing a fourth rentable suite, main-floor accessible.
•    The Carriage House's office suite (currently permitted for commercial lease) could be converted to a 2-bedroom, 1.5-bath efficiency apartment with kitchenette, producing significant income, especially from seasonal weekly rentals.
•    As part of the property's unique "L" configuration, a legal deeded right of way connects the northeast corner of the rear lot all the way to the front curb. This presents the option of a separate path or driveway access to the back of the property (with appropriate modification to the current fence) providing additional and separate options for use of the Carriage House.

To sum up what makes 208 Main Street an ideal B&B also makes it a wonderful home to live and entertain in.  First, the Home and Carriage House:  elegant character, enormous options, with limitless recreational and hosting capabilities.  Second, the area:  a vibrant community, with arts, music, culture, farms, hills, natural beauty, thriving tourism, predictable weather, and an abundance of fresh water.  This is the place to live and the perfect home to live in!