The historic Hudson Valley estate where Billy Joel composed “New York State of Mind” is asking $1.99 million

This historic Hudson Valley property known as the Overlook is where legendary musician Billy Joel found inspiration to compose songs including “New York State of Mind,” released in 1976—which he began writing on a Greyhound bus in his way home to 26 Kings. Road in Highland Falls, NY.

It is also said that Joel wrote the rest of the songs on his fourth studio album, Turnstiles, in 1975 before its release in 1976. While Joel never owned the apartment, he rented it as a rental. long term.

The five-bedroom, four-bathroom main house sits on 2.26 riverfront acres in Orange County. It’s now on the market for $1.99 million — down from the $2.5 million it asked for earlier this year.

The mansion, which became a temple of rock-and-roll inspiration, was built in the 1950s on the foundations of banker JP Morgan’s Gilded Age summer retreat. Specifically, the owner’s great-grandmother was JP Morgan’s maid there.

According to reports, that 1880s estate, known as Cragston, burned down in a fire in 1948. During the Morgan era, visitors to the home reportedly included Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and Andrew Carnegie.

When Joel moved in, he hoisted his piano out of a window in a second-floor bedroom, according to the current owners, who had turned it into a bed-and-breakfast. That room is now covered in sheet music wallpaper and is affectionately known as the Billy Joel Room.

The home also features an open chef’s kitchen and a two-sided fireplace that separates the high-ceilinged living room from the sunlit living room. Some original details from Cragston, such as the fireplace, remain. French doors in the dining room open to a screened porch.

Outside, there’s a deck and a “daffodil-dotted lawn” overlooking the Hudson River. There is also a large pool and a one bedroom, one bathroom pool house with a kitchen. The property also features a modern three-bedroom, two-bath home built in 2020. The grounds feature mature gardens and century-old trees.

The listing broker is Wendy Maitland of Atelier by Wendy Maitland.