John Kirkman founded the company in 1839 and grew it to be one of the largest soap companies in the world. The Kirkman Soap Company would eventually lose out to the Colgate Company that also purchased property in the area.

Kids… move those rocks. The clearing of the land for farming while forming the old stone walls in backfields are most likely from the Merwin clan. At one point, there were said to be 49 Merwins attending the local school.

Proprietor Emmons Pond and his family open a temperance retreat for decent folk to escape the dirty city for fresh air, cool water and clean living.

The Tower Mountain Retreat changes its name to the Tower Mountain House. Emmons builds a large addition and greatly improves the property with gravel walks, one hundred maple and ornamental trees and allows booze. Party on Emmons!

Loving the mountain views and one particular apple tree, the Brooklynites purchase vacation property on Tower Mountain. Their family would summer there for more than three generations.

We can not find exactly when, but around 1924 the Tower Mountain House burned to the ground. Today, the foundation, barn, entry pillars and stone wall guarding the circular driveway are the only remains.

The Kirkman family purchases the land across the street to build a house to be given as a wedding gift to their daughter. The land is the former Tower Mountain House plot...now our property.

The Mabens prosper during the heyday of the Catskill dairy industry. Today, the barn still has the stanchions in the milking area and signs tacked to the walls with the cows' names, sire, and date of birth.

Alana’s parents purchase the old dairy farm with the country house and name it Adena, meaning “adorned, noble, tender” Alana would grow up spending every summer there. Additions are made, including the sunroom that is now the bride's getting ready room.

Alana & Kevin escape the city weekly and travel up the Hudson with friends in quest for outdoor dining, bonfires and homemade cider. Always thinking...how can we do this for a living?

As far as we know, it was the first wedding ever held on the property and it was a barnburner. Over 300 guests were treated to sushi, ribs, an ice cream truck and a live Jazz band.

The 1820 dairy barn was numbered, dismantled, moved 10 miles and rebuilt on Merwin Street. Being next door, it made sense for Alana & Kevin to buy it in 2018 when it came on the market...how fortuitous.

A major renovation by Alana’s parents expands the house to over twice the size. Did they realize at the time that they were creating the perfect setup for a wedding venue?

On the market...say it ain’t so! But the property does not sell due to the housing market collapse and is rented for the next several years. How do we get it back?

Finally, during an intense wine drinking session, Alana & Kevin get the brilliant idea to turn Adena into a wedding venue. “The best wedding venue ever” is created.