Former Ulster County nudist colony compound listed for sale at $19.95M

A compound in Esopus that was once home to a famous 1930s nudist colony has been listed for sale at $19.95 million, the highest listing price for an Ulster County residence.

The gated 164-acre property at 201 Swartekill Road, dubbed “Auchmoody,” offers a 7,000-square-foot residence built in 1930 and features five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two half-bathrooms and access to a private 25-acre lake. The property also features a two-bedroom caretaker”™s house, a three-level barn and a large kennel.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, the property is being sold by the family of David Maltz, founder of New York-based Maltz Auctions, who purchased it for approximately $900,000 in 1998. Maltz died in 2015; the family has been using it as an Airbnb rental, charging $5,000 a night for temporary tenants.

However, the property is perhaps best known as the location of the Fresh Air Club, a nudist colony that received considerable media attention during the 1930s and was featured in the controversial 1932 book “On Going Naked” by Jan Gay.