Year-round Cayuga Lakefront with easy access to house and lake

About Mariette Geldenhuys

I have lived and worked in Ithaca, New York for 32 years and love the natural beauty of the Finger Lakes region. I grew up in South Africa and always enjoyed the outdoors. I completed high school and college in South Africa and then studied in England for two years, before moving to Ithaca.

Mariette Geldenhuys purchased this House in 2001

Why Mariette Geldenhuys chose Ovid

I always dreamed of having a vacation home on the lake. When my late spouse and I came across Windgarth House in 2001, we knew that we had found our slice of paradise, and wanted to share it with others by renting it out. Judging from 17 years of guest book entries, our guests have experienced the Windgarth magic and many have returned year after year. My spouse's beautiful paintings of Finger Lakes nature scenes continue to add beauty to the home. When I'm at Windgarth, I enjoy long swims along the shore and trips in the canoe and kayak, especially at sunset when one can paddle north past Sheldrake Point and watch the sun set over the hills and water. I also love long walks along the shore on the quiet road and bicycle rides in the surrounding countryside. I enjoy getting up early and watching the sun rise over the lake while listening to birdsong. My spouse and I came up with the name "Windgarth House" shortly after we bought the house. One branch of my family was from Applegarth in Scotland, and named their farm near Cape Town, South Africa "Applegarth". I always liked the name, but there were no apple trees at the house. One late fall weekend, the wind was blowing and waves were breaking on the shore. That's when the name Windgarth House occurred to us, The Windgarth House sign on the garage was hand made by local ceramic artist Annemarie Zwack.

What makes this House unique

We fell in love with Windgarth House for many reasons. Here are just a few: Access to the house is very easy, unlike many Cayuga Lake properties where there is a steep cliff near the lakefront and one has to climb many stairs to get to the house, the lakefront, or both. It is located on a quiet public road, which serves about 2 miles of lakefront. Because it is a public road, it is well-maintained year round. We wanted to be close to the lake and not across a road or some distance away. Windgarth has a beautiful living room/kitchen downstairs with twelve windows overlooking the lake, a beautiful lawn and garden and the lake is right there. One can see the lake from all rooms, except the upstairs kitchen and bathroom. The lake views and the sound of the water make this a stunningly beautiful spot. The house is a charming, bright, home with plenty of windows and light, yet cozy and very comfortable. It's great to have a full kitchen and full bathroom on each floor. Friends and family members can vacation together and also have their own space. The house is on the Sheldrake cove, which is sheltered and protected. The water is shallow at the edge and gradually gets deeper. It's great for kids and adults for wading and swimming. Kids also enjoy playing on the back lawn by the lakeside. There is a swimming dock which we had rebuilt and we extended the deck area by the lakeside. The mature trees provide plenty of natural shade. The Sheldrake Point Winery is right across the street, yet one is unaware of it when one is in the house or in the back yard. Many other wineries and restaurants are close by.