History of Cooper Creek
“The European who comes to America plunges into the virgin forest with wonder and delight; while the American who goes to Europe finds his greatest pleasure, at first, in hunting up the memorials of the past. Each is in the quest of novelty, and is burning with the desire to gaze at objects of which he has often read.” - James Fenimore Cooper
Cooper Creek is a valuable piece of central New York history that was built in the late 1700s. This homestead once included an outhouse, a spring house, a Cooper shed, and a proud hand hewn timber barn. Robby and Eileen Robbins purchased the property in 1984-finding it in desperate need of plumbing, electricity, as well as emergent repairs in order to preserve as much history as possible. The 18th century beams, the wooden pegs used instead of nails, and the stone foundation were important to restore in order for the building to maintain its unique identity.
There is a small creek running to one side of the house called Cooper Creek-named after the historic Cooper family who once owned the land. The property in total spans 20+ acres bordered by a narrow road. A family was raised in this house, and then after downsizing, Robby and Eileen wanted to create a home away from home where families could gather comfortably. They soon came to realize that the property, not just the 4-bedroom house, could become so much more than just a vacation rental. The forest behind the main house is pristine. Eileen now envisions transforming Cooper Creek into a place of natural submersion. A place to hike, observe nature, breathe fresh air, and watch the stars come out.
Our Wish
“We need the tonic of wildness.” -Henry David Thoreau
It is Robby and Eileen’s wish that families and friends use Cooper Creek to come together to experience the natural seasons of the year, while celebrating milestones in the seasons of life. Many families who have come to stay the weekend usually ask to extend their stay, or return each time they are in the area. Cooper Creek is perfect for larger family gatherings like a college graduation, a holiday that needs a spacious kitchen and plenty of seating, a wedding party stay, or just a simple staycation to get back to nature and one another.
Eileen is very interested in sharing with you the spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits of nature, or what is called Forest Therapy. Eileen has attained a Sylvotherapy Practitioner Certificate and is a certified Forest Therapy guide. She is excited to introduce these practices to guests who are curious and guide those who want to experience the health benefits in a Forest bathing session. Eileen will guide guests to the Satoyama Zone, the space between the world of daily life and the “wild life” of the forest. Here, natural paths open where visitors can immerse themselves in the forest. The effects of the phytoncides and negative ions released, psithurium, the calming sounds of the wind in the trees, the tranquility induced by the trickling stream and seartherny, the serenity felt listening to birds, combine to create an environment where stress and anxiety diminish. Guests are encouraged to immerse themselves in the woods and find healing through nature.
Cooper Creek is also an ideal place to partake on a 2 mile nature walk, wade in the creek, catch fireflies in the summer, pick fresh homegrown apples and pears from the trees in the fall, snowshoe in the winter, and play kick ball or baseball in the large back yard.
Cooper Creek is a haven for birds and birders alike.
Main House and Amenities
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign F
There are four bedrooms and two full baths in the main house. The second floor has three bedrooms and one full bathroom. The largest bedroom includes two double beds, and a closet full of American Girl dolls and accessories. The other two bedrooms have one queen, and two single beds, respectively. A large closet of family friendly games is also located in the second floor hallway.
The first floor has the second full bath, and one large main bedroom with a king bed and pullout couch. The main bedroom also has a pack ‘n’ play for toddlers, a rocking chair, a large beanbag chair, and a library stocked with books of every genre for any age. Each bedroom is equipped with a tv, wifi, fresh linens, and plenty of blankets and pillows. The first floor also has a living room, a large family room, as well as a spacious kitchen. The family room includes a substantial set of Legos with their own table, and Melissa and Doug toys and train set that are discretely tucked away.
Cooper Creek has its own well for water that is purified through a water softener system installed in the house. There is a Generac (generator) that provides the house with power in case of an outage. The kitchen is fully stocked with full sized electric appliances, a crockpot, Instapot, air fryer, griddle, wok, a food processor, a blender, an electric mixer, and toaster. You will also find baking pans, a full set of pots and pans, serving platters, and a set of 30 place settings are available upon request for larger family gatherings. The kitchen also includes a 5- gallon hot/cold water dispenser for drinking water. The kitchen is open to the dining area with plenty of seating.
Exterior
The front of the house welcomes you with a full front porch with rocking chairs and comfortable seating and seasonal appropriate flowers/landscaping. The backyard includes a deck with an outdoor dining set and a large gas grill. A NEMA 14-50 is conveniently available on the garage for charging your electric car or RV. There is a deck box of yard toys and balls to use on the blacktopped half-court basketball area, or, in the large flat natural grass yard.
Grounds
The side yard leads down to a well-maintained fire pit and natural creek. Most families love spending the evening roasting marshmallows and listening to the soothing sounds of the creek’s ecosystem.
A mown walking path around the lower field leads to a scenic 2 mile hike up a narrow road. This excursion will lead you along open fields and thick woods in a beautiful rural landscape-a perfect blend of aerobic exercise and meditation.
Eileen and Robby are always available and easy to reach for any further needs.
