John Szemansco and Susan Ruckdeschel stand outside Oakcliff Bed and Breakfast located at 78
\nChurch Hill Road in Halfmoon, a home where some famous U.S. statesmen have stayed.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

BY JILL NAGY<\/p>\n

George Washington didn’t sleep there, but four
\nother American presidents did: Ulysses S. Grant,
\nChester A. Arthur, Rutherford B. Hayes, and James
\nGarfield, boasts John Szemansco, owner and
\nhost of Oakcliff Bed and Breakfast located at 78
\nChurch Hill Road in Halfmoon.<\/p>\n

Szemansco did not host them personally, of
\ncourse. That distinction belongs to the second
\nowner of the home, T.G. Younglove, the first
\nspeaker of the New York State Assembly and onetime
\nstate Republican Party chairman. Younglove
\nlived in the house from 1850 to 1882 and was
\nspeaker in the 1860s. (The house was built in 1835
\nby County Judge Duncan MacMartin).<\/p>\n

However, the current host can offer guests use
\nof the Grant Library and rooms named for the
\nformer presidents.<\/p>\n

That history has helped attract guests to the
\ninn.<\/p>\n

\n“The main focus [of guests] and the thing that
\nsurprised me was the interest in history,” he said.<\/p>\n

Szemansco said he finds himself catering more
\nto international travelers, people on weekend
\njaunts and local people “who just want to get away
\nand don’t want to drive far,” and fewer business
\ntravelers than he expected. It is a popular spot
\nfor Saratoga racing fans as well as people visiting
\ncolleges in the area.<\/p>\n

There is no sign out front or on the house or its
\naccompanying carriage house. There is a historical
\nmarker on the road out front, however, and
\nthe building is on the National Historic Registry.<\/p>\n

It sits on a hilltop overlooking the Mohawk
\nRiver, close to Falls View Park in Cohoes and
\nPeebles Island State Park, across the river from
\nthe Waterford waterfront.<\/p>\n

Inside, the bedrooms and public rooms are
\ndecorated with antiques but furnished, also, with
\nmodern plumbing and high-speed internet access,
\nas well as a business center, laundry facilities
\nand parking. The President Grant bedroom has
\na jacuzzi in the bathroom. Guests have use of a
\nlibrary, sitting room, and porches overlooking the
\nMohawk. Szemansco prepares a full breakfast for
\nhis guests every morning and serves baked goods
\nfrom a local bakery.<\/p>\n

The choice between a conventional hotel or
\nmotel and his bed and breakfast “are like night
\nand day,” he said.<\/p>\n

Rates are comparable, though, ranging from
\n$150 to about $200 a night for a room and breakfast
\nduring most of the year, about $100 more in
\nAugust. The inn is open 12 months a year.<\/p>\n

The host said the business is “going very well
\nand the reviews have been excellent.”<\/p>\n

Although Szemansco began work on the
\nproject “in phases,” in 1988, it has only been open
\nas a bed and breakfast for about 18 months. The
\ntelephone number is 281-4434.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

John Szemansco and Susan Ruckdeschel stand outside Oakcliff Bed and Breakfast located at 78 Church Hill Road in Halfmoon, a home where some famous U.S. statesmen have stayed. BY JILL NAGY George Washington didn't sleep there, but four other…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":24828,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[57,81],"class_list":["post-18411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news","tag-business-news","tag-halfmoon"],"yoast_head":"\r\n