The Rock Hill property is on the south side of Washington Street in the
Town of Cortlandt, east of the
hamlet of
Crugers on the
Hudson River. Amalfi Drive circles around the rear. Its driveway is opposite Laura Court. The surrounding neighborhood is residential, with larger, newer houses on large lots amid the gently rolling, wooded terrain. There is a small kitchen wing on the northeast corner.
Fenestration consists primarily of picture windows arranged around the exterior. The projecting studio on the south side has glass walls on the south and west. On the west end, slate steps rise to a slate
terrace, where the main entrance is located. A second stone stair rises from the parking area on the northwest to a wood staircase which ends at a secondary entrance on the kitchen wing. Inside, the rectangular house has approximately of floor space. It has six rooms altogether, divided by a full-length central hall. Each room has at least three windows, either double-hung
sash or picture windows. On the walls is artwork from Copland's collection, primarily work of artists he was friends with. The most significant of the rooms is the studio, with carpeted hardwood flooring, the dramatic views to the south and west through the glass walls, and bookshelves with much of Copland's personal library on the east side and a collection of recorded American music. Its main furnishing is Copland's
grand piano, his work desk made for him by a local farmer, a wooden chair given to the composer by
Harvard University and an upholstered armchair in which he was sometimes photographed. Across the hallway is the
master bedroom. It has a
queen-size bed with two adjoining tables and lamps and plaster walls. In bookshelves under the windows are Copland's collections of music journals, dating back to the September 1924 issue of
The Musical Quarterly, which had Copland's first published article. The adjacent similarly sized library has full-height bookshelves, some of which are large enough to hold full scores of compositions by Copland and the composers who have resided here since. There are also regular books on music and other subjects from Copland's collection. Its walls are otherwise covered in textured wallpaper from Copland's residency. At the west end of the hall is the living room. It is sided in vertical knotty pine
paneling and has a large fireplace, as well as several chairs of Copland's and a dining area. To its north, the kitchen wing has
linoleum flooring and ridged wood paneling and
drywall. It houses several kitchen appliances and a small table and chair set. Elsewhere on the central hallway are guest bedrooms and bathrooms. Stairs lead from the kitchen wing down to the partially finished basement. Copland and his
assistants used the rooms there for archival and office purposes. Near the house is a two-story garage with an attached one-bedroom apartment. It is similar in exterior and interior styling to the main house. It has not been altered since Copland's time, and is considered a
contributing resource to the property's historic character. ==History==