Tucked away on the shores of Cayuga Lake in New York's Finger Lakes Region is the birthplace of one of America's most iconic home decor brands.

Get our free mobile app

MacKenzie-Childs was created in 1983 on a former dairy farm overlooking Cayuga Lake 40 years ago and today, it still has a solid following not just in Upstate New York, but worldwide. The company is known for its signature Courtly Checks black and white checkerboard pattern and has been featured in notable stores and publications such as in the Neiman Marcus holiday catalog.

MacKenzie-Childs was the brainchild of Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs who came to Upstate New York from England in 1980. The couple purchased a boarded-up farmhouse on Cayuga Lake for $20,000 and are estimated to have spent nearly $2 million on renovations and additions over the next 30 years.

In the fall of 2012, the MacKenzie-Childs estate was listed with Sotheby’s International Realty at just under $1 million and was purchased by Chet Manchester and Anne Sutherland Early in 2013 for $595,000. In April of 2022, the MacKenzie-Childs estate was once again placed on the market with Michael Derosa Exchange Llc, this time for $1.8 million. As of October 3, 2022, the sale of the property is pending.

17 years after its inception, the MacKenzie-Childs brand entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2000, and in 2001, the company was purchased by Pleasant Rowland for $5.5 million. Pleasant Rowland is best known for creating the American Girl brand. When Pleasant Rowland bought MacKenzie-Childs, Victoria and Richard lost all rights to the brand but have since made a new business called Richard and Victoria Emprise. Richard and Victoria Emprise offers a line of pottery and jewelry.

It took the Pleasant Rowland team five years, but they were able to make the MacKenzie-Childs company profitable once again.  Today, MacKenzie-Childs Ltd. is owned by Aurora Brands and also owns Patience Brewster Inc. Patience Brewster Inc. is named for an Upstate New York book illustrator and ornament designer who joined the design team at MacKenzie-Childs. 

Today, MacKenzie-Childs remains headquartered on Cayuga Lake and its grounds are open to the public. Free tours are also offered and each year, it features a barn sale that brings in people from around the world hoping to get their hands on an authentic MacKenzie-Childs piece at a discount of 40 to 80 percent.

Look Around The Stunning Former Mackenzie-Childs Estate On Cayuga Lake

At the time of its purchase, this stunning estate on Cayuga Lake was a battered and boarded-up farmhouse. Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs, creators of the MacKenzie-Childs brand, spent nearly 30 years and almost $2 million to renovate the property. In 2013, it was sold and in 2022, the property was once again listed for sale. This stunning property is the birthplace of the world-famous MacKenzie-Childs brand. 

Tour Seneca Falls - Birthplace of Women's Rights

In July of 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention, the first women’s rights convention ever to be held in the United States was held in Seneca Falls, New York. That convention would change the course of history for women's rights, including being the foundation of the fight for women to be given the right to vote.

Can You See the Beauty in This Historic Syracuse Property?

Located at 109 McAllister Avenue in Syracuse and listed for just $5,000 with the Greater Syracuse Land Bank, this 1920s house is looking for someone to lovingly restore it to its former beauty. 

More From 98.1 The Hawk