Bull Run Hill / Holtzman Home-Studio, Lyme, Connecticut:
The giant barn known as Bull Run Hill at 421 Joshuatown Road was built in 1907 for Dr. John Morgan (1845-1920). He was a carpenter’s son from Hadlyme with a medical degree from Yale who used the barn to raise and train trotting horses. It was one of the largest “gentlemen farmer barns” in the state of Connecticut. The barn holds a commanding place on a rise overlooking a small pond and the road. The barn is on the north side of the road and to the west is the Morgan estate “Grey Rocks” with which it was originally associated.
Bull Run Hill was renovated in 1962 by Harry Holtzman and his wife Betsy McManus. Holtzman was an American artist and founding member of the American Abstract Artists group. He transformed the 100’ x 50’ x 64’ barn in Lyme into a combined living and studio space. After creating a central flue from the hay chute, he constructed huge stone fireplaces in each of three outsized living areas. The calving pen on the first floor became a kitchen, the horse stalls on the second floor became a living room and studio, while the upper hayloft provided storage space.
