Meet the Team
DeBruce Lodge Builders is driven by a two-person design and build team headquartered in Livingston Manor, New York. Our unique firm specializes in “next generation” Catskills cabin construction.
Each project is carefully designed by Sean Barrett, a local homebuilder and naturalist attracted to the area over 20 years ago to pursue his passions for fishing and ornithology. Originally renting various cabins in the area seasonally, over the years Sean gained extensive experience in both the natural magnificence of the region and many spiritual aspects of area, while logging innumerable hours hiking, biking and exploring the Catskill Park “Forever Wild” forest preserve in depth. Although the preserve is vast, his adventures naturally began to center around the storied hamlet of DeBruce – the birthplace of American dry fly fishing and a revered nesting lodestone for many of the migratory bird species that he sought to observe in the wild.
Ultimately his experiences living in a compact cabin he rented from local flyfishing legend, Joan Wulff, on her estate in the Beaverkill Valley, inspired Sean to go on a mission to make such cozy and comfortable country living available to a broader swath of the community. It was his Wulff Family cabin experiences that propelled Sean to pursue a vision to build a series of similar compact Catskill cabins of the highest quality. Planning for the first DeBruce Lodges soon began, with Sean intent on reflecting harmony with nature in his designs, and the ultimate goal to provide “quintessential cabins in the woods” opportunities for everyone dreaming to own a home of their own in the area.
From there Sean brought his rough design drafts to Jaclyn Horton, amongst the most respected local architects in all of Western Catskills. Jacyln’s architecture firm, which was originally established by her father John C. Horton, Architect, in 1984, has been providing premium service in Sullivan County and the surrounding areas for almost 40 years. In 2014, after the passing of John, the family formed Horton & Associates and in 2020 expanded to Horton • Malone Architecture welcoming Kevin L. Malone, Architect. At Horton • Malone Architecture, they pride themselves on developing well thought out designs that meet the needs of both clients and community. Collaborating with Sean, the team at Horton • Malone Architecture works through all aspects of the building process, from design ideas all the way to the final stages of construction. Their collective work reflects an astounding attention to detail and highest level of professionalism.
But the planning, design, and permitting stages of the process could only be weaved together and brought to life by a very specific caliber of contractors, which is why local U.S. military veterans are typically recruited for the actual construction of The Debruce Lodges. By working with veteran-owned and operated construction and woodworking companies we are able to assemble crews that pride themselves in conducting superior quality work and craftsmanship, while seeking out and including the most sustainable practices available to them. Additionally, local artisans, such as Josephine Banks at the Cat Hollow lumber mill, and Dan Johnston at the Spring Brook Bluestone Quarry, provide various finishing materials to each project in order to create the unique character and timeless aesthetics that are the hallmark of each DeBruce Lodge we build.