In 1837, Asa Dutton purchased this property and, presumably, began construction of his new home. Dutton chose a very practical and very beautiful site: protected from the cold winter north winds yet offering an expansive view over the Connecticut River Valley to the mountains of New Hampshire beyond.

Dutton built in the popular Greek Revival style. Typically the house is set on a granite plinth, presents its gable to the road, and is painted white -- all contributing to a sense of dignity and serenity. The interior decorations, too, were stylish. Wallpaper was the common wall treatment, thus providing ample color and pattern variation amongst the rooms. The wooden trim was painted in the vibrant colors of the day: ochre, deep red, blue, green, and ivory.

The rear wing is an earlier building that was brought to this site and joined to the larger front portion. It is likely that this happened at or near the time of construction of the "new" house. Perhaps it was also at this time that the rich cornice, fireplace, and door trim of the front parlor was added. Deed research has shown that Asa Dutton owned one half of another house in the 1820s which might have provided these Federal style decorative details.

The Dutton Farm prospered for many years. The large clapboarded barn nearby was evidence of this. (Unfortunately this was lost in the 1980s to arson.) Early in the 20th century this farm of over 200 acres was acquired by the Holbrook family who summered at Naulakha, Rudyard Kipling's nearby former home.

For years the Holbrooks operated this under the aegis of Scott Farm, a true gentleman's farm with a full-time staff of 25, beef and dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, and horses. The farm also raised apples commercially and shipped them in boxes constructed on the farm from lumber harvested from the farm.

By the 1930s, this had been relegated to commercial apple production, maple syrup, and some beef cattle. By the 1960s, Dutton Farmhouse was reduced to housing for seasonal apple pickers and left unoccupied for much of the year. It continued on this downward spiral until Landmark Trust USA began restoration in June of 2004.

Today you may enjoy the fine house built by Asa Dutton nearly 170 years ago but comforted by the modern conveniences. You will look over the same unspoiled landscape, the principal change being many more trees now.

For over 40 years before we began work, the Dutton Farmhouse had been relegated to migrant labor housing. The elegant and comfortable parlors were filled with military style bunk beds and metal lockers. The original kitchen had been gutted and lined with a metallic panelling; the windows here were replaced by modern casement windows. A dormitory sized bathroom was installed in the shed and contained multiple showers, toilets, urinals, and sinks. The principal upstairs bedroom was used for karate practice.

While it is general Landmark practice to recognize the continuum of history in a building and to leave historical changes, we make exceptions when the quality of later work is markedly inferior to the original. That was clearly the case for the Dutton Farmhouse and so we began to peel away modern finishes.

Amazingly, a great deal of original fabric remained. Underneath modern finishes we discovered in almost every room clues to the original decorations. Every room retained at least some original plaster. Underneath vinyl and modern strip flooring we found the original floorboards. The room layout of the rear ground floor was revealed in the ceiling and floor framing and even the location of shelves in the pantry was clear from the corner post.

After weeks of this delving into the fabric, we determined the layout. Upstairs the only structural change was to the rear north bedroom. Here the wall facing onto the rear hall had been removed and the room shortened by the insertion of a bathroom (which, by the time we acquired the farm, had no fixtures). The present floor plan is the original.

Downstairs the structural changes were restricted to the kitchen and rear service rooms. Inspection revealed the original floor plan to which we returned. We converted one of these spaces into a bathroom.

The decorative scheme for the house included bold colors and striking wallpapers. We returned to this as much as possible including custom wallpaper for the front hallway; the reproduction paper even includes mica powder in the paint which imparts a sheen. The front parlor paper is a very close match to the earliest layer that we discovered. The rear upstairs hallway wallpaper is remarkably similar to the earliest that we discovered here under a modern door casing.

Today Asa Dutton's Farmhouse is again as vibrant and elegant as it was in 1840. It was a privilege to be involved in the rescue of this fine building and a privilege it will be to stay here.

The Dutton Farmhouse houses 8 very comfortably. Located near the highest point on our 626 acre Scott Farm, it offers spectacular views and ready access to any type of outdoor activity including hiking, biking, sledding, cross country skiing, picnicking, and simple contemplation.

Your accommodations will include:

• 2 double bedrooms and 2 with twin beds
• Extensive grounds
• Fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher
• Washer and dryer
• 2 1/2 bathrooms
• Access to Rudyard Kipling's tennis court
• Gas log stove

Dutton Farmhouse floor plan:

Number of people: Sleeps 8
Prices range from: $250.00 - $325.00 per night
Minimum stay: Three nights

You can contact us with a booking request or pay for a confirmed reservation using our secure Online Reservation form.

Please note: The availability data is reasonably correct, but is not real-time and may have a short lag in actual bookings.

Questions? You can reach us by phone or email:

• Call The Landmark Trust USA at (802) 254-6868
• Email us at: info@landmarktrustusa.org (Please use only for inquiries, if you want to make a reservation, use our secure Online Reservations.)

Please see booking conditions for our cancellation policy and other information.

The Dutton Farmhouse is located near the highest point of Landmark Trust USA's 626 acre Scott Farm and offers splendid views across the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire clear to Mount Monadnock 35 miles east.  Watching the sunrise or moonrise over this vista is a real treat. 

The setting is very rural with hiking, skiing or bicycling available out the door.  Guests can make arrangements through the Landmark Trust USA office to use Vermont’s first tennis court at Rudyard Kipling's Naulakha.  This is available for play from mid-May until October.  

Every sort of outdoor recreation along with restaurants, shopping, farmers’ markets, artisanal cheese makers and brew pubs are located nearby.

Transportation.

Amtrak serves Brattleboro with one train north and one south per day.

Car rental is available in Brattleboro.

What to do.

Landmark USA’s own Scott Farm offers excellent hiking over our 626 acres as well as farm fresh, ecologically grown fruit from berries in mid-July through peaches, pears, plums, quince, and 90 varieties of heirloom apples until we sell out in December.  An excellent assortment of Vermont artisinal cheese can be found at Grafton Village Cheese in Brattleboro.

Less than three miles away canoes can be rented for trips on the Connecticut River and West River.  Vermont Canoe Touring Center:  802-257-5008.

Townshend State Park and Jamaica State Park offer hiking, swimming, fishing, waterfalls all within 30 minutes.

Just outside the door guests can cross country ski where Rudard Kipling introduced skiing to Vermont or travel to picturesque Grafton, Vermont for skiing on groomed trails at Grafton Ponds.  Sledding in the Naulakha meadow is superb.  Snow shoeing is available over our 626 acre property.

Major ski areas within 45 minutes are Mount Snow, Stratton Mountain, and Bromley Mountain.

Historic Deerfield offers historic houses, a museum, and restaurant 30 minutes south.

The Marlboro Music Festival and the Yellow Barn Music Festival, both only minutes away, provide internationally recognized chamber music through July and August.

There are numerous golf courses in the area including Brattleboro Country Club.  Mount Snow has one of Vermont’s premier mountain courses.

For further suggestions of area activities or restaurants please contact the Landmark USA office.