HAVERAN HILL FARM 

Amenities include: equestrian facilities.

Built in 2004.

2 stories, 4,329 approximate square feet. 4 buildings. vertical wood siding. architectural shingle roof.

Architectural style: Arts & Crafts, Contemporary

138.7 acre lot.

Situated between the villages of Stowe and Morrisville, Haveran Hill is an estate of 140 acres with main house, three functional barns and a caretaker’s apartment. The contemporary house, built in 2004, overlooks a large spring-fed pond and has unobstructed views of Mt. Mansfield and the Sterling Mountain range and Mt. Elmore in the Worcester range.

The Main house and barns are located in treelined open meadows and pasture. About half of the open fields are fenced for horses or livestock. The remaining 100 acres are forested with maple, beech, birch, ash, balsam, pine, spruce, hemlock and cedars. Approximately 3,000 feet of Bedell Brook traverses the property. The southeastern edge of the property borders on 221 acres of conservation land, the Mowry Forest, managed by the New England Forestry Foundation. The southern boundary is shared with neighbors who purchased 200 acres in 2002 and plan to build a home there. The Stables have been professionally designed for maximum comfort and safety with the serious horse person in mind. The House was built in 2004 by local contractors. The site takes advantage of near views of the meadows and pond, middle views of bucolic farms, and distant views of the Green Mountains. The architectural design and materials are by Deck House, Inc. of Massachusetts; it is post-and-beam construction, influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. Following the Japanese approach, the design is intended to blend with its surroundings, blurring the distinction between the outside and inside. Rather than a box, the house reaches out from its core. Entrances continue outdoor materials, and large floor to ceiling windows admit the changing landscape. High quality, natural materials dominate throughout the house: cedar ceilings, mahogany trim, slate and bamboo floors. All mahogany trim and doors were hand-finished on site using an old furniture finish formula of oil, polyurethane and mineral spirits, hand-rubbed between each coat. A professional interior decorator from Boston with a strong background of both Japanese design and Arts and Crafts guided interior design and color choices. Following Japanese design, the most public rooms are in the front of the house, kitchen and dining, shared rooms such as the living room and media room are located in center of the house, and the most private rooms, home office and master bedroom, are located in the back. Guest rooms and bathrooms are located on the lower floor. The design was meant to allow a couple to live comfortably on the upper floor without feeling in a cavernous space. Yet a houseful of guests is accommodated easily without overcrowding, and allowing places for privacy. The Kitchen is equipped with a Sub- Zero refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher, Dacor stovetop, double Kitchen Aid oven with thermal/convection and microwave/ convection capabilities and a hidden warming drawer. Overhead cabinets were kept to a minimum to allow an open feeling; but a walk-in pantry offers plenty of storage. The kitchen has an intimate dining area with a curved brick and limestone wood-burning fireplace. A screened porch as well as an outdoor patio is easily accessed from the kitchen for al fresco dining. The Dining Room easily sits 14, and flows into the living room, which features a floor-to-ceiling Roman brick and limestone fireplace. Both rooms have a “big view” through 13-foot high windows, looking out over Mt. Mansfield and the ridge line to Sterling Mountain. Sunsets are spectacular. The Horse Barn details relied heavily on a researched book, The Perfect Stall, written by large animal veterinarian and horse woman, Dr. Karen Hayes. The animal’s health and well-being are prime concerns. The barn was angled to prevent prevailing winds from blowing down the main aisle, and provide privacy between the attached caretaker apartment and the main house. The barn has six stalls, four are 12’ x 12’, two are 12’x 14’. There is a small room for hay storage, which could be converted into a seventh stall. The stalls are from Classic Equine Systems, a high-end system with hinged doors and open framework. Ventilation is enhanced with a fan located above each stall, drawing air up and out through the commercial ridge vent The Tack Room has radiant heat floors, ideal for preserving leather tack, a sink with disposal and ample cabinetry. There is a large feed room / tool room, a wash stall / veterinary area with rubber walls, hose, sink and infrared heater and bright lighting. A half bath is accessible from the tack room or barn aisle. The utility room which services the attached apartment as well as the barn contains a commercial washing machine which easily handles horse blankets. The 80’x 140’ Riding Ring was professionally designed and built. It has extensive drainage both around and under the ring itself, so it dries quickly after a rain. The base is limestone developed by Shelburne Lime specifically for this purpose. The sand is of high quality and minimal dust. The Main Garden on the western side of the house was professionally designed and featured in the Stowe Garden Tour 2009. The gardens are perennial with room for expansion. Care was taken not to obstruct any views, but rather enhance them. Here, as in the house, Japanese concepts were used: Keep close to nature; do nothing that nature would not do. There are no straight lines or formal color arrangements. Different colors, most very subtle, appear at different seasons, the fall garden being no less spectacular than the brilliant autumn colors of the trees that surround the meadows. People, as part of nature, are believed to be participants in a garden, not conquerors or observers. Here the stepping stones invite a visitor to stroll through the garden, follow the winding path down the hill, cross a dry river bed and find peace at the edge of the pond. The four-bay Equipment Barn includes an 864 square foot insulated, heated workshop. All bays have commercial grade doors and openers. The concrete floors in each bay have individual water drainage.