This private high-elevation property has a cottage built in 1790 with several outbuildings, including a horse barn, a two-bay garage workshop with a loft apartment, and an airplane hangar. There are 276 acres of mature forest land, with streams and ponds, plus open meadows that would be good for grazing animals or other agricultural activities. The property is conserved through the Vermont Land Trust and comes with a conservation easement with 5 acres of excluded land around the house and outbuildings.
High Meadow Estate is located on Old Gulf Road in Andover, Vermont. The road to the property's entrance travels about a mile and a half through the forest. Boston, Massachusetts is less than three hours east, and New York City is just over 4 hours south. Magic Mountain Ski Area is only 15 minutes away, and Bromley Mountain, Stratton Mountain Resort, and Manchester are only a half-hour drive southwest. This southern Vermont location is perfect for those looking for solitude yet close to many amenities and outdoor activities.
The house is located at 946 Old Gulf Road South and accessed by turning into Horseshoe Acres campground from Weston Andover Road. Once at the campground, drive straight ahead until you see the road split, and stay left at that intersection where it says bridge weight limit 1.4 miles ahead. Follow this road until you cross the bridge and get to a locked pole gate. This property can not be seen without a broker due to its locked access.
The property contains a wide variety of natural resources, including a significant stream, maturing forest stands, potential sugarbush, stonewall-lined meadows, old apple trees, and ponds.
The land’s western end along North Hill Road holds the high ground with an elevation of around 1,900’. From here the land slopes downhill easterly to the Andover Branch, part of the headwaters of the Williams River. Flowing through and along the eastern boundary, this clear, year-round stream is an excellent water resource. In addition, another stream runs through the southern end of the property.
A ridge bisects the land creating a southern aspect at the existing homestead area and east/northeastern aspects near the runway and across the older forest stands located north of the ridge.
There are two small ponds on the land near the southern meadow and a larger, swimmable pond at the property’s southern corner.
Several stonewall-lined meadows are in different areas of the property. These meadows total over 25 acres and would offer a number of different agricultural options for a new owner.
The forest resource has been untouched for many decades offering an unbroken tree canopy with minimal understory growth. This provides ideal forest aesthetics and easy walking conditions, whether walking along one of the many internal woods trails or just randomly across the forest. The forest stand north of the property’s homestead meadow is generally a maturing northern hardwood stand with red oak and white pine as associates. The southern forest stand is primarily a +/-40-year-old, even-aged sugar maple stand that has become established from old field abandonment. This area holds strong potential to become a sugarbush. An older, mixed wood stand runs along the land’s southern stream.
Originally built in 1790, people have been living in the cottage on this hillside for over 200 years. Although the property is quite private, electricity was brought onto the estate in 1958. The cottage itself has had some interior renovations since it was built, and its wide pine boards and tongue and groove walls are in good shape. The addition of some insulation and sheetrock, plus the electricity and indoor plumbing from the 1950’s made this more comfortable for the most recent owners.
The roof appears to be in good condition, and the estate has been taken care of by property managers for many years, keeping it in the best shape possible. This is a center chimney structure typical of the 18th-century era, with three fireplaces, one in each of the main floor rooms. A bathroom and a small bedroom make up the remainder of the first floor. Upstairs is an unfinished open space with a small bathroom, and a wood-paneled room that could be used as another bedroom.
Outside there is a two-stall horse barn, a large two-bay garage/workshop that has a small upstairs loft apartment. There are also several small outbuildings and an airplane hangar which the past owner used when he flew in for weekend visits. There are many open trails through the woods that were used for horseback riding and walking. Some of these trails travel to the property’s highest point at about 1900’ to a large meadow facing south.
The cottage and outbuildings are being sold with the land, “as is”, and will need restoring to take them into the 21st century. There is so much potential for this one-of-a-kind estate, and the right owner will make this into a unique and valued property to enjoy for many years to come.
The conservation easement on the property will be held by the Vermont Land Trust (VLT), one of the most respected conservation organizations in the nation. A working forest “partnership” with VLT offers the new owner predictability and cooperation, given the long history and respected reputation this land trust has established.
A principal objective of the easement is to maintain and promote healthy and abundant forest resources. The easement terms prevent subdivision and future development; however, forestry and sugarbush operations, and the construction of associated support infrastructure, are permitted. This property comes with a 5-acre excluded zone and has a cottage, garage, horse stall and several outbuildings.
Most sustainable and traditional forestry and sugarbush activities are permitted to support the long-term stewardship of the protected property.
Copies of the easement are available upon request.
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