As you approach Bird's Nest it is easy to imagine from its petite size and shape that it had its beginnings as a farm storage building. Some of the glass is original and we are told that as recently as 1961 the building had a dirt floor. Although we do not know more specifically the original purpose of the building, we do know that during the early 1900s the Barrows family used the building as a tack house (harness shop) for their livery business.
The Birds Nest was completely renovated during the Fall of 2000. The structure was brought back to its original one room design. The renovations also added a new two person whirlpool tub and a three sided gas fireplace. Room Descriptions | | | | Carriage House is one of the most distinctive-looking buildings on our grounds, and there is great speculation concerning its historical purpose. Sources tell us that it originally belonged to The Forge, a blacksmith and ironworking shop located directly across the road. This explains the chimneys. Affiliated with a forge, it would have been common for carriages to be repaired there--and hence, we imagine, the building acquired its current name.
However, we have also learned that after the building was acquired by the Barrows Family, it served for a time as an office for The Knit, a wool company run by the Barrows that sent local knit-goods to stores all across the country. Room Descriptions | | | | In the early 1900s the rural town of Dorset attained popularity as a summer resort community. Guests traveled by train to Manchester, took a scenic carriage ride to Dorset and more than likely remained in Dorset the entire season. These summer visitors were the initial guests of Theresa and Experience Barrows.
Outdoor recreational activities were an important attraction to those early Barrows House guests, as they are today. For golfers, the Dorset Field Club offered an historic 9-hole course and was the site of the Barrows House championship played at summers end.
In this spirit, our cottage called the Field House combines guest accommodations with recreational activity; the lower portion of the building serves the nearby pool; the second floor provides a guest suite. Room Descriptions | | | | Halstead house was built in 1931 on land that the Barrows family had previously sold. It was owned by the Halstead family until 1984, when Marilyn and Charlie Schubert, innkeepers of Barrows House, purchased it for their residence.
At the far end of Halstead house is a remodeled apartment with its own private entrance. Halstead's apartment has a queen bed in the bedroom with the full bathroom; including a new two person whirlpool tub, off the bedroom. The living room contains a wood burning fireplace, cable TV with VTP (video tape player), small refrigerator and love seat which contains a twin Sofabed. This is the most private of the units at Barrows House as it is set back in the woods about 300' from the tennis court. Room Descriptions | | | | Experience Barrows, founder of Barrows House, once said "Running an inn can be a lot of fun. As long as you are honest and friendly and mean it, you'll get along all right."
Experience and his wife, Teresa must have gotten along rather "all right." because circa 1920 -- they expanded their inn business by building a separate cottage they called the Annex. The Annex doubled the number of available guest rooms. Years later, the name of this cottage was changed to Hemlock House, reflecting the picturesque setting of this cottage within a patch of Hemlock trees.
Ground floor houses a small sitting area with a refrigerator. Large outdoor front porch.
Room Descriptions | | | | Constructed in 1804, the Main Inn is the oldest building at the Barrows House. It was originally built for the Reverend William Jackson, the second pastor of the Dorset Church, and the Jackson family lived here through 1848.
The name Barrows House derives from Theresa and Experience Barrows, who in 1900 purchased the property and established it as an inn. Open summertime only, "city-borders" could enjoy the attractions of southern Vermont at rates from $12-$15 per week!
Barrows House has been continuously operated as a country inn ever since. Room Descriptions | | | | Schubert House was built in 1964 by the Lees as a residence for Mr. Lee's mother, who lived there until she was 97 years old.
The Schuberts, Barrows House's third owners, originally used the cottage as their home and later converted it into a guest cottage. We have further remodeled it into the comfortable retreat it is today.
Ground floor has a shared kitchen with a credit card phone. Room Descriptions | | | | Theresa and Experience Barrows who purchased the property now known as Barrows House in 1900. They also operated a livery business known as Barrows House Stables. (Our Bird's Nest cottage served as the tack shop.)
The original stables has only a single floor. The second floor was added to house Barrows House staff, and later improved for guest accommodations.
Stable Suites 1 and 2 have second floor private entrances and connect through the bedrooms. Room Descriptions | | | | The Barrows Family owned the inn until it was purchased by the Lees in 1961. In 1961 the Lees built Truffle House as their personal family home. The Schuberts, the next innkeepers of Barrows House, transformed Truffle House from a family residence into the delightful guest cottage it is today.
The ground floor has a large living room with TV, VCR, refrigerator, woodburning fireplace and credit card phone. The second floor has a sitting room with queen sofabed, TV, refrigerator, and a gas fireplace. Room Descriptions | | | | |
