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The Inn At Sawmill Farm-West Dover, VermontBy Norm Goldman
Rodney at the time was a well- known architect having
designed the historic
Smithville Village in Smithville New Jersey. Consequently, he had the
necessary expertise to understand the challenge and rewards associated with
preserving and renovating old structures. Ione, the second member of the
original team, is a designer by profession, and for many years she had been
extremely successful in operating her own firm. When I posed the question to their son Brill, who
together with his sister Bobbie Dee Molitor have pretty much taken over from
their parents- “were your parents ever afraid that their dreams would end up
in disaster and no one would show up?” He explained to me that their
original plan was to build something very simple, basic and to keep it as
humble as possible. In fact, initially, their idea was to only build a
summer home. We had the opportunity to try his sautéed sweetbreads
on a bed of fried spinach with white butter sauce, as well as the grilled
tenderloin of beef with black truffle Madeira sauce. Both were out of this
world! Also joining the inn’s competent team are Brill’s two
adorable young daughters, Letica (Lettie) and Chinon (Chi Chi), who help out
serving the guests in the inn’s romantic dining room on tables adorned with
fine linen, crystal, and china. It was something to watch these two young
ladies serve their beaming grandparents! Being a guest at The Inn At Sawmill Farm gets you an additional bonus. The opportunity to savor one or more of the 28, 000-30,000 bottles of some of the finest wines stored in the wine cellar that is situated under the main dining room.
There are twenty- one cozy guest rooms in the inn of which ten are located in the main house and eleven in nearby buildings ensuring an intimate romantic experience. All of these rooms reflect the spirit of Vermont living, permitting their guests to enjoy the changing days and seasons. Exquisite room décors reflect Ione’s decorating talents. Some rooms even have decks for relaxation during the late spring. Eleven also have fireplaces, and let me tell you that even in late May, when we visited the inn, the heat radiating from the crackling fireplace was sheer delight! There are even Jacuzzis and canopy beds in a few rooms. As far as the inn’s activities go, The Inn At Sawmill
Farm takes a minimalist approach. The principal attractions are the swimming
pool, the trout ponds, where you can try your hand at fly fishing and even
sign up for lessons given by an
Orvis approved instructor, snowshoe, hike or cross country ski.
More Information
Mount Snow Valley Chamber Of Commerce Art Work: Lily Azerad-Goldman Norm and Lily Goldman are a unique husband and wife team, writer and water colorist, who write and paint about romantic destinations, and whose articles and artwork can be seen at sketchandtravel.com NEARBY ACTIVITIES HIKING TRAILS
Golf ALPINE SKIING CROSS COUNTRY
SKIING Fly Fishing (The Inn At Sawmill Farm offers various packages in collaboration with an Orvis Company endorsed representative. They also offer a shooting school package pertaining to the fundamentals of shooting sporting clays. )
Lowell State Park THEATER AND
MUSIC HISTORIC TOWNS |
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Converting an 18th century barn and its outbuildings
into a first class romantic inn, while keeping the original hand- hewn posts
and weathered boards in tact is no easy task.
Brill showed us around the wine cellar that he
indicated was no easy task to build, and we could well understand why it has
brought the inn a Wine Spectator Grand Award yearly since 1992.
Incidentally, the tour of the wine cellar is available for any interested
guests who want to see what beckons below. You will be amazed, as we were,
at the tremendous choices!