This beautiful 1820 Federal Style (Italianate additions added later) is not lived-in, but it is well cared for by its neighbors in Clarendon, VT.
1820 Federal Style House.
Interior end chimneys, symmetrical massing, fanlight and door lights, marble lintels and sills are characteristic for Federal architecture. The paired brackets and 2/2 windows are Italianate details. Often owners modernized their houses with in-vogue details, just as we would do today.
The porch details are also Italianate. Clearly, I should clean my camera: lens blur again.
The adjacent barn.
Behind the house and barn, down the farm road.
Another view from the farm road.
Looking up from the front door. There is something haunting about a worn curtain blowing through an old broken window. Note the Flemish brick bond, a sign of wealth (it was more labor intensive and skillful than other brick bonds).
The mercury glass doorknob with reflections.
The side porch.
Functioning shutters.
The side porch door. Italianate details here are the brackets and the two rounded glass panel door
Brick houses are always strikingly beautiful, especially in Vermont where most of our houses are clad in wood. The house is a mystery, as it almost looks lived-in. Thankfully, the neighbors seem to own the property and maintain it. All it needs is some love and probably some electrical, plumbing and heating upgrades. I think I’d call this house Empty or Lonely rather than Abandoned.
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p.s. I’ve been asked why I do not provide more specific information about location and history for the buildings in the Abandoned Vermont series. My answer? It is for privacy reasons, particularly for those buildings that are so vulnerable and sitting alone down a dirt road. For the majority of these buildings, I do not know the story of ownership or its current state. Abandoned houses are fascinating, but I do not encourage breaking and entering. I may have found their history in the State Register, so I’ll provide the town and year of construction; but, as for more specific information: it’s not something I feel comfortable leaving for the entire internet to find. Not everyone who is looking for abandoned houses is a preservation friendly, house loving being. I hope you understand.
Preservation in Pink 
Wonderful house. Always so sad to see houses like this sitting empty.
I agree. It seems well kept on the outside, but houses are meant to be lived in. Maybe it’s in someone’s plans for rehabilitation.
Great house! If walls could talk……….
The Mercury/Silvered shutter knobs date from between 1850 and 1880. It’s amazing they are still there!
Thanks for the date of the knobs. It is amazing! I’ll bet the interior as details just as fascinating. Whoever gets the house (hopefully someone does) will have a field day with historic features.
I want it. Thats all I really have to say.
I’ll keep you posted!
The house and the barn are awesome! Amazing that someone would just let it sit vacant, I can’t wrap my head around it. The in-vogue details of their time were much better than ours today.
I know it’s not your job to break into houses, but I would love to see the inside!
Oh, me too!
Started following you on Twitter and immediately fell in love with your work. I wish I could move here and really restore this place. There is not one part of me that is joking!
Thank you! Restoring an 1820s Vermont farmhouse — what a high compliment to the house from a midcentury fella such as yourself! I’ll let you know if I ever see it for sale!
Please do!
Good news on this one! After being tied up in an estate and unoccupied since the 1960s, the ownership has been sorted out and it will be lived in again. Most significantly, this was the home of renowned covered bridge designer Nicholas Powers in the 1870s. The current owner is Powers’ great-great-great grandson.
excellent news. That makes me so happy! Thanks for sharing Devin.
I have family who are from Vermont. Currently residing in AZ. She would like to know the current status of Clarendon House. Any info appreciated.
I believe that the house is being renovated!
Thank you so much for sharing. I’m glad you don’t share the whereabouts. It’s so beautiful to see properties that have been left to the elements vs vandals. I pray the people that own this beauty keeps it structurally sound.
Thank you, Deb. I’m glad you understand about not sharing the whereabouts. I wouldn’t feel right about doing so. Good news on this house, though. The descendents of Nicholas Powers are working on restoring the house!
This was so interesting! I live in Clarendon and know the house well, but never knew any of the history about it. I love the work you do and admire your efforts. I like this article, because my neighbor had a saying, he always used, “All’s well that ends well.” I feel, this article, falls right into that category,