Bread Loaf Mountain Campus

A view to the Green Mountain range, with a ski meet set up in the background.

Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf Mountain Campus sits in the hills of Ripton, Vermont, among the Green Mountains and Robert Frost’s country. Driving by, you could not miss this striking collection of matching buildings with yellow ochre wood cladding and deep green shutters, mostly in meticulous condition. What started as a summer resort in the 1860s by Joseph Battell, a prominent Middlebury resident, became the Bread Loaf School of English in 1915. Robert Frost lectured at the school from 1921 – 1963. In the summers, the campus hosts the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. In the winter the Rikert Nordic Ski Center operates out of the campus. It’s a beautiful site, winter or summer.

One of the many residential cottages on the campus.

Steamboat type porches adorn this campus residence.

Another view of unique windows and impressive porches.

These diamond shaped windows are an interesting feature.

Real shutters, original windows, and well maintained buildings are highlights of this campus.

Utilities are well hidden on these porches.

The Bread Loaf Inn (not a public inn), built in 1861 is in need of more maintenance than the other buildings.

A view from the fields (currently used for skiing).

Bread Loaf Campus is worth a weekend drive if you’re in Vermont, whether you are skiing or sight-seeing.

Advertisement

Preservation Photos #202

A basement store facade in Middlebury, VT.

That’s the most inviting basement window I’ve ever seen. And you?

Winter Entrances

January thaw, you were nice while you were here in Vermont. Now we welcome February and the returning cold, snowy weather. Speaking of cold, opening an exterior door in the winter can rush in waves of freezing weather aside from the snow our boots track in the doors. In these cold climate states, winter is beautiful but often messy. Living in Vermont I’ve noticed exterior winter preparations that I haven’t seen elsewhere, whether New York or North Carolina. Most of us remove screens, put on or pull down storm windows, turn off the outside faucets, bring in fair weather plants, add water hog mats at our fronts doors, and keep shovels at hand.

Montpelier, VT. The entire hooded entrance is removed in the warm weather. The fanlight and sidelights of the entrance match those on this historic building. Historic integrity remains intact.

In Vermont, winter preparations go to another level. Lately I’ve noticed that many buildings have temporary winter entrance enclosures (see above). Rather than an open porch, a hooded, walled entrance can be installed on a building. This will provide energy savings, as well allow for less cleaning – take those boots off at the entrance! The Montpelier entrance is a good example of preserving historic integrity, even in the cold weather. Perhaps a good suggestion for residences and businesses. Have you seen any winter entrances where you live? Or other winter preparations?

Middlebury, VT. This actually is on the building year round, but it reminded me of the Montpelier example. Anyone from Middlebury? How is this different than it used to be? (This is not a quiz; it’s actually a question.)

Preservation Photos #68

Middlebury Congregational Church in Middlebury, Vermont. Photograph taken in the warmer summer days.