OUR TOWNS Dummerston, Vermont Home to a famous house shaped like a ship, artful stone walls, heirloom apples and the hottest peppers known to man.

A famous house shaped like a ship, artful stone walls, and the hottest peppers known to man are just a few of the ingredients baked into intriguing Dummerston, Vermont. Spending a few days here will have you feeling like a world traveler. &emsp;For starters, Dummerston is home to Vermont's longest covered bridge at 267 feet with a central pier. It's also where outdoor enthusiasts return to themselves while exploring the Black Mountain Conservation Area. &emsp;For an immersion experience to take it all in, a stay at Naulakha is in order. This intriguing home, encased in green wood shingles, was built for Rudyard Kipling, the famous author of "The Jungle Book," "Captains Courageous" and "Just So Stories." Kipling was born in Bombay, India (now Mumbai), educated in Britain and lived in Vermont for several years because it's where his wife's family was anchored. &emsp;"The home is meant to feel like a ship sailing the Southern Vermont hills, taking inspiration from a Kashmir houseboat and Mississippi riverboat," says Jeremy Ebersole, communications specialist for The Landmark Trust USA. This organization maintains this National Historic Landmark. &emsp;Today, Naulakha is home to guests for family retreats, vacations, work trips and other gatherings. &emsp;"The opportunity it provides for people to connect with and be inspired by history in a truly authentic way without velvet ropes is incredibly special," Ebersole says. &emsp;In this house, Kipling wrote many of his greatest works, earning him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907. This made him the youngest person to win the award and the first English-language winner. &emsp;Of the home that inspired Kipling, Ebersole says, "It's just full of stories! It puts guests in a place where they can really slow down, be mindful of the world around them and the deep history surrounding them and truly connect. It's a transformative experience for many." &emsp;Guests tend to return again and again, and hundreds also visit each year during the annual Estate & Rhododendron Tour on the first weekend in June. &emsp;"It's a point of strong community pride that attracts visitors from around the world to our community and supports our local economy in important ways," Ebersole notes. &emsp;Just half a mile down the road is Scott Farm, a Certified B Corporation that is also a property of The Landmark Trust USA. In fall, it's a bustling pick-your-own destination with heirloom apples. During the rest of the year, it's an events space and home to The Stone Trust. &emsp;Another remarkable nonprofit, this one focuses on preserving and advancing the art and craft of dry stone walling. &emsp;"So much of our cultural heritage in New England, across the country and around the world is preserved in dry stone construction," says Amy-Louise Pfeffer, executive director of The Stone Trust. &emsp;From agricultural walls in Vermont and New Hampshire to the aqueducts of Rome, stone walls are a part of the landscape and infrastructure often taken for granted. &emsp;"We need to know how to maintain and restore them and how to keep renovations historically accurate," Pfeffer explains. &emsp;In addition, dry stone construction is inherently ecologically sustainable and resilient. It doesn't require long-distance transportation and lasts far longer than concrete. Plus, stone walls are recyclable, with the potential to be deconstructed and reused on demand. &emsp;"Beyond that, stone construction creates nooks and crannies; it attracts plant, fungal life, arthropods, mammals and reptiles — it creates habitat," Pfeffer says. &emsp;With these many benefits, The Stone Trust plays a pivotal role in teaching this historic art and facilitating a pathway for craftsmen to become certified through the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain. &emsp;There are significant professional opportunities for those who do, such as large-scale arch bridge restorations, several of which have taken place locally, with another launching this spring in West Townshend, Vermont. &emsp;On a smaller scale, stone walls have remained part of the landscape across Vermont since the "sheep fever" era, when a handful of Merino sheep transported discreetly from France (where Napoleon had planned to corner the market) arrived in Vermont. Soon, farmers were clearing land and building walls across the entire region, all eager to turn a profit-producing Merino wool. &emsp;Stone wall boundaries remained in fashion until the creation of barbed wire, but the story they tell of New England history has withstood time. At The Stone Trust in Dummerston, visitors can witness stone craftsmanship in all its glory, from Irish and Scottish techniques featuring tightly packed upright stones to moon gates and curved walls. &emsp;Some of the features at The Stone Trust are created during workshop sessions, others during certification tests, and the view is constantly changing. Founder Jared Flynn is the site champion. He's among several master craftsmen and founders who have brought The Stone Trust to life, including Dan Snow and Michael Weitzner. &emsp;Now, the initiative has expanded to seven additional sites, not just in New England but as far as Tennessee and Colorado. Pfeffer says these are places where you can see "stone become not just kind of solid and cold, but it takes on a life, offers inspiration, and creates an experience of awe." &emsp;Another destination just down Kipling Road is Bear Foot Farm, which does Vermont proud as the perfect place to get your hands on some local maple syrup. &emsp;"The sugarhouse is run with family and friends," notes owner Lee Chamberlin. He and his brother Michael started sugaring in the front yard back in the early 70s. "My father got us into it, and then we just took over." &emsp;Now, the brothers tap around 3,000 trees to produce 1,000 gallons of pure Vermont maple syrup annually. This year, the first boil took place in February, with Bear Foot aiming to produce all three syrup grades by the season's end. &emsp;"I always figure sugaring is a good thing in the spring to get you outside, get you moving again," Chamberlin says. &emsp;During the rest of the year, the farm remains bustling with the brothers chopping wood and tending to apple trees, blueberry bushes and the newly planted Christmas trees. &emsp;The farm also participates in Harvest Hosts' affordable membership program, which provides travelers access to a network of wineries, farms, breweries, museums and other attractions for overnight stays in their RVs. &emsp;In exchange, "you're encouraged to buy something from the farm stand or help the farmer in some way," Chamberlin says. At Bear Foot Farm, they see around 60 campers each year, and they're looking forward to welcoming the first in 2024. &emsp;Dummerston is fortunate to have a variety of farms, and a fan-favorite is Walker Farm, which has been in the family since 1770. &emsp;"We almost have the mortgage paid, so we're coming along," owner Jack Manix says with a laugh. &emsp;Jack and his wife, Karen, do an incredible job creating a menu of plants beyond any garden-lover's dreams. The farm is known for unique options, such as 34 varieties of echinacea, 140 types of heirloom tomatoes and 70 different hot peppers. &emsp;"I promised everybody I wouldn't get anymore, but then I saw this pepper advertised online as the hottest pepper on earth!" Manix says. Hotter than the Carolina Reaper, this new addition is sure to keep the 2024 season spicy. &emsp;These Vermonters are some of the only ones crazy enough to heat a greenhouse all winter long. That's where they keep their stock plans and begin propagation each spring. Their talented propagator, Daisy Goldschmid, spends her winters in Columbia paragliding and returns in time to get things rolling for the season. &emsp;"The New York Times actually did an article on us a while ago, and I told them she could root a broomstick," Manix laughs. Goldschmid has been with the farm since her teens, and that's not uncommon. The tightly woven team sticks around, and they know their customers. It's a place where people come to have a good chat, get their green on, and find a fix of top-notch produce. &emsp;"Spending time in the garden always seems to make people happy," Manix says. SIDEBAR Dummerston, Vermont Chartered: 1753 County: Windham Land Acknowledgment: - Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy) - N'dakina (Abenaki / Abénaquis) - Pennacook Population: 1,865 Elevation: 814 feet Area: 30.8 square miles