Barnard
You here in Vermont have a priceless heritage-old houses that must not be torn down, and beauty that must not be defiled, roads that must not be cluttered with billboards and hot-dog stands. You are guardians of this priceless heritage.
Charles Edward Crane (quoting Sinclair Lewis's address to the Barnard rotary club.)
From Bethel I drive up and down North Road's hills to the center of Barnard, composed of two graceful churches and a forthright general store, and peruse these appreciatively from the Route 12 intersection.
Before leaving town, I decide to go into the Barnard General Store for coffee. It has an interesting recent history that says alot about what these modest general stores offer to their towns. In 2012 it looked like, after a continuous run since 1832, the General Store had closed down permanently. A non-profit organization was formed by Barnard residents who didn’t want to lose the convenience of having a nearby store that was also the heart of their village.
Neighbors rain the store counters in three hour shifts until they were able to raise half a million dollars to buy the building and permanently protect the Barnard General Store. The new owners are a young couple, and they’re offering a tempting menu of pancakes, omelettes and sandwiches, including a non-Vermont pastrami and swiss. I’ll have to come back when I’m hungry.
Saying goodbye to Barnard’s main intersection, I continue south down Stage Road towards Woodstock. I don’t know it until later in the day when I read about Barnard’s history, but my dirt-covered Toyota is driving past the pristine 300 acres of Twin Farms. It’s a luxury resort that I’m guessing caters to that 10% of our population holding 70% of our national wealth, since accommodations range up to $3,000. a night.
What tickles my fancy is that this property used to belong to the leftist critic of the bourgeoisie Sinclair Lewis (author of "Babbitt," "Dodsworth," "Main Street," and "It Can't Happen Here") and his wife, anti-fascist journalist Dorothy Thompson. You can sleep in "Red's Room," that is, Nobel Laureate Sinclair's bedroom, for $1,300. a night. The irony is gratis.
I'm glad I didn't find out about Twin Farms until later, as my populist rant would have distracted from the peaceful beauty of Stage Road in twilight.