Hedge Hog Hill Farm is part of Mount Holly - Belmont, Vermont... an area made up of six villages. Hedge Hog Hill is perched atop spruce-clad Green Mountains near Jackson Gore, Okemo Mountain's newest resort area.

Following the American Revolution, settlers began to move into south central Vermont. When townships were surveyed on the East and West sides of the Green Mountains, there was left between Ludlow on the East, which belonged to Windsor Country, and Wallingford on the West, which lay in Rutland Country, a pie-shaped piece of land known as a gore, which was not granted at that time.

The first settlement on this tract was begun in 1782 by Abram Jackson, Stephen, Ichabod G., and Chauncey Clark from Connecticut. This tract was named Jackson's Gore after Abram Jackson, the man who was not only an original proprietor but also the person who made the first settlement.

Jackson's first home was believed to be in the village of Belmont probably overlooking Star Lake (note: this would be very close to the Hedge Hog Hill Farm). The present town of Mount Holly was incorporated at the October session of the Legislature of 1792, held in Rutland.

The town lies in a sort of shallow basin, or depression, in the Green Mountains, and in the old days of stage coaching over the road from Burlington to Boston, afforded the best place for crossing the Green Mountains south of Montpelier.

Described as the "town time forgot", Belmont boasts the highest post office and church in all of Vermont (est. 2300 ft. above sea level!). Accordingly, "drifting snow clogs the roads and chill winds whip the farm in winter". Temperatures below -20°F are not uncommon and our tractor or even bulldozer (!) are often required to clear the snow-swept driveways.

In summer, cool breezes melt into beautiful, healthful days, grass grows oh so fast, and the sun warms us all. Fall, glorious fall, brings "leafies" out by the thousands to witness some of God's best work.

Then there is the spring when the sap flows, thousands of gallons into the budding maple trees and, if the rain, sun, snow are in the perfect sequence and the temperature falls below 32°F at night, then above during the day - - it's four weeks of exciting syrup-making time!

Hedge Hog Hill Farm, of some 225 acres, belonged for two hundred or more years to the Sewards, well-known dairy farmers in the area of Rutland. Purpose built in the 17/1800's, the post and beam farmhouse enjoyed several extensions including a "funeral room" (now our living area), a slaughterhouse with pigs and sheep (now our bunkhouse) and a more recent addition, a fifty-year-old attached barn.

In the summer, the cows would be herded up the road to Hedge Hog Hill by Bill, Alan, and Tom Seward (sons of Roland Seward) and there they would live for a glorious 3-month carefree summer!

Hedge Hog Hill was also rumored to have a "gold mine" and in the summer, the townspeople would walk up the path to the rocks, picnicking in their fancy old clothes (see attached). Photos of the old farm show amazing devastation of forests in the area (which was called "Mechanicsville" before Belmont).

The Burns Family purchased the original 200 acres, which had been in trust from Tom, Alan and Bill Seward in 1988 over an "age ole" Vermont handshake! The following year, the homestead and 10 acres were bought and the property was brought back together and the renovation began.

Ten years later, with a hand-built post and beam barn (built from beams from the farm and, sporting four 60' 8x8 beams sawed off by an Alaskan chain saw!), a four acre pond carved out by a 450 John Deere bulldozer (which is still resting in the barn!) and plantings together with 30 acres of grass!

Grand memories of dinners on the porch, surprises, Thanksgivings, Christmases, swimming, hiking and yes, Hedge Hog Hill Maple Syrup - now in its 10th year - but that's another story!

THE FAMILY: Mollie with grandson PK, David, Eliza and Sally with Dog Tal. (Tully "Best Ball Girl" and Aussie "Big Little Dog" passed away recently.