Edson Hill

A 1939 manor house on 38 mountainside acres in Stowe, with 25 rooms across the original main house and a few cottages. Edson Hill is one of the cult-classic Vermont country houses — a working dressage stable on the property, a serious kitchen, and the kind of stone-and-timber alpine-revival architecture that fits the elevation and the Vermont light.

It is the rare Stowe property that feels like a private estate rather than a hotel — small enough that the owners run it personally, polished enough that the dinner is a destination.

The setting

Edson Hill sits on Edson Hill Road, three miles up the hill from Mountain Road and the village of Stowe, on a 38-acre parcel surrounded by mature woods and pasture. Stowe Mountain Resort is fifteen minutes north; Stowe village is ten minutes south; Burlington airport is an hour west.

The mountainside parcel and the dressage paddocks make the place feel rural in a way most Stowe lodgings don't. Cell service is spotty.

The building

A 1939 stone-and-timber manor house, designed in the country-estate-meets-rustic-revival idiom — local stone foundation, exposed beam ceilings, wide-plank floors, multiple stone fireplaces. Public rooms include a great room, a fireplaced library, the dining room, the bar, and a covered porch facing the pasture. Materials are stone, hand-hewn timber, brass, and velvet in the dining room. The aesthetic is country-estate: heritage, careful, comfortable.

The rooms

Twenty-five rooms across the main manor and a few cottages. Categories include classic king rooms in the manor (with original detail), larger garden suites with private decks, and freestanding cottages with full living rooms and gas fireplaces. Beds are kings; bathrooms are tile and stone, refreshed. From-rates open around $445 in season; cottages run higher.

Food & drink

The dining room runs a contemporary New England menu with Vermont-heavy sourcing. The wine list is solid, with a strong American program and a thoughtful European selection. The bar is one of the better Stowe drink spots. Non-guests book the dining room. Breakfast is included.

On the property

A heated outdoor pool. The on-site dressage stables, with riding arranged for guests and visiting boarders. Cross-country skiing on the property in winter. Hiking trails. A small spa with bodywork. Bicycles to borrow.

• Heated outdoor pool
• Dressage stables, horseback riding
• Cross-country skiing in winter
• Trails on the 38-acre parcel
• Small spa
• Open year-round

Who it's for

• Couples doing Stowe who want a country-estate experience
• Riders, especially dressage-trained
• Diners planning around a serious country-house dinner
• Anyone who'd choose a 25-room manor over a 200-room ski hotel

Who it's not for

• Travelers seeking a contemporary boutique design
• Anyone who wants to walk to dinner — Stowe village is a 10-minute drive
• Pet owners (some accommodations accept pets; verify on booking)

Nearby

Stowe Mountain Resort is fifteen minutes north. Stowe village has the Trapp Family Lodge (with the brewery), Plate restaurant, and the Stowe Recreation Path along the river. Smugglers' Notch — the dramatic mountain pass — is fifteen minutes north. Ben & Jerry's factory is twenty minutes south in Waterbury. For dinner outside the manor: Plate in Stowe, Doc Ponds, and Solstice at the Stowe Mountain Lodge are the picks.