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The
Inn At Sawmill Farm-West Dover, Vermont
by Norm Goldman
Artwork by Lily Azerad-Goldman
Converting an 18th
century barn and its outbuildings into a first class romantic
inn, while keeping the original hand- hewn posts and weathered
boards in tact is no easy task. And that is precisely the miraculous
feat Rodney Williams and his wife Ione performed when they moved
from South New Jersey to West Dover Vermont in 1967, and set up
The Inn At Sawmill Farm located in the southern rural Vermont
town of West Dover.
Rodney at the time was a well- known architect having designed
the historic Smithville Village in Smithville, New Jersey. Consequently,
he had the necessary expertise to understand the challenge and
rewards associated with preserving and renovating old structures.
Ione, the second member of the original team, is a designer by
profession, and for many years she had been extremely successful
in operating her own firm.
Together, the combined talents of this enterprising couple were
just the right formula to pull this off. The result of which is
a perfectly positioned Relais & Chateaux inn attracting couples
that seek privacy and at the same time the opportunity to explore
scenic back roads, historic towns, picturesque villages, and cultural
venues.
 When
I posed the question to their son Brill, who together with his
sister Bobbie Dee Molitor have pretty much taken over from their
parents- "were your parents ever afraid that their dreams
would end up in disaster and no one would show up?" He explained
to me that their original plan was to build something very simple,
basic and to keep it as humble as possible. In fact, initially,
their idea was to only build a summer home. They had always loved
this area of Vermont as they passed many a winter skiing on the
nearby ski hills.
Before they knew it, an inn was opened in the late 1960s’
and their daily tariff was $48. This included the meals his mother,
Ione, would prepare. You did not have a choice of menu, and whatever
his mother decided to prepare on a particular day is what you
were stuck with.
Brill indicated that there was no need to worry about Ione’s
cooking, it was always consistently good, and he owes a great
deal of his knowledge to his mother’s culinary skills.
We can certainly vouch for Brill’s talents as a chef. In
fact, when we visited the Inn At Sawmill Farm it had just re-opened
for its summer and fall season, and the dining room was filled
to capacity; a good indication that we were not the only ones
who appreciated fine dining.
We had the opportunity to try his sautéed sweetbreads on
a bed of fried spinach with white butter sauce, as well as the
grilled tenderloin of beef with black truffle Madeira sauce. Both
were out of this world!
Brill mentioned to us that he likes to use a great deal of local
ingredients as well as rabbit, partridge, quail and venison. Deserts
reflect his mother’s Pennsylvania Dutch Family’s influence,
such as the ice cream covered with rich, hot sauce of dark chocolate,
butter and walnuts.
Also joining the inn’s competent team are Brill’s two
adorable young daughters, Letica (Lettie) and Chinon (Chi Chi),
who help out serving the guests in the inn’s romantic dining
room on tables adorned with fine linen, crystal, and china. It
was something to watch these two young ladies serve their beaming
grandparents! We even had Letica practice her French with us with
her cute accent, as she will be off to Paris shortly.
Being a guest at The Inn At Sawmill Farm gets you an additional
bonus: the opportunity to savor one or more of the 28, 000-30,000
bottles of some of the finest wines stored in the wine cellar
that is situated under the main dining room.
Brill showed us around the wine cellar that he indicated was no
easy task to build, and we could well understand why it has brought
the inn a Wine Spectator Grand Award yearly since 1992. Incidentally,
the tour of the wine cellar is available for any interested guests
who want to see what beckons below. You will be amazed, as we
were, at the tremendous choices!
There are twenty-one cozy guest rooms in the inn of which ten
are located in the main house and eleven in nearby buildings ensuring
an intimate romantic experience. All of these rooms reflect the
spirit of Vermont living, permitting their guests to enjoy the
changing days and seasons. Exquisite room décors reflect
Ione’s decorating talents. Some rooms even have decks for
relaxation during the late spring. Eleven also have fireplaces,
and let me tell you that even in late May, when we visited the
inn, the heat radiating from the crackling fireplace was sheer
delight! There are even Jacuzzis and canopy beds in a few rooms.
As far as the inn’s activities go, The Inn At Sawmill Farm
takes a minimalist approach. The principal attractions are the
swimming pool, the trout ponds, where you can try your hand at
fly fishing and even sign up for lessons given by an Orvis approved
instructor, snowshoe, hike or cross country ski.
However, once you
venture outside the inn’s grounds, there is a great deal
to do in the way of cultural, sporting and other adventures.
MORE INFORMATION
The
Inn At Sawmill Farm
Crosstown Road and Route 100,
West Dover, Vermont
Tel: 800-493-1133
Email: sawmill@sover.net
Mount Snow
Valley Chamber Of Commerce
Tel: 877-887-6884
Email: info@visitvermont.com
Continued
on page 2--Area Activities
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