Ask the Seller: Pearl House Farm, On Lake Champlain in Grand Isle, Vermont

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in one of LandVests properties? We invite our owners to tell us about their experience, what they love about their homes and their history. The owner of Pearl House Farm on Grand Isle, VT shares how she found this ideal location and what she loves about her home on Lake Champlain.

We wanted a small Vermont country farm. After looking for several months, we found a gem of a farmhouse: Pearl House Farm on Pearl Bay. It was originally given as payment to Stephen Pearl, a soldier from the Revolutionary War. I wouldn't say that an 87-acre farm on a protected bay is "small", but my sons loved being on Lake Champlain. Listed in the Vermont Historic Registry, the farm had a rich history and also a great potential for everything we wanted to do.

Significant Improvements

The farm was in a state of disrepair and the house and outbuildings needed extensive renovations. It took me 10 years to renovate everything and become somewhat self-sufficient. The house had a complete renovation and all 5 barns were renovated/repaired over time. I received Vermont barn grants for two of the renovation projects, added solar panels, and a wood heating system. The neighbor dairyman manages the hay fields and they are pristine.

Special Features

Pearl House Farm is a unique property on Lake Champlain. It is a working farm with potential to be either a "gentlemans farm" with horses and gardens or utilized as an agricultural business. The quality of the fertile land, the climate temperance from the lake influence, and the updated amenities are a turn-key opportunity that is unique in the Island's real estate offerings. The farm is independent with solar panels generating almost all of our yearly electrical needs. The wood lot provides fuel for both the wood stove and outside wood boiler to generate all our heating needs and eliminating the need to burn oil. The land is gorgeous with fields and trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. And, of course, there is the lake for swimming, boating, kayaking, etc. Pearl Bay has good water flow and is clean. Large sail and powerboats anchor in the bay on the weekends, which is really neat.

Favorite Rooms

I love my office, which has a 270-degree view of the lake and fields. I also love the family room with lake/field views and a comfy Hearthstone stove for cold evenings and days.

Favorite Spaces

I enjoy sitting on one of the decks outside my office to bask in the solitude and 270-degree lake/field views in the afternoon. I also have a favorite geological "feature", a huge glacier rock, on one of the many woods' trails. My pup and I walk the trails every morning and visit the rock and view the changing seasons. It is a quiet place to enjoy the forest, the wildlife, and all the special qualities of the Vermont outdoors.

Why Move?

With my sons grown and gone, I no longer need such a large house. I love the property and want to find something smaller but similar. Due to the quality of the buildings, utilities, land, fencing, etc., the maintenance is minimal.

Six Things I Love the Most

1. Unrivaled beauty everywhere
2. The peace and solitude
3. Natural resources for both function and fun: a robust woodlot, a maple sugar bush, fertile land for gardening and growing, room for horses or other animals, miles of trails for hiking or riding, and wetlands for bird watching
4. Self-sufficiency: heating (wood), electricity(solar), gardens
5. Country life but close proximity to Burlington with UVM and social activities
6. Community life with good neighbors and lots of local social activities and events

   Michelle

For more information about Pearl House Farm or other properties in Greater Burlington, please contact Wade Weathers at wweathers@landvest.com and Averill Cook at acook@landvest.com from our Burlington office.