It is one of the most iconic farmsteads in the world…
It also doesn’t hurt that the name ‘Sleepy Hollow’ is the name of a favorite Halloween tale about the infamous Headless Horseman in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.
A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere.– Washington Irving, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
In the late 1780s, two brothers from Connecticut, Samuel and John Doten, left their family farm for a new life in central Vermont. The brothers each built their own farm on connecting plots of land.
The farms stayed in the same family for many generations until the 1950’s when the Sleepy Hollow farmstead was sold off to other owners.
Notably, the picturesque farm was most recently owned by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and his wife, Billie, who used Sleepy Hollow as their Vermont retreat.
It was listed for sale in 2020 and actually sold in September, 2020 for $2,200,000.
The property includes the original 1700’s Cape house and a heated six-stall barn with a loft/studio that is connected to the house, as well as two ponds, an historic school house/guest house and a log cabin that rests on a ridge with fantastic views of the surrounding hills.
Let’s have a look in the historic Cape first:
It’s been thoroughly renovated to modern standards but it still maintains some original features such as exposed support beams, wide-plank wood floors, and some of the original fireplaces.
The kitchen:
Dining room:
Den/office:
Bedrooms:
In the photo (below) from the listing, we get a glimpse into the life of the famous guitar-playing former owner:
Now let’s have a look at that amazing barn!
It still kinda has the old schoolhouse feel to it!
Last but not least, is the log cabin.
Interestingly, the property was offered for sale complete with an array of motorized vehicles including a tractor, UTV and ATVs with wheels and tracks, two dirt bikes, and a diesel-powered snowcat groomer, according to the listing.
The land of the Sleepy Hollow Farm is conserved both in the Vermont Current Use program and by the Vermont Land Trust so no matter who owns it, it will always be preserved.
Sources:
Newengland.com/today/travel/vermont/the-history-of-sleepy-hollow-farm
Snyderdonegan.com/listing/4779987/3429-cloudland-road-pomfret-vt-05067/
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