H.D. Burnham Farm
Hill farms like the H. D. Burnham Farm used to be common in Stowe Hollow, but now this part of Stowe is primarily residential. The Burnham Farm’s 107 acres consists of two managed forests (Raven Hill Forest and the White Pine Forest), a productive apple orchard, and meadows where Harry Burnham’s sheep used to graze, now pasture for the Percy Dairy Farm's heifers. The land reaches to the top of Raven Hill, where the views of Stowe Village, the Green Mountains and the Worcester Range are simply amazing. The Raven Hill Forest is also part of the Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor.
Public Access
This property is privately owned and only partially open to the public. Raven Hill Forest is open to the public and can be accessed from a trail head on Dewey Hill Road near its intersection with Stowe Hollow Rd. Visitors must walk to the trail head or park along the side of the road. Follow the trail along the edge of the field until you enter the forest. The lower meadows and open fields are not open to the public and are summer pasture for local dairy heifers. Please respect the animals and private property and stay on trail.
Across the road on the north side of Stowe Hollow Road, there is also public access to the White Pine Forest parcel. Please be aware there are no trails and the area can be quite wet. Hunting is permitted by landowner permission.
Please respect the landowner’s privacy and any directional signs.
Trail Maps
File size: 9 MB
Directions
The H. D. Burnham Farm is located on Stowe Hollow Road. Raven Hill Forest can be accessed via a trail head at the end of Dewey Hill Rd. From the intersection of Route 100 and 108 head south on Route 100 for approximately 2 miles. Turn left onto Goldbrook Road. Stay straight; Goldbrook Road will turn into Dewey Hill Road (travel 1.25 miles to the end of the road).
Facts
- 107 acres
- Privately owned
- Conserved in 1995
- Stowe Hollow
Harry dug his walking stick into the ground and told me that the land cares for him, nourishes him and will bury him. Kathleen Fitzgerald, former Executive Director of Stowe Land Trust
H.D. Burnham Farm
At the time it was conserved, the Burnham Farm was one of the last active hill farms in the Hollow. Harry Burnham was a lover of the land, along with poetry and classic literature. The walls of his cabin were lined with Shakespeare, his favorite. Kathleen H. Fitzgerald, former Executive Director of Stowe Land Trust, recalls the first time she walked the property with Harry, “Harry dug his walking stick into the ground told me that the land cares for him, nourishes him and will bury him.”