23 Highland Road , Springfield, VT 05156(Windsor County)

The "Smiley Manse" is named after a Scottish Presbyterian minister and original owner-builder in 1811. A later occupant, senator Ralph Flanders, commissioned the 1929 addition and a comprehensive renovation, which has been refined and maintained to a high standard under stewardship of successive owners. The gracious historic floor plan remains relevant for modern living styles with the spacious gathering rooms, bespoke Smallbone kitchen imported from England with its AGA stove and a variety of special purpose rooms. The home offers 10 working wood burning fireplaces and all 6 bedrooms are appointed for comfort and privacy with bath en suite. A remarkable feature of the home is the former Flanders Library, which was originally conceived as a music room with a parabolic shaped ceiling possessing superb acoustics. Currently this great room is used for recreation and display of historic reference books and collections of sporting equipment. The grounds are superbly landscaped and feature an in-ground spa, Har-tru tennis court, wide covered patio, grape arbor and one of the region's finest carriage barns. All of the structures are clad with Vermont slate roofs and old-growth clapboards. Oriented to southerly views, the Manse is discretely located in a neighborhood populated by dozens of Vermont's finest residences representing architectural styles and sizes afforded by wealth produced at the zenith of the Machine Tool industry.