Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-07
OLD FARM BOUGHT
BY SINCLAIR LEWIS
Writer and Bride to Live in
Vermont in Spring and
Summer.

BARNARD, VT, [P).-An ancient
/ Vermont hill farm in Barnard has been
| chosen by Sinclair Lewis, novelist, and
1 his bride. Dorothy Thompson, as their
permanent Spring, Summer and
| Autumn home.
! Coming here from their honeymoon in
England for brief stay before Winter
drove them to their New. York apart
ment,. they have been delighted with the
| comfortable 132-year-old farmhouse and
pleased with the lack of f1utter shown
by the countryside over their arrival: ;.
Some might think the farm bit
lonely, but it is just what the author
wanted. Barnard has only $50 residents,
and they are scattered over township
of As square miles. The village is and
10 miles, respectively, from the railroad
lines on the north and south. To reach
the Lewis place one must climb mar
row, winding road out of the village, still
higher into the, hills, a distance of about
two miles.
House Obscured.
The house, obsscured from the high
way. is low and white, with a wide
yeranda across its front. Surrounded
by a bit of lawn and garden land amid
a cluster of trees. it nestles on slope
which forms one side of a narrow valley.
A few hundred feet below brook ram
bles along the valley bottom.
The old place has its historic associa-
tions. The hill road that swings past
his driveway is still remembered locally
as that used by Marquis de Lafayette
on his final triumphal tour of America
in 1925.
The novelist called attention to the
doorstep of his home. The big oblong
piece of rock bore this inscription:
From This Stone
The Doorstep Of Atkins
Tavern
MARQUIS de Lafayette
Addressed the People
OF: Barnard Vermont,
June %, 1925"
The tavern, Mr.. Lewis said, still stands
a short distance down the highway and
is now used as a farmhouse.
In this setting: made more colorful
by the Indian Summer foliage, the,
novelist found seclusion for work on a
novel he is finishing. And with his
bride, who has q reputation OF her own
as writer, he has planned the future
Of their farmhouse.
Part of his 300 acres Mr.. Lewis plans
to keep wooded. The brook will be
damned to form natural swimming
pool The vegetable garden alreaoy mas
been moved farther from the house.
The wife of the novelist has installed
in its place the beginning of a flower
garden. Here she has found enjoyment
working the dark loan with her own
hands.
Confirmation Lacking.
Although a report had been circu-
lated to the effect that people in the
vicinity of Barnard had felt they might
to made subject.o of another Lewis novel,
no confirmation of this runior could
be found. Mr.. Lewis, himself, said he
had learned of no such feeling.
IF they have, haven't encountered
it. No, they haven't the self-conscious-
ness of people in towns. People in
towns worry about such things"
Its good place to get work DONE"
the author said. Il really don't know
any of the people in the neighborhood
yet And they don't intrude upon
you-juSt let you alone.
I'm settling down now after many
years of wandering. Of course I'll go
back to Europe in a couple of years.
But instead of spending a couple of
years there at a time I will probably
cut my visits to about four months"