Fair Haven's rural landscape offers quiet Vermont living
Fair Haven is set within the lower-slung western side of Vermont’s otherwise mountainous topography, located on the New York state line. The rural layout of Fair Haven radiates from a central village along U.S. Route 4, and the region offers recreational opportunities by way of hiking areas, nearby lakes and even snowmobiling trails when winter weather blankets the area. “Vermont, in itself, is a draw because of its rural lifestyle,” says Suanne Ohl, a broker salesperson with Northland Real Estate. “Fair Haven is a nice, quaint village with a central park in the center with a gazebo. Then, as you go into the outskirts, there are country homes in a country setting dotted with farmhouses.” Route 4 runs east-west through Fair Haven and links the community with Rutland, about 20 miles west. Locals are also just down the road from annual events, like Rutland’s Vermont State Fair or the Sasquatch Festival and Calling Contest in Whitehall, New York.
Outdoor recreation throughout and around Fair Haven
Village Green serves as the central park of Fair Haven, situated in the middle of the village. The oval-shaped green space offers paths shaded by trees and a gazebo on its southern end. Hills like Sledge Length Ridge and Rattlesnake Ridge slope skyward in the area, while locals can take their pets to Fur Haven Dog Park. The Castleton River and Poultney River wind through the area. The Bonsawinno Wildlife Management Area and the adjacent Phoebe Pond are popular for hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing. A rural road winds toward O’Brien Point in the northeastern corner of Fair Haven, which overlooks Glen Lake.
Just east, Lake Bomoseen is the largest outdoor draw of west-central Vermont. “Lake Bomoseen is the largest fully-encompassed lake in Vermont,” Ohl says. “The lake has at least two public state parks with hiking trails and public boat launches. There are smaller lakes in the areas to go kayaking, motorboating, jet skiing and hiking, and there is ice fishing in the winter when the lake freezes.” The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) maintains trails for snowmobiles due to the amount of snow the area receives in winter.
Fair Haven offers a variety of single-family architecture
Most homes in Fair Haven are single-family properties, with some multi-family homes mixed in. Most are concentrated on residential streets in the main village, with Fair Haven giving way to a rural landscape dotted with larger farmhouses farther from the center. Prices typically range from about $200,000 to about $350,000 for single-family homes in the village, while multi-family properties often cost between $250,000 and $280,000. Colonial-style homes, Craftsmans and Cape Cods are the most common architectural styles found in Fair Haven.
A number of homes in the community date to the 1800s. “There are older homes, because it’s an older village,” Ohl says. “We’re in the Slate Valley here, so the older, colonial-style homes have slate roofs. Fair Haven also has some old marble homes, because of the marble quarries.” Some homes sit on the banks of Lake Bomoseen just east, and can carry a slightly steeper price tag. “A lot of the homes are on the Fair Haven side of the lake,” Ohl says. “There are vacation homes, and more recently, people are choosing to live on the lake year-round.” Many homes on the lake can cost $400,000 and up, with some reaching above $1 million.
Athletic prowess at Fair Haven Union High
Schools for Fair Haven students sit close to the village. Fair Haven Grade School spans kindergarten through sixth grade and receives a C-minus rating from Niche. Fair Haven Union High School serves seventh through 12th grades, scoring a C-plus. Fair Haven Union’s football team won the Vermont Division II high school state championship in 2024. Both schools are part of the Slate Valley Unified School District.
Restaurant staples and dining on Lake Bomoseen
The village section of Fair Haven is home to a pair of local restaurants. The Fair Haven Inn takes its name from the community it serves. “It is a nice, lovely restaurant right in Fair Haven,” Ohl says. “It’s been a staple there for many years for finer dining. People can also go to the lake and the Lake Bomoseen Lodge or the Lake House Pub & Grille, where you can sit overlooking the water.” The Fair Haven Inn serves lunch and dinner, while Lake Bomoseen Lodge has a taproom. The Lake House Pub & Grille is seasonally open and offers both indoor and outdoor dining. M&B Snack Bar serves up ice cream within Fair Haven on Route 22A. The Haven Guest House Bed & Breakfast has been open for more than 70 years. Locals can also head east for more restaurants. “Rutland has many, many restaurants, which are about half an hour away,” Ohl says. A Shaw’s near Route 4 fulfills grocery needs.
Traveling around Vermont on Route 4
United States Route 4 runs horizontally through Fair Haven, traversing parts of three states in its entirety. “Route 4 is easily accessible,” Ohl says. “You can head to Rutland or up to the ski mountains very quickly, or you can head west towards Lake George and New York.” Route 4 is around a mile from the center of the village, while central Rutland is less than 20 miles east. Rutland Regional Medical Center, the nearest major hospital, is a similar distance away. The closest highway is Interstate 87, around 30 miles east across the New York state line.
Annual Vermont festivals and gatherings close to Fair Haven
Every year, the Vermont State Fair comes to Rutland for several days in late summer. Locals can go on carnival rides, interact with animals, take in live entertainment, see motorcycle racing and more. Fair Haven residents are close to other areas that put on annual events. “The closest big draw is the State Fair,” Ohl says. “Poultney has a chili cook-off every year that draws a lot of people, and right down in New York, Whitehall has a big Sasquatch Festival every year. I’ve been to it and it’s fun.” Poultney’s Rotary Chili Cook-Off has endured for over 30 years and features live music and a silent auction. The Whitehall Sasquatch Festival and Calling Contest takes place just over the state line in New York, commemorating Bigfoot sightings in the area. About 6 miles north, Devil’s Bowl Speedway is the largest remaining motorsports track in the state and showcases series like modifieds and sprint cars.
