Wilderness surrounds the Victorian architecture of Saint Johnsbury
Saint Johnsbury is the center of the Northeast Kingdom, a collection of mountains and rolling pastures in Northeast Vermont. It is known for its colorful Victorian architecture and Dog Mountain. With a quirky downtown, Saint Johnsbury is an artsy community centered around the outdoors in the rugged wilderness of the northern country. "We have a creative arts scene that other towns don't have. We also have the quintessential village-like downtown. We're in Vermont, so we have pretty village greens and world-class access to the outdoors," says Scott DesJardins, a broker at Better Real Estate who has sold homes in the area for over 20 years.
Storybook streets and historic steepled cottages
Much of Saint Johnsbury resembles a storybook setting from another time, with historic architecture in well-kept homes alongside red maple and birch trees. Pastel-colored Victorian Queen Annes and Stick houses are closer to downtown, while residential areas have Craftsman-style cottages, Dutch colonial styles and ranch-style homes. Prices range from $165,000 to $735,000. "The rest of the world discovered us a few years ago. Prices have gone up a lot, but we're still in the most affordable part of the state," DesJardins says. Some houses can be priced higher based on the amount of land, as some properties have up to 40-acre parcels on the outskirts of town. Flooding can occur, particularly on properties bordering the Passumpsic River.
Skiing at Burke Mountain and visiting Dog Chapel
The Saint Johnsbury Municipal Forest offers nearly three miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Legion Field is the town's Little League baseball diamond. The city is also about 25 miles from Groton State Forest and Willoughby State Forest, each with scenic hikes and mountainous lakes. Dog Mountain is a 150-acre dog-friendly area with off-leash hiking trails and a swimming pond. Also on the mountain, Dog Chapel is an art exhibit that resembles a tiny 1800s church with sculptures out in front. Inside, there are stained-glass windows and pews with canine carvings and designs. The walls around them overflow with pictures of departed dogs and loving letters that provide closure for their former owners. Burke Mountain is one of the region's most popular outdoor attractions, approximately 20 miles north. "Burke Mountain has downhill mountain biking in the summer and skiing in the winter," DesJardins says. "We're within an hour of downhill ski areas, infinite hiking trails and ponds."
Private St. Johnsbury Academy has STEM and international programs
The St. Johnsbury School District serves about 1,000 students and has a school choice program, which allows students to attend private high schools in the area. St. Johnsbury School serves students from prekindergarten to eighth grade, earning a C-minus grade from Niche. It offers school-based psychology sessions to create a supportive learning environment. St. Johnsbury Academy is both a private boarding school and a public high school for the city, and it receives an A grade. While it offers the opportunity for international study abroad trips, it also has a STEM-intensive curriculum with classes in robotics engineering, biomedical science and sustainability. "There are a few private schools in our area used as public schools," DesJardins says. "Saint Johnsbury Academy is a major draw. It is among the top boarding college prep schools in the northeast."
Downtown has bars, cafes and a maple-syrup breakfast
Downtown Saint Johnsbury has businesses in tall colonial and Victorian mixed-use buildings. There are many bars, cafes and art galleries along the old-fashioned streetscapes. The Whirligig Restaurant is a brewery serving sour beers and fusion rice bowls. The Kitchen Counter Cafe serves eggs Benedict and pancakes with real maple syrup, a product of which Vermont is the country's top producer. "We're a rural area, so it's not the place for an abundance of restaurants, but we're getting more, and there are a lot of locally owned shops here." The area's supermarkets are Price Chopper and White Market, located downtown close to several locally owned bodegas and convenience stores.
Within driving distance of Burlington and Littleton
Rural Community Transportation (RCT) provides public transportation, making stops along Central Street and Railroad Street. Littleton, New Hampshire, is approximately 20 miles southeast on Interstate 93. The nearest emergency room is at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, roughly 2 miles north of downtown. Burlington is about 75 miles west, and the Burlington International Airport has direct passenger flights.
