255 McCullough Hill Road
Privacy, views, and an entirely renovated home are highlights of what lies at the end of the drive at 255 McCullough Hill Road. A tenth-of-a-mile driveway leads to the 1.75 story home which magically emerges from the forest. The house and a 1.5 story barn-style, detached garage frame a sweeping Green Mountain view from Camel’s Hump to Mount Abraham. Valleys, hills and three ski areas are visible in the viewshed which delights in all seasons, in all types of light, and as a backdrop for some glorious sunsets.
From the home’s perch on the hillside, neither neighboring homes nor the road are visible. Here, there is peace and solitude just 3 miles from Exit 9 on I-89 and 6 miles from the State House in downtown Montpelier. The combination of convenience and privacy is a rare gift provided by the 9.6 acres surrounding the home. While a wide-open lawn with perennial beds extends out from the home, a permieter of trees provides seclusion. Yet, there is plenty of light and sunshine for gardening, sunbathing, and solar energy.
4 miles from Rumney Elementary School
4 miles from Red Hen and Town Offices
6 miles from Wrightsville Reservoir beach
7 miles from the Hunger Mountain trailhead
The 2,930 square foot home was built in 1993 and purchased by the current owners in 2003.
At the time, the home was 1,184 finished square feet with an unfinished basement and no garage. Finishes and fixtures were basic, and poorly placed casement windows did not serve the grand view nor provide fire egress.
Now, 18 years later, every window has been replaced or added, the basement has been transformed into liveable space, the mudroom and fourth bedroom have been added, every light fixture has been upgraded, window and door trim has been replaced, the screen porch and deck have been enlarged, and the bathrooms and kitchen have been redone. Yet this is only a partial list of all the improvements made during the owners’ tenure.
2004 - Basement finished
2007 - Garage built
2009 - Mudroom and fourth bedroom addition
2012 - Solar panels added
2012 - Second floor renovation
2013 - Hot tub installed
2014 - Screen porch and deck enlarged
2018 - Kitchen, pantry and half-bath remodeled
2020 - New well drilled
Main Floor
The home is approached by a stone patio and steps that lead to the covered front porch. Here there is room for a couple of chairs, a bench, or firewood storage in winter.
The front door enters into a generously sized mudroom with heated tile flooring and copious storage in cubbies, cabinets, drawers and a closet. From here, there is a step up into the front hall where the half bath, with original tile flooring and new bead board wainscoting, sits to the left. A few steps down the short hall, the space opens up into the dining, living, and kitchen area. On the far side of the living room are two walls of windows looking out on the Green Mountain view and letting light and warmth from the sun flood the space. Solar shades on these windows keep UV rays and summer afternoon heat out of the room, while still providing a sense of the captivating view.
The dining area, with a Hubbardton Forge chandelier, is in between the kitchen and living room. The kitchen was completely redone in 2018 with cherry and painted cabinets, quartz and cherry butcher block counters, a white farmhouse sink and all new stainless steel appliances. A separate pantry is just off the kitchen, providing essential storage and more counter space. The sizable living room is a step down from the dining area and includes a 2018 soapstone wood stove, with a stone backdrop and granite mantel, to provide supplemental heat and a cozy ambiance to the first floor. Just beyond is an extra room with built-in bookshelves that is currently used as a study . Throughout the kitchen, dining area, living room, and study are recently refinished hardwood floors.
Second Floor
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Off the front hall, newly configured stairs lead to the second floor. On the landing there is enough room for a small desk, an armchair and side table, or shelves of books and treasures. The primary bedroom suite is off to the right.
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This spacious room now has a dormer to allow views to the west and the south. In the corner is a generous walk-in closet.
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The ensuite bath includes a sink in a long, quartz countertop, a small, under-eave cabinet for storage, and a large, tiled shower with a quartz bench.
The other three bedrooms are also accessed from the landing as is a full bath with partially tiled walls and a custom tiled shower/tub. All four bedrooms have carpeted floors while the stairs, hall and primary bath have wood floors and the secondary bath has vinyl flooring. The primary and two secondary bedrooms have light-filtering cellular shades, which insulate and block some light, while the fourth bedroom has room-darkening woven wood shades.
The attic is accessed by pull-down stairs in the primary bedroom closet. The entire attic - original and added on - has been fully insulated. Throughout the home, as renovations have been done, blown-in insulation has been added to the walls whenever practical.
Basement
The basement stairs run beneath the upper staircase. Originally finished as an open family/play room, the space now features a bonus room, a family room area for TV viewing, and a laundry area with new appliances, tiled countertops, and a deep stainless steel sink. There are windows on three sides of the basement and the door leads out under the screen porch to the hot tub patio. The basement is dry, with the help of a dehumidifier in the summer, and is a cool haven during summer heat.
Exterior
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Back upstairs, off of the dining area, glass doors lead to a large screened-in porch with enough room for a dining table for six, a large sectional sofa, and plenty of house plants. Originally a small sitting space, the screen porch was expanded to its current size for inside/outside, three-season enjoyment.
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At the same time, the adjacent deck was expanded to create a separate seating area and more comfortable access to the yard.
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A garden shed with shelves and tool racks is attached to the northeast corner of the home.
The exterior of the home is clad in cedar clapboards with shingle accents, both covered in solid stain. The asphalt shingle roof was replaced in 2009 (north side and addition) and 2012 (south side). The septic tank is located under the deck and the leach field is further downhill. A new well was drilled in 2020 when the pump at the bottom of the original well failed and got stuck during extraction. The previous well was properly abandoned and the three-part water treatment system (original to the home) keeps the water clean, soft, and delicious. Electricity comes from the grid as well as an array of solar panels on the garage. The system is net-metered and can provide 99% of the home’s electricity, without the hot tub.
Systems
The home is heated by hot water baseboard heat (and radiant floor heat in the mudroom) powered by a boiler original to the home. Heat and hot water both use propane fuel. On a regular basis, the chimney has been cleaned, the exterior foundation has been sprayed for ants, and the septic tank has been pumped. Landline phone service is from Consolidated Communications, which also provides DSL internet service. No cable is available on McCullough Hill Road. VTel Wireless and satellite reception are other options. Verizon cell service is reliable and strong.
Outbuildings
The garage was added in 2007 and was freshly stained and painted during the summer of 2021. The 8-foot tall doors accommodate car-topped items or an extra tall vehicle. Storage options abound on the first and second levels. A three-bay lean-to shed built by the original owners still exists down below the garage and is useful for bike and boat storage, or could be rehabilitated for animals (its original purpose). The area in front of the shed is wet and may make an excellent pond site. Underground drainage pipes on the uphill side of the house, under the parking area, and from the garage floor have all been directed to this area to facilitate filling a future pond.
Grounds
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Perennial beds and shrubs surround the house as do stone walls (all rebuilt during the current owners’s tenure).
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On the basement level just steps from the basement door is an outdoor hot tub for 6 people set in a bluestone patio. Daytime soaks provide those Green Mountain views while night-time soaks can be enjoyed under starry skies.
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Beyond the lawn and gardens, the land slopes down to a seasonal brook. From here, the property extends into the forest on the other side. Neighbors have been generous in allowing the current owners to walk on their land and may be agreeable to doing so for future owners as well.
The surrounding woods is a mixed deciduous and coniferous forest with tall white pines along the driveway and potentially enough sugar maples for some hobby sugaring. There is a healthy cluster of pink lady slippers just into the woods, a nice population of other woodland wildflowers, and a garnet-studded boulder. Wildlife visitors have included moose, black bear, white-tailed deer, fisher, Wild Turkey, 10 types of raptors and over 90 other species of birds.
This has been a family home for the past 18 years and would serve another family well. It would also be the perfect spot for those who work from home and want enough room to separate work and home lives. It is ideal for people who crave privacy and seclusion, either most of the time or at the end of a hectic day. It is the place to be, if views of beautiful scenery and majestic mountains are important for your soul. To the current owners, it has often felt like a year-round vacation home in which they were privileged to live in everyday.
Come experience the beauty and peace at 255 McCullough Hill Road.
You’ll want it to be your next home.