The last (but certainly not least) building in Dorset, Vermont I’ll be featuring is the Manley-Lefevre House aka. Marble House! This stunning Federal period home was built around 1820 by Martin Manley (1783-1856) on land originally owned by his father George. The house is constructed of ashlar marble that was quarried with hand tools from the lower quarry located approximately 200′ behind the site of the house with dressed marble finished in town and brought back for installation at the lintels, sills, and door surround. In 1907, Edwin Lefevre, Sr. (1871-1943) traveled by train from Bronxville, New York to Dorset at the suggestion of the artist Lorenzo Hatch, with the intention of locating a summer residence for his family. They purchased this home, which became known as “The Old Stone House” and hired Eugene J. Lang, a New York architect, to remodel the house, design a kitchen wing and remodel the barn into a garage (1909). While in Italy, Lefevre fell in love with the formal gardens there, and wanted something like this for his country estate. Upon his return, he retained garden designer Charles Downing Lay to design the gardens that surround the house. The country estate is now home to The Marble House Project, a multi-disciplinary artist residency program.
Buildings of New England 
The landscape designer for the Manley-Lefevre property, Charles Downing Lay had his home in Stratford Connecticut right next to our home. While he passed away in 1956 and we moved to 5895 Main Street in 1962 we were neighbors to the Lay family in Stratford Connecticut until 1975. My mother Jane Altvater RN did private duty nursing care for Mrs. Lay until her death. After we sought out the Manley-Lefevre property with my parents we took many photos and we felt right at home as the Lay property had some Italianate features as well.
When I learned of his 1926 book The Freedom of the City I reserved it at the Yale Library to learn more. I chuckled to read his negative views of country life, roads, and all things seemingly backward to him. Hence the book title. Just think how he would have felt after the Flood of 1927 in Vermont which spurred on the paving of roads in the state!
LikeLiked by 1 person