Lost Mile Road on Dummerston Hill Newfane Twp, Windham Co, Vermont Home | Loren | Mary Jo | Denise | Amber | Honor Roll | Resources
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For a long time, the Betterley home has been referred to as the Homestead. The site on top of Dummerston Hill, straddling the border of Newfane and Dummerston Townships, is 1,400 feet above sea level and a 1,000 foot climb of four miles from Rte 30. It was chosen because it was thought that Indians didn't bother hill farms. You can actually see Massachusetts to the south from up there. The roads up the hill are one-lane and dirt, and the location has a feeling of extreme privacy.
A vast forest at the time, Thomas Betterley, Revolutionary War soldier and baker in Worcester, MA, cut the first tree to make room for his cabin in October of 1780. The permanent home of Thomas 1751-1836 and wife Lydia Warren 1752-1839 was built in 1785, the cabin timbers apparently incorporated into the structure. It was inherited by their youngest son, Captain Samuel Betterley 1792-1870 and wife Belinda Knight 1790-1875. Samuel spent his entire life in the house and is buried in the family cemetery. Then came Samuel's son Chester H. Betterley 1829-1908 and wife Sophia Nichols 1830-1896, followed by Chester's son James N. Betterley 1853-1931 and wife Abbie Miles 1855-1928. James had actually lived on an adjoining farm in Dummerston and moved home to care for his father after his mother died. James' son Ray C. Betterley 1889-1987 and wife Theresa, or Teddy, were the last to farm the land. The decline of farming on Dummerston Hill can perhaps be summed up by one summer in the 1960s when Ray hired some genuine hippies. They camped out in the meadow all summer, and I guess it was an experience. The Homestead was finally sold in parcels by Ray's daughter, Marjorie Carmean, when he went to live with her in Connecticut after his wife died. Marjorie has two children buried in the cemetery and still owns one small 7.42 acre parcel.
Five generations farmed the land before it was sold by the sixth after some 200 years. The farm was much larger in the past, perhaps as large as 1,000 acres, and the house today has some 119 mostly wooded acres. Some four pieces of old Betterley land along the road now contain newer homes, including a vintage one that was once the Betterley cottage and guest house next door that housed summer boarders. Ray had apparently moved into the cottage at one point while the Homestead perhaps stood vacant. As the home was enlarged or repaired in later years, timbers from the family sawmill were used. The home has been lovingly cared for and restored by several recent owners after one time apparently being close to ruin. The floorboards now in the dining room were found in the attic, and you can still see "B" for the Betterley sawmill marked on some timbers.
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The Betterley Ghost
Like many old New England houses, this one is said to have its own resident ghost. Her name is Sally. She isn't malevolent, but she likes to be a little mischievious like any self-respecting poltergeist. Recent owners Herb and Pat Hayes shared a couple of stories. They had learned the ghost's name from the previous owners, who said it was named after a Betterley daughter named Sally. They were sitting at the kitchen table one day when the door to the back stairway closed with a slam all by itself. After it was opened and they were again sitting, it slammed again. Where does this stairway lead? To the upstairs bedroom where Sally is said to have died. Another time, Pat heard a ringing like an alarm clock and searched the house in vain for its source. She finally concluded that it must be a bat or something in the attic. There was certainly nobody up there to set an alarm clock. After this went on for a while, Pat called out Sally's name and yelled at her to stop. "If you're trying to scare me, then you've done it." Well, the sound immediately stopped, and it never happened again. Some type of agreement was reached that day.
Is Sally Betterley real? You betcha. This daughter of homesteaders Thomas and Lydia Betterley lived 1786-1862. She married Benjamin Stickney 1785-1853, and they farmed in Dummerston. Sally died a widow "in the same room in which she was born" according to Pat Stickney, whose husband is a southern cousin of our Stickney cousins through my sons' maternal grandfather. Coincidentally, Pat Stickney neé Richardson is related through my sons' maternal grandmother's Kentucky family. Vital records say Sally died in Newfane, so it's obvious that she died at the Homestead where she was born. I don't know when she moved back or why she wasn't living with her own children. Perhaps she went back home to live with little brother Samuel when she felt the cold fingers of death reaching for her.
A few days after eldest son Patrick (24) got home to Georgia, he woke up feeling that someone was over in the shadows of his bedroom watching him. He wasn't afraid, because he sensed that the entity wasn't there to hurt him. His fianceé asked if she should go check it out, but he figured she wouldn't find anything. He didn't even turn on the light. He just rolled over and went back to sleep, knowing he was safe. It is possible that Sally followed him home? You be the judge.
Directions: From Depot Rd in north, a little south of Newfane off Rte-30. Or from Rte-9 in south, west of West Brattleboro. Take Sunset Lake Rd to Stickney Brook Rd to Betterly Rd, which turns into Lost Mile Rd at the town line. Homestead is close to the road on your left. Lost Mile becomes Hill Rd after the nearby Betterely Cemetery and winds back down to Rte-30. These are one-lane, dirt roads that are at times steep. A visit in icy winter or muddy spring may be problematic.
IMPORTANT: This is a private residence. Please do not trespass, and please be mindful of the owners' privacy. Owners as of August 2004 were Herb and Pat Hayes, though the home was for sale. They were most gracious and informative and open to our visit, and we express our utmost gratitude. I had trouble contacting them before we arrived. I had no intention of bothering them, but Pat eyed me on the road taking a picture and invited us in. Many thanks to them for being such conscientious caretakers of the Betterley legacy, and our sincere hopes that any new owners will be likewise. Many thanks also to Jean Sirois, who once lived in a nearby cabin on the old Betterley land. She shot a nice video about the homestead and introduced me to the home's existence.
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