Perhaps the most striking feature of a stay at Notitia Sanctuary — and indeed, any stay at High Acres Farm — is the spectacular western view out across a mile of rolling hills and farm fields, then across five miles of water to the other side of Lake Champlain, over to the high peaks of New York’s Adirondack Mountain range in the distance. The eastern view of Camel’s Hump Mountain is also quite wonderful, especially as sunrises and moonrises come up on the eastern horizon.

The Notitia Sanctuary Homestead sits at the edge of a hardwood forest of sugar maples, beeches, and oaks. The homestead is nestled into a hillside, surrounded by a growing arboretum of specimen trees and perennial shrubs, with wildflower meadows and long grasses in the rolling fields beyond. The Homestead has two buildings: the house and the garage/studio. The house is the space that is offered to guests. Guests are also welcome to use the extra washing and drying machines that are located in the garage. During winter stays, guests may also request to use the garage for car storage.

The Gateway to the Homestead passes through the High Acres Farm woods, running alongside a small vernal pond, before coming to the foot of an ancient sugar maple tree, one of the oldest trees on all of High Acres Farm. At the base of the tree is a cedar post with a hanging cherry sign welcoming guests to Notitia — introducing its name, “Circles of Care” insignia, and numeric address (372 High Acres Farm Road).

After exiting the woods, the Entrance to Notitia Sanctuary leads into an open field, where partial views of Lake Champlain begin to be revealed, in between layers of foliage from the specimen trees and shrubs that line the western edge of the road. As the buildings come into view, the northern facade of the house displays a large circular wreath made of wooden branches and vines, hanging in between the windows. The wreath was made by hand by Jonathan on the morning of August 12, 2022 as a memorial to his beloved cousin, Marshall Webb, one of the founders of Shelburne Farms, who had tragically drowned in the lake while boating with his grandchildren the previous afternoon. As a forester, sawyer, carpenter, and maple syrup maker, Marshall felt most at home when he was working with his hands in the woods. Adding this wreath to Notitia was a way of offering a nesting place for Marshall’s spirit.

Arriving at Notitia Sanctuary through a winding flagstone footpath, guests enter the house through the Eastern Porch, which offers a sturdy wooden bench and rocking chair, along with several low tables for placing groceries and other items. The Eastern Porch is a wonderful place to have morning coffee and breakfast, sitting in the warm sunlight, or protected from the rain. A set of Amazing Grace chimes hangs from the porch ceiling, with a small medallion of Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers, hanging below. A hand-painted great-horned-owl sculpture stands in the corner of the porch, welcoming visitors. A wooden sign engraved with Notitia’s “Circles of Care” insignia is mounted just to the right of the entry door, greeting visitors in that way as well. To the left of the door is a hand-painted sun emblem from Mexico, a nod to Jonathan’s current work with Sunlight Papers.

Upon entering Notitia Sanctuary, visitors are greeted by a calming mudroom with local slate floors, a row of sturdy cherry coat hooks, a deep boot bench, two spacious closets, and a Spanish LZF pendant light made of curving bands of cherry veneer. The vaulted ceiling of the mudroom is circled by a shallow wooden cherry shelf holding a collection of small glass jars, half of which are filled with linestones from the High Acres Farm beach, and the other half with crushed-up local silica from the ritual glassmaking process that Jonathan pursued through In Fragments. Together, they are intended to offer a kind of cleansing effect as guests arrive in and attune to the Sanctuary space.

At the Threshold between the Mudroom and the rest of the Sanctuary hangs a print of a woodcut of Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers, made by the School of Albrecht Dürer in the mid-1500s. Also hanging in the Threshold is a small flag printed at the Lama Foundation in Taos, New Mexico. Titled “Meeting of the Ways,” the flag depicts the symbols of nine different faiths — Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Sufism — coming together as one. In the center of the flag is a winged heart — a preview of the golden angel wings that guests will soon encounter in Notitia’s Great Room.

The heart of Notitia is its stunning Great Room — standing twenty-seven feet square, with soaring twenty-two-foot-tall vaulted ceilings, two six-foot-wide circular windows high up on the north and south walls, and large doors and/or double-hung windows to the east, south, and west — all of which invite the surrounding land, sky, and sunlight into the space. The interior light in spring, fall, and winter is especially striking, as are sunsets throughout the year. Hanging in the various window bays of the room are four porcelain pendant lights from the British Lighting Company. A high cherry shelf circles the room like a halo, holding art objects from In Fragments, a “Peace” sculpture made of local Shelburne limestone by environmental artist Nancy Winship Milliken, and other special items collected over the years. A heavy bronze sculpture of an angel also stands on the shelf, centered on the southern wall, and flanked by two golden wings — as if the space itself could take flight. Hidden towards the back of the shelf is a ring of warm dimmable LED lights, giving the room an especially magical glow after dark.

Centered around a cream-colored Jøtul woodstove flanked by two Akari lanterns designed by Isamu Noguchi, and with a Moooi Heracleum chandelier overhead, Notitia’s Conversation Circle is oriented to the sweeping western views across Lake Champlain. Its deep and luxurious sofas are made by Restoration Hardware, with soft down pillows in various shades of calming blues. Wool blankets, cashmere throws, sheepskin rugs, and decorative quilts are carefully placed throughout the space, always close at hand. Three halogen lamps create dimmable “puddles of light” for nighttime reading, sketching, journaling, and general atmospherics. Candles are also provided.

In the northeast corner of Notitia’s Great Room is the Farmhouse Kitchen, with a powerful four-burner Blue Star propane gas range, SubZero fridge/freezer, and Miele dishwasher. Other appliances include a Vitamix blender, Zojiroshi rice cooker, LG microwave oven, and Cuisinart toaster. Notitia’s cupboards are well-stocked with oils, vinegars, teas, coffee, and other helpful cooking supplies, along with a set of well-sharpened MAC chef’s knives for prep work. Le Creuset pots, roasting pan, and dutch oven are provided, along with cast iron skillets from the Field Company, and a wok. Notitia’s plates and bowls are made by Denby stoneware in England, in beautiful shades of blue to match the rest of the space. Among its range of mugs are several made by Jonathan’s cousin, Amelia Wrede Davis. Spacious, well-organized, and fully-equipped with everything you need to whip up a feast, it is truly a joy to cook (and eat) at Notitia!

Notitia’s Farmhouse Kitchen has a deep and sturdy wooden Island with four comfy vegan leather counter stools, a pair of porcelain pendant lights made by the British Lighting Company, deep drawers for pots and pans, and a set of old New England wooden bowls for holding fruits and vegetables. A great place to sit for breakfast and casual lunches, the Island offers a wonderful point of convergence. It is also equipped with electrical outlets, offering an additional place for laptop work or appliances.

At the eastern window of the Farmhouse Kitchen is Notitia’s classic Shaw’s fireclay Kitchen Sink, with an elegant stainless steel dish drying rack beside it, and a deep windowsill above. The window at the sink overlooks the eastern yard, with perennial shrubs in the foreground, and honey locust, stewartia, and gingko trees beyond. Bathed in beautiful morning light, it makes a wonderful start to the day. On more than one occasion, the Kitchen Sink has even been used for bathing a baby!

Along the eastern wall of Notitia’s Great Room is the Coffee Station, with a local slate countertop, below a glass cabinet that holds Notitia’s mugs, glasses, and tableware. A selection of Rishi teas are provided, along with locally roasted coffee. A range of coffee-related tools are on hand, including a Chemex coffeemaker, Bodum french press, Bialetti stovetop espresso maker, Fellow gooseneck kettle, and Ascot tea kettle. Yumm!

In the center of Notitia’s Great Room is its sturdy Dining Table, which comfortably seats 8–10 people. Above the table hang two classic Danish PH 4/3 pendant lights designed by Louis Poulson. The table’s recently-built middle leaf was made to match the rest of the table by skilled local woodworker Matt Hastings. A set of eight matching vintage Danish modern chairs are provided, reupholstered to match the teal-colored fabrics found in Notitia’s Alcove. Additional chairs are available at the nearby Art Desk.

Notitia’s Dining Table was found by Jonathan at a small antiques shop just north of Vergennes, Vermont. The table was sitting outside on their porch, covered in snow, with peeling shellac, and badly weathered graying wood. The proprietor of the shop said that it had been sitting there for over twenty years, and that she’d happily sell it for sixty dollars. Jonathan went to retrieve the High Acres Farm pickup truck, and along with his sister, loaded the table into the truck and brought it back to Notitia, where he left it outside on the Western Porch for the next few weeks. When he finally got around to examining the table more closely, he noticed that down by its base, it was engraved with a series of concentric circles, and a row of wooden balls below. After carefully counting the circles and balls, he was astonished to realize that they matched Notitia’s already-designed “Circles of Care” insignia precisely — six inner circles and twenty-seven balls — as though the table had always been a part of Notitia.

At the southeast corner of Notitia’s Great Room is the Art Desk — lit by a white Anglepoise lamp, which, joined by all-day southern sunlight, makes a wonderful spot for deep and focused work. The nearby shelves are filled with pens, pencils, brushes, watercolor paints, extra paper, and other assorted creative supplies.

Beside the Art Desk is Notitia’s Library — an eclectic collection of timeless books on architecture, design, spirituality, shamanism, psychedelics, philosophy, poetry, fiction, ecology, and Vermont and family history. Also in the Library is a Toshibi CD-player/radio with a favorite set of old CDs, including classic albums by Bob Dylan, Dire Straits, John Coltrane, Radiohead, and Enigma. A selection of tarot and oracle decks are also on hand for those who enjoy a daily dose of divining. On the topmost set of shelves are three old chalk boards displaying the words Energize, Clarify, Illuminate — the informal mantra inspiring Jonathan’s current work with Sunlight Papers. In the opposite corner of the Great Room, by the entrance to the Alcove, is the other half of Notitia’s Library — offering classic children’s picture books (including a full set of Beatrix Potter), the plays of William Shakespeare, and a collection of favorite films on DVD. A projector and portable movie screen are available for visiting cinephiles.

Along the southern wall of Notitia’s Great Room is its Southern Window Seat, beside a thriving Chinese Evergreen houseplant with a small wooden owl peeking out from behind it. Bathed in all-day southern sunlight, this is a great spot for afternoon naps. Firewood storage for Notitia's Jøtul wood stove is in this corner of the room, and heavy woolen picnic blankets are stored in the deep drawers below this window seat.

Along the eastern wall of Notitia’s Great Room is the Eastern Window Seat, in between the Library and the Coffee Station. Drenched in morning sunlight, this is a great spot for early tea and quiet journaling, and also makes a fine perch for post-dinner chats. The deep drawers below this window seat store paper and plastic grocery bags.

Along the northern edge of Notitia’s Great Room is the Pantry, offering a selection of rice, nuts, oats, legumes, and other special treats in jars. A bluetooth Marshall Woburn speaker stands below them — an easy way to fill the Great Room with music. A few favorite cookbooks are also provided for guests who enjoy culinary adventures.

In the northwest corner of Notitia’s Great Room, there’s a passage to its cozy Alcove, entered through an opening in the shelves. The Alcove, painted with Inchyra Blue, has a comfy twin-sized daybed that can function as an extra sleeping spot if needed, or otherwise a perfect place for reading, snuggling, and napping. Privacy is available through a sliding pocket door, and a window shade that can be lowered to block off the Alcove’s internal window. The Alcove is decorated with several special items from Notitia’s history, including the original design sketch of Notitia; the typewriter that was used to initiate the lightning sequence at the beginning of the Electric Webb film; a set of framed testimonials from family members and friends typed up at the September 21, 2021 premiere of In Fragments; and the letterpressed program from that evening’s screening. The Alcove also has a handsome cherry Shaker writing desk at the western window, offering a perfect spot for deep and focused work (or Zoom calls).

Connecting Notitia’s Great Room with the bedroom wing of the house, the central hallway has a large internal window looking into the Alcove and out to the west. The hallway shelf holds a collection of Lake Champlain linestones gathered at the High Acres Farm beach, and carefully arranged so that the white lines of each stone connect with those of its neighbors — forming a longer line that symbolizes both individuality and interconnection, or fragmentation and wholeness, two of the primary themes explored through In Fragments. Above the line of linestones is a colorful set of cheerful Mexican “Loteria” cards arranged in numerical order, with card number 27, El Corazon, placed in the center. On the walls above are prints of two paintings by Brazilian visionary artist Tuco Amalfi, showing imagined dimensions of alternate realities. A hanging flag shows the iconic “Pax Cultura” (peace of culture) insignia that was designed by Russian mystic artist Nicholas Roerich, representing the sacredness of art, science, and religion. Other wall decorations include banners from the Bread & Puppet Theater in Glover, Vermont (Earth, Yes, and Sing), along with oil paintings by Tim Engelland (Jonathan’s former art teacher at Deerfield Academy), and Stuart Shils (gifted by Jonathan’s dad).

The primary bedroom at Notitia is its spacious upstairs Sky Room, with a spectacular view to the west over Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains beyond. Sunsets and moonsets from these windows are often quite epic, and the warm sunrise glow on the distant mountains is also very beautiful to see while laying in bed in the morning. Its queen bed is outfitted with a comfy organic latex mattress by Ergovea, organic cotton sheets and linen duvet cover from Coyuchi, and a soft down comforter within. Extra blankets are available if needed. The Sky Room has its own private reading area, with two comfy chairs and matching ottoman, and soft cashmere throws close at hand. Bedside lamps designed by the British Lighting Company are outfitted with lovely warm bulbs, creating a glowing atmosphere of peace and calm. Wall sconces with brighter bulbs are also installed on either side of the bed for those who like to read a book before sleep. Window shades can be lowered for darker sleeping. A Dohm sound machine and Bose portable bluetooth speaker are also on hand in this room.

With views to Camel’s Hump Mountain to the east, and glorious morning sunlight streaming in, Notitia’s upstairs Sky Bath offers an invigorating transition into the day. Like the downstairs of Notitia, the Sky Bath also has in-floor radiant heat. It offers a spacious two-person bathtub directly under the window, below shelves with happy houseplants and extra cotton towels by Coyuchi. The floor of its stand-up shower is made of local slate, as is the shallow soap shelf along the shower’s back wall. A small and discrete water closet has a cheerful mini awning window looking to the north, along with some well-chosen books. Across from the Sky Bath is a wall of open shelves and two hanging coat rails, offering abundant storage space where guests can neatly store their clothing and personal belongings. A laundry shoot within the shelves provides easy access to Notitia’s Laundry below. Soft Coyuchi bathrobes are also provided.

With gorgeous morning sunlight, Notitia’s East Room offers a bright and cheerful space for those who love to greet the day with gusto. Linen window curtains can be lowered for guests who prefer darker sleeping. A spacious closet offers coat hangers, and several built-in shelves for discretely storing clothing and personal belongings. A queen-sized Casper mattress is outfitted with organic Coyuchi bedding, flanked by two bedside lamps by Rejuvenation Lighting. A Dohm sound machine is also provided, as are comfy Coyuchi bathrobes. A large built-in cherry desk fills the full eastern wall of the room, offering a wonderful private working space, looking out past thriving perennial shrubs into the eastern yard. Above the desk hang two porcelain pendant lights from the British Lighting Company. The walls are decorated with warm reddish artworks that match the red-colored theme of the room, including a landscape painting made by Jonathan when he was a student at Deerfield Academy in 1998.

With dramatic views over Lake Champlain and the Adirondack mountains to the west, Notitia’s West Room offers a sublimely peaceful environment for sleeping and working. A large built-in cherry desk fills the full western wall, providing a generous working space for one or two people, lit by beautiful porcelain pendant lighting fixtures from the British Lighting Company. A comfy queen bed with organic latex mattress by Ergovea is outfitted with organic Coyuchi bedding, and flanked by two bedside lamps from Rejuvenation Lighting. The closet offers abundant hanging space, along with several built-in shelves for tidy storage of clothing and other personal items. The artwork in the West Room has a slightly cooler palette, including an oil painting by Tim Engelland, Jonathan’s former art teacher at Deerfield Academy — matching the blue-colored theme of the room. Soft Coyuchi bathrobes are also provided.

Shared by guests of the East and West rooms, Notitia’s downstairs Guest Bath offers a peaceful environment for bathing, with a shower/bathtub combination, and warm radiant-heated floors made of local Vermont slate. Behind the bathroom door is a print of a vintage engraving of the campus of Shelburne Museum, which was founded by Jonathan’s great-grandmother, Electra Havemeyer Webb. A beautifully made embroidery “sampler” signed by a nine-year-old girl in the 1820s hangs beside the sink. Wicker baskets are provided in both the East and West Room closets, so that downstairs guests can easily (and neatly) carry their toiletry supplies back and forth between bedroom and bathroom as needed. A selection of favorite books is provided. A red glass star hangs in the window bay, made by Claire Gear as a gift to the space, and casting warm colored light onto the walls of the room.

Across from the Guest Bath is Notitia’s efficient Laundry, offering a stacked Miele heat pump washer and dryer, an iron and ironing board, a wooden drying rack, a small sink, and other helpful cleaning supplies. Notitia’s Garage also offers a Speed Queen washer and dryer for guests who need to process larger loads of laundry. A favorite vintage print from Jonathan’s childhood hangs on the back wall.

Notitia’s spacious Western Porch is a truly epic place to enjoy the surrounding environment. It offers sweeping views across Notitia’s lawns and wildflower meadows, out across Lake Champlain to the Adirondack Mountains beyond. Comfortable sofas and chairs are centered on the porch, offering an outdoor conversation circle to complement the one inside. A cedar picnic table stands on the southern end of the porch offering a sheltered outdoor eating spot. Bamboo shades are installed between the porch’s wooden posts, and can be lowered to modulate the strong western sun, creating quite a magical atmosphere of dappled light on summer afternoons. Christmas lights are mounted around the ceiling of the porch, offering a warm halo of light on summer evenings.

At the northern edge of Notitia’s Western Porch hangs a twin-bed-sized cedar porch swing, with many comfy pillows and cushions. Protected by a bank of thriving forsythia bushes to the north, it provides a perfect spot for reading, meditating, snuggling, napping, or watching the sunset. Kids also seem to love this spot!

Notitia’s lawns and gardens offer many wonderful sitting spots, and a handful of cedar Adirondack chairs are available to move around in search of the perfect combination of sun and shade, or just the right view. Heavy woolen blankets are also available for those who’d like to set up a picnic or nighttime stargazing spot around Notitia’s lawns.

Notitia is surrounded by a growing arboretum of dozens of specimen trees and perennial shrubs — including sugar maples, sycamores, gingkos, honey locusts, pines, dogwoods, tamaracks, pin oaks, lilacs, bottlebrushes, forsythias, cotoneasters, viburnums, hydrangeas, witch hazels, hazelnuts, a redbud, a katsura tree, a hawthorn, a chestnut, a crabapple, a fringe tree, a stewartia, a tulip tree, a weeping willow, an apple tree, and more. These are joined by a number of different perennial plants in the thriving flower beds that encircle the house, along with the wildflowers that grow naturally in the surrounding hills and fields.

The fields that surround Notitia Sanctuary are filled with long grasses and wildflowers that sway in the summer wind, offering a protected habitat for nesting birds, butterflies, and a diversity of insect life, combining together to create a symphony of aliveness.

The iconic rolling hills that surround Notitia Sanctuary are depicted in the High Acres Farm logo, which combines the sinusoidal curve of those hills with a strand of human DNA, embodying the High Acres Farm motto, “Human | Nature”.

The woods around Notitia Sanctuary mostly consist of sugar maple, beech, oak, cedar, ash, and pine, with a seasonal stream that flows through the landscape, filling a small pond on its way to the lake. Local fauna include deer, raccoons, squirrels, foxes, coyotes, opossums, eagles, crows, hawks, owls, and the occasional bobcat.

Beside the High Acres Farm beach is a magical grove of ash trees, with some of the softest mossiest ground on the campus, and gorgeous dappled light coming from above in the late morning and in from across the lake around the time of sunset.

Guests of Notitia are welcome to use the private High Acres Farm beach, which is located about a mile below the house, along a winding gravel road. Use of the beach is shared with guests of the High Acres Farm Main House, and also by Jonathan’s sister’s family, who live on site year round. The High Acres Farm beach is edged by cliffs with gnarled cedar trees whose exposed root systems rival any contemporary sculpture in terms of rugged beauty. The beach is filled with myriad linestones and sea glass. During the summer months, High Acres Farm maintains a cedar boat dock jutting into the lake, which guests are welcome to use. It offers a great place for picnics, sunbathing, quiet contemplation, watching the sunset, or as a jumping off point for swims.

High Acres Farm is perched along the shores of majestic Lake Champlain, which stretches five miles across to the high peaks of the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The lake is a wonderful place for swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, and boating — or simply observing its presence.

Vermont winters can be long and cold, but Notitia Sanctuary offers a protected, well-insulated, and extremely cozy environment for winter retreats — a wonderful time for deep and focused work, or simply enjoying the presence of loved ones. The winter snows provide an opportunity to drop deeply into the silent beauty of the landscape, inviting inner contemplation. Extra hats, gloves, coats, and scarves are provided.

The skies around Notitia Sanctuary are constantly changing — marking the cycles of weather, sun, moon, and seasons. The skies are nature’s original television, always available and ever surprising.

Guests of Notitia Sanctuary are welcome to explore the network of mowed Walking Paths that exist throughout High Acres Farm. Additionally, guests are invited to explore the many miles of walking trails available on neighboring Shelburne Farms.

One of the outcomes of the ritual work of In Fragments was the 2021 design, production, and installation of “Electric Webb” — a network of twenty-seven “lightning transformers” planted across forty-acres of land, encompassing High Acres Farm and Notitia Sanctuary in an iconic star-shaped geometry forming a kind of “prayer mandala” woven into the landscape, reminiscent of the quilt designs that Jonathan's great-grandmother, Electra Havemeyer Webb, used to collect. Guests of Notitia are invited to explore and contemplate this permanent place-based artwork during their stay. You can learn more about Electric Webb on the High Acres Farm website.