Notitia Sanctuary sits at the crest of an open bluff, looking over a mile of hills and fields across Lake Champlain, up to the high peaks of New York's Adirondack Mountains in the distance. Sited at the edge of a hardwood forest of sugar maples, beeches, and oaks, it is nestled into a hillside, surrounded by a growing arboretum of specimen trees and perennial shrubs, with wildflower meadows beyond.

The road to Notitia Sanctuary passes through the High Acres Farm woods, before turning into the meadow where the Sanctuary is located. Notitia has two buildings: a house and a garage/studio. The house is the space that is offered to guests. A large circular wooden wreath hangs on the northern facade of the house. The wreath is a handmade memorial to Marshall Webb, a beloved mentor and one of the founders of Shelburne Farms.

Arriving at Notitia Sanctuary through a winding flagstone footpath, guests enter the house through its Eastern Porch. A set of chimes hangs from the eave, playing the notes of Amazing Grace; a wooden sculpture of an owl sits on a bench in the corner; and a hand-painted sun medallion hangs to the left of the door. A sturdy wooden bench and rocking chair provide a great place for goodbyes and hellos, or for sunny morning chats.

Entering Notitia, visitors arrive in a calming mudroom with local slate floors, a row of sturdy cherry coat hooks, a deep boot bench, two spacious closets, and a dangling light made of curving bands of cherry veneer. The vaulted ceiling is circled by a shallow wooden shelf holding a collection of small glass jars, filled with local silica and linestones collected at the High Acres Farm beach. A print of Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers, hangs on the wall, and a handmade flag dangles overhead, showing the symbols of nine different religions coming together and meeting as one. A colorful set of Mexican Loteria cards are displayed in the hallway, below two prints by visionary artist Tuco Amalfi. This transitional space helps visitors attune to the Sanctuary.

The heart of Notitia is its majestic Great Room — twenty-seven feet square, with soaring cathedral ceilings, two giant circular windows high on the north and south walls, and other windows inviting the land, sky, and sunlight into the space. Three sets of french doors open onto the Western Porch and southern Lawns — supporting fluid indoor/outdoor living. On the lake side of the room is a cozy conversation circle with a Jøtul wood stove, comfy sofas and chairs, halogen reading lamps, soft pillows, blankets, and quilts. Window seats are installed on the east and south walls, and a built-in art desk in the southeast corner makes a great place for focused work. A tall shelf circles the room like a halo, holding a bronze sculpture of an angel 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 a magical glow after dark.

Notitia’s Farmhouse Kitchen is in the northeast corner of the Great Room, with a spacious island and four comfy vegan leather counter chairs. A classic Shaw's fireclay sink is centered under the eastern window, looking out over gardens and lawns. A four-burner Blue Star propane gas range provides a professional-grade cooking experience for guests. A coffee station with local slate countertops sits below a glass cabinet storing Notitia’s tableware in beautiful shades of blue. The kitchen comes fully stocked with pantry items like oils, vinegars, rices, nuts, legumes, tea, coffee, and condiments. Spacious, well-organized, and fully-equipped with all the tools you could need to whip up a feast, it is truly a joy to cook at Notitia. The amenities section offers a comprehensive list of appliances.

Notitia’s sturdy Farmhouse Table comfortably seats 8–10 people, with extra chairs available at the nearby art desk and elsewhere in the room. Above the table hang two classic Danish pendant lights. The table’s middle leaf was made by local woodworker Matt Hastings. The table itself has an interesting origin story.

Notitia’s Library includes a collection of books on architecture, design, spirituality, shamanism, philosophy, psychedelics, poetry, fiction, ecology, Vermont and family history, and a range of other topics. There's also a selection of classic children's picture books, along with a few tarot and oracle decks for those who enjoy a daily dose of divining. A CD-player/radio is on hand with a collection of favorite old CDs. A projector and portable screen are also available for visiting cinephiles.

Notitia’s spacious Western Porch offers sweeping views across the lawns and gardens, into the swaying grasses of the wildflower meadows beyond, and out across Lake Champlain in the distance. Comfy sofas and chairs make a wonderful conversation space, a cedar picnic table offers a sheltered spot for outdoor meals, and a twin-bed-sized porch swing is available for resting, reading, or simply watching the sunset. Christmas lights are mounted around the ceiling, creating a warm glowing halo of light after dark.

Notitia Sanctuary takes on a whole different mood after dark, as the bright sunlight and dramatic distant views of daytime gradually give way to the Sanctuary's cozy and intimate interiors — gently lit with warm bulbs creating 'puddles of light' in various spaces throughout the home, all in all offering quite a magical atmosphere.

The primary bedroom at Notitia is the spacious upstairs Sky Room, with spectacular views to the west. Sunsets and moonsets from its windows are often quite epic, as is the warm glow of sunrise on the distant mountains. Linen window curtains can be lowered for those who prefer darker sleeping. In addition to its comfy queen bed, the Sky Room also has a cozy sitting area for reading, writing, meditating, or enjoying private conversations. Two bedside tables hold handsome cherry reading lamps, with additional wall sconces mounted above.

With eastern views to Camel’s Hump Mountain, and glorious morning sunlight streaming in, Notitia’s upstairs Sky Bath offers an invigorating transition into the day. A spacious two-person bathtub sits below the window, next to a roomy stand-up shower. A small and private water closet has lovely views to the north. Local slate floors are outfitted with radiant heat. Across from the Sky Bath is a wall of open shelves and two hanging coat rails, offering abundant storage space for clothing and personal items. A laundry shoot within the shelves provides easy access to Notitia’s Laundry room below.

With gorgeous morning sunlight pouring in, Notitia’s East Room offers a bright and cheerful space for those who like to greet the day with gusto. A spacious closet has a coat rail, along with several built-in shelves for storing clothing and personal items. A large built-in cherry desk fills the full eastern wall of the room, offering a wonderful private working space for one or two people — looking out over thriving perennial shrubs into the eastern yard. A comfy queen bed has organic cotton bedding, with two bedside tables holding small red reading lamps. Linen window curtains can be lowered for guests who prefer darker sleeping.

With dramatic views over Lake Champlain, Notitia’s West Room offers a peaceful environment for resting and working. A comfy queen bed is outfitted with organic cotton bedding, with two bedside tables holding small white reading lamps. A large built-in cherry desk fills the full western wall, providing a generous working space for one or two people. A spacious closet offers ample hanging space, along with several built-in shelves for storage of clothing and other personal items. Linen window curtains can be lowered for guests who prefer darker sleeping.

Notitia’s cozy Alcove is entered through an opening in the Library shelves. Painted in calming shades of blue/green, the Alcove has a comfy twin-sized daybed that can function as an extra sleeping spot if needed, and otherwise makes a perfect place for snuggling, reading, and napping. Privacy is available through a sliding pocket door in the cabinetry, and a shade can be lowered to block off the Alcove’s internal window. The walls are decorated with special objects from Notitia’s history, including its original design sketch, and some typed-up testimonials from the premiere of In Fragments. A handsome cherry Shaker writing desk stands at the western window, offering a great spot for focused work (or Zoom calls).

Notitia’s downstairs Guest Bath is shared by guests of the East and West rooms — offering an efficient shower/bathtub combination, with warm radiant-heated floors of local slate. 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 red glass star hangs in the window bay, casting warm colored light onto the walls of the room.

Notitia’s efficient Laundry room has a stacked Miele heat pump washer and dryer, an iron and ironing board, a small sink, a wooden drying rack, and other helpful cleaning supplies. Notitia’s Garage offers an additional laundry space, with heavy-duty Speed Queen units, for guests who need to process larger loads during their stay.

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 ideal combination of sun and shade, or just the right view. Heavy woolen blankets are also available for those who’d like to set up picnic or stargazing spots on the lawns.

Notitia is surrounded by a growing arboretum 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.

The surrounding hills and fields 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 nearby woods mostly consist of sugar maple, beech, oak, cedar, ash, and pine, with a seasonal stream flowing through, making its way to the lake. Local fauna include deer, raccoons, squirrels, foxes, coyotes, opossums, eagles, crows, hawks, owls, and the occasional bobcat.

Guests of Notitia are welcome to use the private High Acres Farm beach cove, 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. During the summer months, a cedar boat dock juts out into the lake, offering a great place for picnics, sunbathing, 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, fishing, and boating — or simply observing its presence.

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

Vermont winters can be long and cold, but Notitia offers a protected, well-insulated, and extremely cozy environment for winter stays — a wonderful time for deep and focused work, or simply enjoying the presence of loved ones. Extra coats, hats, gloves, and scarves are available.

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