Springfield ยท Central Vermont: Springfield
Hartness House
Inventor and later Governor James Hartness's 1904 Shingle-style house, with tunnels to his turret telescope; the 29-room Hartness Hotel is newer.
- Built
- 1904Built 1904 for James Hartness (Wikipedia; NRHP 1978).
- Style
- Shingle style
- Type
- Inn
- Area
- Central Vermont: Springfield
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The story
James Hartness, inventor, astronomer, machine-tool maker and later Governor of Vermont, built the house in 1904; it is one of Vermont’s relatively few high-style Shingle style houses. Underground tunnels lead to the equatorial turret telescope Hartness designed and built into the front lawn. The tunnels also house the Hartness-Porter Museum of Amateur Telescope Making. The house was listed on the National Register in 1978.
The ghost story
The inn's own history page says that, rumor has it, the tunnels beneath the house, which lead to James Hartness's turret telescope, hold the occasional ghost.
Source: www.hartnesshouse.com
Good to know
- Address: 30 Orchard Street, Springfield, VT 05156
Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.