NEAL SHERMAN , M . D .
Me and my sister , Jenny , “ growing up ” at The Mill .
NEAL SHERMAN , M . D .
NEAL SHERMAN , M . D .
DAVID BARNUM
The Mill
My parents were high school sweethearts and married while attending medical and graduate school in Albany , NY . They discovered Southern Vermont as their “ romantic getaway place ” 50 years ago — and it became our “ family getaway place ” when my sister , Jenny , and I were growing up .
Every year , as a family , we would visit Bennington , Manchester , and Arlington . In fact , we took our photos outside of the historic gristmill in East Arlington every Fall . Those photos were often used as our family “ holiday cards ”.
In the Spring of 2014 , not long after I had produced CHARMERS and 100 HOSPITAL DRIVE , I was invited to dinner at Don & Vee Keelan ’ s home . Don & Vee were friends of mine . They were also the owners of “ Gristmill Antiques ” in East Arlington . Over a pot roast meal , they informed me that they were planning on closing the business and selling the building — and they thought I should buy it .
I laughed , “ What am I going to do with 3 buildings from the 1700 ’ s ?”
They explained , “ Josh — This is not a house . This is not a commercial property . This is a piece of history . We are looking for the next steward , and we think you ’ re it .”
They handed me a set of keys and said , “ Think about it .”
Having started off my career as a set designer on Broadway , I had a passion for historic architecture . I took the keys , put on my “ set designer hat ”, and explored the building . Although it had been cubicled-off for commercial retail purposes , I recognized The Mill could be broken open — and might just be the perfect place to serve as “ the heart ” of a production facility . Arlington ’ s central location ( between Manchester and Bennington ) and its rich history added allure to the vision .
I made the leap . I went for it . On October 7 , 2014 , I bought The Mill .
The History
The Gristmill of East Arlington was built in 1764 by Remember Baker , who was first cousins with Ethan Allen & Seth Warner . The three cousins formed “ The Green Mountain Boys ”, the Revolutionaries of Vermont . Arlington became the first capital of Vermont in 1777 . In other words , revolutionary ideas happened here .
The area also has a rich artistic legacy . In the mid-20th Century , Arlington and its surrounding towns were home to five Saturday Evening Post illustrators ( Norman Rockwell , Mead Schaeffer , Gene Pelham , John Atherton , and George Hughes ), the cartoonist Don Trachte , Americana icon Grandma Moses , poet Robert Frost , author / influencer Dorothy Canfield Fisher , composer Carl Ruggles , and fine artists Lea Ehrich and Rockwell Kent . They were friends , neighbors , peers — and often served as live-models for one another . The artists who embodied our country ’ s vision for hope & freedom connected here .
Photo taken at the Arlington Community House at the 1955 Street Fair . ( On stage from left to right ): Frank Hall ( M . C . of the event ), George Hughes ( barely visible ), Norman Rockwell , Vic Donahue , and Don Trachte . Photo is from the Collection of Don Trachte , Jr .
22 VERMONT MAGAZINE