Rockwell

When I get inspired by something that I want to write about, I do it right away. I write better when I have thoughts flowing and the words almost putting themselves together.

On Saturday, I saw on Instagram 2 photos posted by Rockwell’s Retreat, a B&B right here in Arlington, VT. They posted now and then photos of Norman Rockwell’s studio. It was amazing how similar it was!

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I’ve wanted to write a piece on Norman Rockwell for some time and have been gathering information and photos, but when I saw those photos on Instagram, I knew it was time.

I emailed Rockwell’s Retreat early Sunday morning; I have met the one of the owners Kevin before at the Arlington Village Farmers Market. Kevin and his wife Sue are spatzle customers, and Kevin cooks it often. Last year, at the farmers market, he told me they wanted to use the spatzle in a breakfast dish for guests at the inn. Spatzle for breakfast? It’s perfect with poached eggs, with maple syrup or cinnamon and sugar…taking the place of pancakes.

I told Kevin about my blog and how I was inspired yesterday by their Instagram post in my email. I asked if I could come by to take some photos. He said they would be home all day; I promised trading spatzle for photos. Lol

Kevin and Sue Harter dreamt of owning and running a bed and breakfast or inn. They looked at many B&Bs and inns throughout New England, but in November 2019, they purchased Norman Rockwell’s home in West Arlington, VT. Room by room, they transformed the wallpapered walls and ugly shag rugs from the previous owner into beautiful spaces. Everything is updated and new, including the heating and cooling system, which rooms can control. The rooms look crisp, decorated, and furnished with period antiques and a lot of love.

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I was lucky enough to tour not only Norman’s home but his studio and his son Jarvis’s studio as well. When we walked into Rockwell’s studio, I could almost feel Norman’s presence in the space. I was so excited to see where he did all of his weekly Saturday Evening Post covers from 1939- 1953. It looked just like I had seen in photos. Kevin told me he used much information from many Rockwell’s models and community members when they brought the studio back to life.

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It was important to the new owners to do Rockwell and the property justice and replicate what was originally there. I truly felt like I was transported through time and space; I was there! I could practically smell the tobacco from his pipe.

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Rockwell had his photographer photograph his models using a white screen as the backdrop in front of the fireplace. I stood in the very same spot! I didn’t tell Kevin that I had goosebumps on my arms and was almost overwhelmed when I could feel how many people stood in the same spot back in the day. The spot I was standing in is a piece of American history, where Rockwell, the great illustrator, brought life to some of the most iconic images of Americana.

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Rockwell took a lot of criticism for using photographs taken of his models, but it was necessary to capture the right light and angles. He also told naysayers that the hard-working people of Arlington had work to do and didn’t have time to sit in the studio for hours; he always paid his models $5 for their time. He insisted that real people were represented in his paintings, “I paint human-looking humans and professional models just don’t qualify.”

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When they began to work on the studio, they could fix the original gigantic chandelier that hung in the center of the room. Community members helped find items to replace the ones that were once there. The deer head mounted next to the fireplace was shot by Norman’s next-door neighbor. He met the person whose mother actually shot the deer that Norman had mounted. Since they had no idea where the original deer head went, Norman’s neighbor gave the inn another mounted deer head his father shot. Practically the same thing!

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We went upstairs in the studio where Norman stored all of his props which is now a guest room with another gorgeous bathroom. Rockwell’s darkroom is now Kevin’s office.

Next, we went inside his son Jarvis Rockwell’s miniature version of his father’s studio; the inn calls it the half-pint studio. Kevin told me how it used to have a spiral staircase in the middle of the room; they decided to remove the staircase and update the room without it. The guest room and bathroom are as beautiful as the rooms in the main house.

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I am thrilled that Kevin and Sue brought back not only a piece of American history but an important piece of Arlington, VT’s history as well. Many community members who appeared as children in his works are still alive and are still living in Arlington. The little girl who was “The Babysitter” for example was in front of me the other day buying scratch-off lottery tickets. She still has red hair too!

I urge you to take a look at Rockwell’s Retreat website. Arlington has so much to offer already for visitors, but if you like Rockwell’s work and Americana and want to take a step back in time, this is the place to stay at. The inn has plenty of comfortable common spaces with local treats for their guest waiting for them and lots of gathering areas, including outside on the inn’s grounds.

It was great meeting both Kevin and Sue today; not only do they support our small business, but they also support many other local businesses. Yes, they are flatlanders just like us, but we chose to live and work here. We feel privileged to own, operate and act as stewards to our pieces of Arlington and American history.

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I’ve included many photos and finished works for you to see, all done right in front of that fireplace in his studio. I’ve included one other piece that was not done here in Arlington, but many consider it the most well-known and important piece of all. I first saw it at our friend Martin’s house hanging over the fireplace. I stared at it for a long time while Martin explained the piece to me and all about Ruby Bridges and the trouble Rockwell received over the painting. The piece is startling at first glimpse, but the more you look at it, the more you understand why and how Rockwell painted it.