Fletcher Farm School facts for kids

The Fletcher Farm School is a special place in Ludlow, Vermont, USA. It's a school where people learn all sorts of arts and crafts. A non-profit group called the Society of Vermont Artists and Craftsmen runs it.

You can take classes here on weekends during winter and spring. In the summer, there are longer courses. The school teaches many cool skills. These include working with fabric, making things from wood, pottery, jewelry, and even photography!

Where is the School Located?

The school is found on Vermont Route 103. This road is between Ludlow and Proctorsville. It sits in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont.

The land where the school is located has a long history. It was first settled way back in 1783. Jesse Fletcher and Lucy Keyes were the first family to live there. Their first house is thought to be the oldest in Ludlow. They added a bigger part to it in 1805. Both parts were still being used in 2014!

The property stayed with the Fletcher family for many years. Later owners added more buildings. These include barns and cabins. Students can even stay in these cabins during summer classes. At other times, students can find places to stay in Ludlow. The Society of Vermont Artists and Craftsmen also has a small store at the school. You can buy unique arts and crafts there in the summer.

A Look at the School's History

The land for the school was once owned by Allen M. Fletcher. He was the governor of Vermont from 1912 to 1915. After he passed away, his wife and daughters gave the property to the YWCA in 1928. They wanted it to be a training school. But that plan didn't work out. So, in 1933, the YWCA gave the property back to the Fletcher family.

Later that same year, a new non-profit group was started. It was called Fletcher Farm Inc. This group was given the property. It included the buildings and about 400 acres of land. The only rule was that the land must always be used for education. Some famous people were part of the first leaders of this group. They included writer Dorothy Canfield Fisher and poet Robert Frost.

For about 15 years, the school offered different classes for adults. For example, in 1934, Grace Coyle led a two-week workshop there. It was for people who worked with groups, like at the YWCA. In 1935, two important thinkers, Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wieman, visited for a religious retreat. Years later, in 1955, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about their ideas in his college paper.

In 1948, the main farmhouse, sugar house, and barns were rented out. They went to the non-profit Society of Vermont Craftsmen. This group has been running the Fletcher Farm Craft School ever since.

Many talented teachers have taught at the school. Berta Frey, a well-known weaver, taught there early on. Irene Slater taught in the 1950s. She was known for painting on old clock and mirror glass. Ronald Alfred Slayton taught watercolor painting in the 1950s and 1960s. He developed a colorful, natural style. Joseph Skinger also taught jewelry making at the school for several years.

What You Can Learn: Programs and Classes

Most students at Fletcher Farm School are adults. The fees for classes usually include food, a place to stay, and the cost of lessons. The school is known for having one of the oldest and most respected craft programs in Vermont.

You can learn many different crafts here. Some past subjects include:

• Weaving without a loom
• Carving wooden spoons
• Quilting
• Making pottery
• Bookbinding
• Designing vessels from gourds or birch bark

In 2014, the Winter/Spring classes included:

• Basket making
• Fiber arts (like knitting or spinning)
• Fine arts and photography
• Jewelry making and working with stones (lapidary)

The summer courses in 2014 offered even more choices:

• Basketry
• Clay work
• Early American decoration
• Fiber arts
• Fine arts and photography
• Glass art
• Jewelry
• Quilting and fabrics
• Specialty arts and crafts
• Woodworking and woodcarving

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