Shard Villa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Shard Villa
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jct. Shard Villa and Columbus Smith Rds., Salisbury, Vermont |
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| Area | 4.3 acres (1.7 ha) |
| Built | 1872 |
| Architect | Thayer, Warren; Et al. |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001789 |
| Added to NRHP | October 30, 1989 |
Shard Villa is a historic and beautiful house located in Salisbury, Vermont. It was built way back in 1872. This grand building is a great example of Second Empire architecture, a popular style from that time.
A very important international lawyer named Columbus Smith had Shard Villa built. Today, this special property is used as a place for elderly people to live and receive care. It's one of the oldest places like it that has been open continuously in Vermont!
About Shard Villa
Shard Villa is found in a quiet, countryside area of northwestern Salisbury. It sits just west of where Shard Villa Road and Columbus Smith Road meet. The property covers more than 4 acres (about 1.6 hectares) of land.
What Does It Look Like?
The main house is made of limestone and has two and a half stories. It also has a full third floor hidden under its special mansard roof. The most striking part of the house is the tall, three-story tower right in the middle of the front. This tower also has a mansard roof and a low fence-like railing at the top. It even has small, round windows that stick out from the roof!
The windows on the house are paired, meaning they come in twos. They have rounded tops and fancy frames around them. Inside, the house has amazing wooden details and decorations. There are even beautiful paintings on the walls done by an Italian artist named Silvio Pezzoli. A brick section was added to the back of the house later, in the 1900s.
Who Built It?
Columbus Smith, a lawyer famous for his work with international inheritance law, started developing this country estate in 1872. This was the first big project for Warren Thayer, an architect from Burlington. Another well-known builder, Clinton G. Smith, helped with the outside details.
The grounds around the house were designed by Robert Morris Copeland, one of the first landscape architects. However, only some parts of his original garden design are still there today. The house's design is similar to a picture found in a famous architecture book from 1869. Columbus Smith asked Silvio Pezzoli, the Italian artist, to come to the villa in 1886 to paint the murals inside.
What's in a Name?
The name "Shard Villa" comes from Columbus Smith's first big international client. This client was the family of Frances Mary Shard. She was from Vermont but married a rich Englishman. Her only remaining family members were from nearby Ripton.
In 1922, the property was changed to become a care facility for older people. That's when the brick addition was built at the back of the main house.
See also
