workshop accommodation
Heartwell House is a beautifully designed retreat nestled in the Green Mountain National Forest with secluded spots indoors and outdoors for privacy and reflection. Built by the extended Gilburg-Grimes family, this spacious post-and-beam home is a 2 minute drive or 15 minute walk uphill from the studio where workshops are held. Here’s a one minute video of Heartwell House.
Heartwell House has three floors and a loft. The first floor has shared kitchen, dining and living rooms plus a queen bedroom with a full bathroom. The second floor has two bedrooms, one with two twin beds and one with a queen bed, plus a sitting room with TV, sleeping nook, and a full bathroom. The ground floor has a finished bedroom with two twin beds and a sitting area beside the wood stove.
Please note that Heartwell House is not a commercially rented property and is only available to rent while workshops are in session.
eating, shopping & cooking
Your stay is self-catering and Heartwell House is twenty minutes drive from the nearest supermarket. Each cohort decides how to organize and share meal planning, cooking and cleanup. Residents often carpool to buy groceries. The kitchen at Heartwell House is well-stocked with essentials and pantry items that may be used and replaced. During workshops students prepare their own lunches at Heartwell House. Cohorts meet via Zoom approximately four weeks before their workshop begins to coordinate arrival times, airport transportation, carpooling, cooking, and grocery shopping.
bedrooms and sleeping areas
Heartwell House has four private bedrooms. Room assignments are made on a first come, first served basis by co-owner Deb Gilburg. Residents share the two bathrooms. Please email Deb Gilburg directly about accessibility or personal needs you would like considered. Beds will be made up with fresh sheets when you arrive. Clean towels are in the first floor bathroom. Extra sheets and blankets are available.
checking in and checking out times
Residents begin their stay on a Sunday and leave on a Saturday. Check-in time is after 1pm. Check-out by 11am. If you need an extra night, or to arrive at an unsociable hour, please email your request to Deb Gilburg.
location
Heartwell House and the studio where workshops take place are located in Heartwellville, a small hamlet in the township of Readsboro Vermont, 10 mins drive from the Massachusetts border.
PLEASE NOTE that Readsboro VT, North Adams MA, Pittsfield MA, Williamstown MA and surrounding towns in Vermont and Massachusetts are NOT serviced by Lyft or Uber. Alternative travel options are listed below.
Heartwell House is the last house at the top of Rue Madeline on the left, with green siding and a red roof. Your GPS may not work, so please print driving directions beforehand and use mileage calculations, especially after dark. The address is 1087 Rue Madeline, Readsboro, Vermont 05350. Driving times are approx 2.5hrs from Boston; 3.5hrs from Manhattan; 7hrs to Quebec City or Baltimore.
air travelers
Heartwell House is approximately 1.5hrs drive or taxi from Albany, New York, International Airport; 2hrs drive from Bradley, Connecticut, International Airport; 2.5hrs drive from Manchester, New Hampshire, regional airport; 3hrs drive from Logan Airport in Boston MA; and 3.5hrs drive from JFK and Newark international airports.
Nearest Amtrak train stations are in Greenfield, Massachusetts and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, both about one hour’s drive from the studio. There is bus service from New York City or Boston to Williamstown, Massachusetts, which is approximately thirty minutes drive from the studio.
Taxi service must be booked ahead of travel date. We recommend Norm’s Limo Service, North Adams Massachusetts (413) 663-8300 (15 mins away) and Transport the People, Pittsfield, Massachusetts (413) 443-7111 (55 mins away). You may also email me for a list of private drivers for hire.
telephone, wifi, warmth, group messaging
Heartwell House has a landline which residents are welcome to use. There is no charge for incoming or outgoing calls within the USA. Cell service is spotty. Depending upon provider, you may not receive a signal. The Wifi password is posted on the fridge. When you arrive there will be hot water and the house will be warm. You may adjust the thermostat to your comfort level.
I recommend WhatsApp for group messaging before and during workshops, and for staying connected afterwards, especially if your cohort includes students from overseas.
outdoor shoes, no smoking
Please leave outdoor shoes in the mud-room. Heartwell House operates a No Smoking policy.
questions
There is a green notebook on the kitchen counter with detailed information about Heartwell House and the surrounding area. Please read this. If there’s anything else you’d like to know about Heartwell House before you book or during your stay please reach out to owner Deb Gilburg at any time. You will meet Deb over Zoom four weeks before the workshops begins.