The Earth Home needs restoring. The dwelling has water and electricity and a source of heat but some cracks in the roof coating allow water to seep through in some areas. The roof requires some patching. Leading Vermont preservationists believe the structure is worth preserving. Never again will there be a place such as this. 

As reported in Seven Days Vermont 

Speaking to a group of preservationists gathered for a tour of his home in August, Chappelle recalled an initial building effort that used too little sandy loam. “I dumped the whole thing in the woods,” said Chappelle, who leans on a cane but is otherwise mobile, sharp and cheerful.

When he finally found the right mud mix, he built the insulating polystyrene core up from bedrock, applied the mud and coated the exterior with two different waterproofing substances. Those have since begun to fail, and some of the mud is crumbling as a result of water damage.

This problem is what gave rise to the tour, organized by Vermont state architectural historian Devin Colman. He led a group that included Lisa Ryan from the Preservation Trust of Vermont, James Duggan from the state’s Division for Historic Preservation and Helen Whyte of the Vermont Advisory Council on Historic Preservation — the body that evaluates and recommends Vermont sites for the National Register of Historic Places. 

All of the experts agreed the house is worth preserving; the only question was how to waterproof without significantly altering or damaging Chappelle’s creation. Chappelle’s hardworking assistant, Monique Gerbex of Hyde Park, whose day job is at High Mowing Organic Seeds, must constantly patch and repair under Chappelle’s worried direction.

For the architect himself, preserving the Vermont Earth House would help combat what he considers deeply disturbing building trends that result in lifeless living spaces.

“Our country is so wedded to studs, sheetrock, plywood, plasterboard,” Chappelle declared. “All you get is a box.”

The design of the Earth Home was derived and crafted after African mud huts where Chappelle lived for many years. He made the Dome Home and the 47 acres on which it sits, his personal residence until 2018. In an article in Popular Mechanics, Chappelle stated that the walls have an insulative value of R-40, 

Inside the rooms flow with soft curves, rounded windows, rounded skylights, and a floating staircase. The craftsmanship, making use of local granite, cherry wood, and concrete is beautiful, compelling, and unusual. There’s a huge wooden soaking tub, cherry dining room table, cherry kitchen screen, gorgeous cherry bed headboard, and rough-hewn granite floors and walls.

There are stone patios, a small goldfish pond, and many cement and granite sculptures. The private property, includes a large pond, open fields, and woods. The surrounding area is scenic with shopping and restaurants within 20 minutes.

It isn’t a requirement that the structure is restored but to carry on the architect’s legacy could be a dream project for an engineer, architect, or even an architectural student. It is a once in a lifetime chance to own a piece of art and a fabulous opportunity for a getaway, lucrative Airbnb, or both.

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