History of Crofter's Green
Even from the beginning, this plot of land was destined to become what it is today. There were plans in the late sixties to build a large hotel here that would have been part of a mountainside golf course if it had all come together. The property changed hands many times before Eamon and Shawna O'Shea purchased it in 1997. The first dwelling they built was a tree house, which they lived in for five summers. After the treehouse ran its course, they moved into a tipi, and later, a friend's yurt while building the garage that would eventually turn into the main house on the property. With alterna-dwellers regularly asking to stay on the property, Eamon and Shawna became serious about starting a business.
When Eamon & Shawna started building what would become known as Shéady Acres in the Fall of 2008, there wasn’t much on paper. That would change with the invaluable help of family and friends and a strong creative vision.
Originally they planned on building six one-room cottages and a main building that would serve as a lodge. The day they broke ground on the project, they also found out Shawna was pregnant with their first child. As a result, they pivoted their designs to include only 5 cottages, two of which are larger. Their friend Jon Betts, who did all the excavation work, found out he was going to be a dad a couple weeks later - must be something in the soil. Eamon and Shawna punched up some numbers, threw down some stakes, and told Jon not to stop digging until the snow fell. Thousands of feet of electric, gas, septic, and water lines, as well as the five foundation holes later, the cottages were finally complete in the spring of 2011. The theme of each cottage, inspired by Eamon and Shawna's travels around the world are all carefully and sustainably crafted with recycled and reclaimed materials from the surrounding area.
The winter of 2009 was one dominated by paperwork as Eamon and Shawna battled state zoning regulations. The town of Montgomery Center, however, welcomed their project, as a new commercial business had not been built here in over 40 years. They were finally back on track by the spring, and ready to continue creating.
Wanting to advertise and knowing no ordinary wooden sign could stand the beating of Jay Peak weather, Eamon and Shawna contacted Lucas Salmon, an 18-year-old metalsmith from Berkshire, Vermont, to create what would become their favorite piece of the project. They decided on the name Shéady Acres, because Lucas had already started welding the letters, and that is what everyone else had always called it.
With the cottages complete, people started approaching Eamon and Shawna about hosting weddings on their property. Thus, several years and good ideas later, the Wedding Barn was erected, again with the incredible support of friends, family, and neighbors. Shéady Acres, now Crofter's Green, continues to develop into destination for couples, families, and groups looking to enjoy the rustic elegance of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.