Dog Mountain: Stephen Huneck's Shrine to Dogs

On a hundred and fifty acres of hilltop outside St. Johnsbury, Vermont folk artist Stephen Huneck built one of the most unusual public spaces in New England. He and his wife Gwen bought the property in nineteen ninety-five and turned the barn into a gallery of his woodcut prints, carved furniture, and illustrated children's books, all centered on dogs.

In two thousand he completed a white clapboard chapel in the classic New England style, but with black Labs and golden retrievers carved into every pew, and stained-glass windows showing his own dog Sally in scenes of joy and loss. Visitors leave hand-written notes tacked to the walls in memory of dogs they have loved. After Stephen's death in two thousand ten, the site became a nonprofit. Dog Mountain is free and open to the public, and all dogs are welcome on the trails, the pond, and the hillside meadows year-round.