By Susan Lampert Smith | Photography by Hillary Schave
Time off during the COVID pandemic created new opportunities for designer Sarah Best. When a few family members bought properties in Virginia’s horse country, one of them asked Best, a former Lands’ End apparel designer, to renovate a 1786 house into a short-term vacation rental.
Best scoured nearby antique stores and auctions for unique décor, updated the electrical outlets and Wi-Fi, and painted. The project was such a success she was hired to renovate other family cottages, as well.
Closer to her home in Mount Horeb, her neighbors Gail Morton and Mark Rooney were pondering what to do with a 1903 Foursquare home located high atop the east Blue Mound, on one of Dane County’s oldest farms. Owned by Rooney and his siblings, the couple envisioned the property as ideal for family reunions, retreats or as a home base for exploring the area. They asked Best to perform her magic on the Brigham Farmhouse.
The property has a storied history. In 1828, Ebenezer Brigham walked from St. Louis to Blue Mounds, where he dug a lead mine and opened a trading post, serving travelers along the Old Military Road as well as local Native people, who spoke Ho Chunk and Potawatomi. Brigham became Dane County’s first European settler.
In 1903, Charles I. Brigham built the home that still stands on the property today, which also includes the Cave of the Mounds. Passed down through generations of Brigham’s descendants (including Rooney), the Foursquare house commands a stunning view to the south, and sleeps eight in four bedrooms.
“The house sets the tone, I like to get to know its bones,” Best says. “I want to make it feel fresh and modern, while still being true to the house.”
Best kept the family antiques, including a fainting couch in the “red study” and a table and marble fireplace shipped from back East. But she simplified, de-cluttered and streamlined the rooms. New beds and high-quality linens in all four bedrooms were an important touch.
“My goal is to make it as fresh and clutter-free as possible,’’ she says, noting that the large kitchen has worked well for catered events.
Brigham Farmhouse features an accessible first-floor suite, with a bath, kitchenette and its own screen porch — perfect for older family members. Kids will love the renovated attic and its treehouse views. It has a big-screen TV, game tables and a historic collec- tion of children’s literature, including the Hardy Boys collection. The books harken back to the childhood days of Rooney’s mother, before the house had electricity and evening entertainment was reading and reciting poetry by the light of a kerosene lantern. Visitors also receive free passes to Cave of the Mounds.
The house reopened a year ago, and has hosted events, along with tourists, families and business visitors.
When You Go
Pack your bikes: From the farm driveway, a paved connector trail goes north to Brigham County Park and its stunning sunset views across the Wisconsin River Valley or south to the 40-mile Military Ridge State Trail. Nearby Blue Mound State Park has an extensive network of mountain bike and hiking trails and the state park system’s only swimming pool.
Come hungry and thirsty: Hometown guy Christopher Berge — of Nattspil and Weary Traveler Freehouse fame — opened the Obert- Alvin coffee shop in the historic Blue Mounds Opera House this summer, joining a pair of neighborhood taverns with solid fish frys. You can dine at the Grumpy Troll Brewpub or Buck & Honey’s in Mount Horeb, or enjoy a leisurely Italian farm dinner at Campo di Bella. Botham Vineyards & Winery near Barneveld and Brix Cider in Mount Horeb serve up local beverages.
Don’t forget to shop: Mount Horeb hosts the flagship store for Duluth Trading Company and a Gempler’s outlet, as well as boutiques such as Jangle Soapworks, Telsaan Tea, and Artemis Provisions and Cheese. In Blue Mounds, you’ll find local favorite Jada’s Garden & Greenhouse, which has seasonal plants and outdoor décor.
