Page 16 - North Haven Magazine Issue 21 Holiday 2021

Reindeer Lodge
Reindeer Lodge

on PoverTy hill?

by Susan A. Iverson
If you have ever driven north on Ridge Road up to the foot of Sleeping Giant, you have
driven through the area once called “Poverty Hill” – hard to imagine why it earned that
nickname, given the luxurious residences found there now. You will not find any struc-
tures called “Reindeer Lodge” there, but you will find Twin Gates, formerly known as
Kraftwood, a beautiful home built in the 1930s. It was used a few years ago as the center-
piece of a holiday Hallmark movie called “Romance at Reindeer Lodge”. So yes, Reindeer
Lodge on Poverty Hill is a real place, right here in North Haven!
hile meandering through there re- use it”! Others also built beautiful homes
Wcently, it did seem like the land nearby, including one built by Richard Sar-
might have been a bit stony; perhaps it was gent of Sargent Manufacturing in New Ha-
difficult to farm there and eke out a living ven. Though upper Ridge Road was only
in the 18th and 19th centuries. I have not sparsely settled at first, by the middle of the
come across any explanation for why else 20th century it came to be recognized as an
this beautiful corner of town would be idyllic retreat for well-to-do individuals.
nicknamed so disparagingly. Early on the Gone was the now unsuitable nickname of
area occupying about 100 acres was used Poverty Hill!
for an apple orchard. It was owned by a
Mr. Warner, who took on the property as a Kraftwood, now known as Twin Gates, is
mortgage. Mr. and Mrs. Greist discovered presently for sale. It was used by the Hall-
the place and camped there one summer mark Channel in 2018 as the setting for
– Mr. Warner said that if they wanted to a holiday drama “Romance at Reindeer
live in such a God-forsaken place he would Lodge”. In the film, the house is a bed and
not have the heart to charge them rent! The breakfast sitting on 1000 acres in Vermont,
Griests fell in love with it and bought the also home to a nature preserve with rein-
dilapidated house there and all 100 acres. deer. Though Twin Gates is, in reality, just
They later subdivided the orchard into ten 9 acres in size, and no reindeer in sight,
lots, selling each lot for $250. The new own- one can imagine as one looks about that
ers built rudimentary log cabins on their it could be true. In the film the house is
parcels for summer getaways. Cooking was festooned with all manner of Christmas
done over open fires outdoors, and there decorations and knickknacks – lots of red,
were no public utilities or paved roads. The green and plaid; but in fact, the home is
seasonal residents called this little settle- spacious and tastefully decorated, retain-
ment “Mountain View Association” and ing the feel of its 1930s origins with elegant
one of their first actions as a bloc was to try moldings, archways, terraces, greenhouse,
to stop the blasting away of Sleeping Giant. and guest quarters. These details certainly
Ownership of the ten-acre parcels changed set a romantic mood and the film captures
hands quite often, each time with increas- it perfectly. I could absolutely see it used as
ingly large price tags; what originally cost a bed and breakfast in its next life! If you
$250 in 1892 was selling for $10,000 in the find that you, too, have fallen in love with
1930s. A gentleman named Albert Kraft of this 1930s beauty, please call Iris Meyer at
United Illuminating bought one of these, Raveis Real Estate; she can be reached at
tore down the log cabin, and built a home 203-530-7820 or by email at iris.meyer@
he would call Kraftwood. Mr. Kraft was re- raveis.com.
sponsible for bringing electricity into the
still very secluded area. By the early fifties Thanks to the North Haven Historical So-
phone service became available, though the ciety archives for its information about
telephone company did not want to supply Kraftwood, and Raveis Real Estate for the
service there “because no one would ever photos included here.

16 North Haven Magazine - Holiday Issue 2021