This story by Cheryl Casey was first published in the Waterbury Roundabout on August 12.
Plans for the historic 150-year-old Goodell House at Little River State Park to be used as a trailside rental cabin are moving closer to reality: The project is now officially part of the state forestry plan, with a nonprofit gearing up to take on the work in 2026.
The 1860s structure on Ricker Mountain has been approved for relocation and preservation in the state’s forest management plan, which was amended to include the project this spring. In March, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation revised the Mt. Mansfield State Forest Long Range Management Plan to include the preservation of the last remaining structure from the once-thriving mill and farm community near the Little River. The state has partnered with the nonprofit Vermont Huts & Trails to relocate, restore and maintain the Goodell House as part of its network of rustic, remote trail accommodations for public use.
“This partnership expands access to state lands while preserving the distinct character of one of the original historic structures in the Ricker Basin,” said Forests, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Danielle Fitzko.
The state collected public input last year about the future of the Goodell House as an important piece of community history and an opportunity to expand recreation at the state park. Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore signed off on the update to the forest management plan in March. It now allows for “the relocation and rehabilitation of the Goodell House as a four-season hut” to be enjoyed as “an overnight resource for a diverse group of users.”
Vermont Huts & Trails Executive Director RJ Thompson said the project will give the historic house a new life that connects its history to modern times and visitors. “This is a great opportunity to preserve history and enhance recreation and access to an area of Mt. Mansfield State Forest with a mix of hiking, biking, and Nordic skiing options,” Thompson said.
Located along the Dalley Loop trail in Little River State Park’s History Hike, the Goodell House will be moved 600 feet downhill to a gravel pit that is better situated to meet accessibility goals and minimize environmental impacts. Project planners from the state and the huts organization have been working closely with the state’s Division of Historic Preservation to ensure the building’s historic character is preserved.
“This is almost seven-plus years in the making,” said Dani Kehlmann, development director for Vermont Huts & Trails. “It’s a cool way to preserve local history and increase access that folks have to (Little River State) park.”
The two-story 20’ x 25’ colonial home was built of hand-hewn timber beams and cedar shingles by Almeron Goodell after he purchased 14 acres on Ricker Mountain in 1863. Joined by his wife Lutheria and their two children, Goodell finished the house in 1870. A 12’ x 12’ addition was added to the footprint later. For 36 years, the Goodells were subsistence farmers, eking out a hardscrabble life alongside the farmers, loggers and sawmill workers who had settled in the Little River basin. Timber was the primary industry in the area.
After Lutheria’s death, Goodell sold the house and moved to Hyde Park in 1906. The Ricker Mountain community, which had been there for nearly 130 years, had started to dwindle and deteriorate by that time. The last of the settlement was finally swallowed by the Waterbury Reservoir in the late 1930s after dam construction was completed.
On higher ground, the house held out long after other structures collapsed and were overtaken by forest, likely helped along by several local families who used the structure as a hunting camp until the 1970s. Today the fragile Goodell House stands as a reminder of the industrious community that shaped a significant part of Waterbury’s early history. It won’t stand for much longer, however, without intervention and the state’s collaboration with Vermont Huts & Trails is intended to avoid this loss.
According to Kehlmann and stewardship forester Brad Greenough, the project to move and rehabilitate the house on its new site is scheduled for spring 2026. The goal is for it to be ready to welcome overnight guests by the end of next year, they said.
The plan for the house that the state and Vermont Huts & Trails agreed to calls for the state to continue to own the house, but it will be maintained and managed by the private nonprofit as a recreation facility. Its operations will be subject to state park policies, such as mud season trail closures. Vermont Huts & Trails maintains a statewide network of hut accommodations along trails and other recreational assets.
The renovations to the house will include making the building ADA-accessible. Likewise, the trail leading to the building will be modified to accommodate adaptive mountain bikes, Kehlmann said.
Until work begins, project planners are taking steps to protect the delicate wood structure from the elements — its roof is covered with a tarp, for example. “Our goal is to use as much of the original material as possible,” Kehlmann said.
Between now and next spring, Kehlmann said Vermont Huts & Trails will be working to raise $137,000 for the project. To date, $400,000 of the project’s estimated $537,000 budget has already been obtained through congressional appropriations. She is leading a new initiative called Friends of the Goodell House to recruit volunteers interested in helping with fundraising.
“There are a lot of restrictions because the project is on state land. Many grants are not applicable, so we’ll be focusing on private foundations and private donors to raise the remaining funds,” she said.
