Secrets of the Hartness House
Hartness Underground Tunnel and Workshop
Telescope Observatory
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The Hartness House was built by former Governor of Vermont, engineer, chief executive officer, inventor and wealthy industrialist James Hartness.
This country inn is unique in that it features its own museum, astronomy observatory and antique telescope with a unique equatorial drive system. More unusual is the secret tunnel system built by Hartness to access the observatory, museum and his secret workshop.
Guests of the Hartness House Inn have an opportunity to tour the secret
tunnel, view the private workshop of Mr. Hartness, and see the observatory
and telescope. Guided tours are given by reservation only
to guests of the Inn and by private invitation of the owners and
Stellafane club members.
In February 1924, Popular Science magazine did a feature article on the underground system of rooms and tunnels including this drawing of the underground network of rooms and tunnels..
The Secret Underground Tunnels
The Hartness secret underground tunnel was built in 1912. The entire tunnel system is composed of three main tunnels and one service tunnel running underneath the longest tunnel. The longest of the main tunnels runs 242 feet from the Main House to the Observatory. A secondary tunnel runs for 183 feet from the workshop/museum to a secret exit to Common Street. The tunnel system was built to provide easy access to the Hartness underground study and workshop and the observatory.
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The secret tunnel is accessed from Main House. You descend 30 feet below the house. Once you past the locked door, you enter the main tunnel. Dark and dank, it averages 35 to 43 degrees year round. |
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Once inside the main tunnel, you feel the cold immediately. Covered in cobwebs, you make your way to the first turn where you must turn left -- never open the door on the right. Following an unfortunate accident, the door on the right has been permanently closed to the public. |
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| Continuing down the main tunnel, the cold continues to permeate you. Dark except for the few incandescent lights, you need to be especially careful of spiders hanging from above. |  |
The tunnel is long and getting more dark. The cold is now combined with an unusal humidity. The lighting system is old and frequently fails. Once the lights go out you are surrounded in pitch blackness and the cold is even more apparent as you begin is feel the humid, dank air surrounding you. |
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The tunnel turns again. The tunnel conducts and amplify sounds. Listen carefully and you may notice sounds that appear to come from the walls. The tunnel appears to be closing in, but it is only a feeling. The cobwebs are getting thicker as is the air.
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You finally reach the end of the main tunnel. You need to pass through another locked door and you stand in front of an unusual spiral staircase. Tight and following a sharp turn you descend to the second level. You may wonder why there are so many locked doors. What could the locked doors be protecting? |
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In
1910, James Hartness built one of the most unique telescopes
for an individual in the United States. The Hartness Equatorial
Turret Telescope employs a sophisiticated motor-drive, transmission
system and clock drive to replicate the rotation of the earth.
Using the equatorial drive system makes it possible to view heavenly
objects over extended periods of time notwithstanding the rotation
of the earth.
The
telescope and the observatory were completely engineered, designed
and manufactured by
James Hartness in Springfield, Vermont with the exception of
the turret dome which was manufactured in Massachusetts. 
