The Governor's House in Hyde Park was built in 1893 by Vermont's 43rd governor, Carroll S. Page, to resemble a house erected more than a century earlier — the Georgian home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Cambridge, Mass. The mansion's current owner, Suzanne Boden, also uses the premises to invoke a bygone era and a literary legacy. Her exquisitely restored eight-bedroom bed-and-breakfast serves as the setting for Jane Austen weekends — an immersive experience for the sense and sensibility of those who wish to temporarily hang out in a 19th-century novel. Haven't read all six — or perhaps any — of Austen's published novels? Missed all the Jane Austen-related TV and film productions, including 27 new releases over the past decade? No idea what the Regency period is? Not a problem. The naïve and experienced alike may still enjoy, and perhaps even revel in, this three-day event billed as a "leisurely weekend of literary-inspired diversions for every Jane Austen devotee." July 17 marked the 200th anniversary of the British novelist's death at age 41. Consequently, this year there have been even more Austen-centric gatherings, tours and parties than usual. Yet her contemporary fans are legion, including more than 5,000 dues-paying members of the Jane Austen Society of North America. Among many annual events, they attend the celebration in Bath, England — the author's hometown — and the Jane Austin Festival, which organizers call "the largest Jane Austen event in North America," held in Louisville, Ky. For the past decade, Boden has done her part: About four times a year, she welcomes "Janeites" to honor the foremother of the modern-day romance novel. At a recent Pride and Prejudice-themed Austen weekend, six guests arrived at the Governor's House on a sweltering Friday afternoon and checked into their spacious rooms. This reporter was among them. "There are about eight things you need to know," Boden informed us. Each one pertained to forgoing many modern amenities and adjusting to conditions typical of Austen's time. The fireplace bricks might impede the Wi-Fi signal, she cautioned. Keeping the windows shut with curtains drawn during the day would make the air-conditioner-free house cooler. Electronic devices (other than cameras) should be left in one's room. This simplified lifestyle is precisely what drew Joan Haslett and her daughter, Mary Johnson, both from Chittenden County, to register for the weekend. The duo had attended two of Boden's other…
The Governor's House in Hyde Park was built in 1893 by Vermont's 43rd governor, Carroll S. Page, to resemble a house erected more than a century earlier — the Georgian home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Cambridge, Mass. The mansion's current owner, Suzanne Boden, also uses the premises to invoke a bygone era and a literary legacy. Her exquisitely restored eight-bedroom bed-and-breakfast serves as the setting for Jane Austen weekends — an immersive experience for the sense and sensibility of those who wish to temporarily hang out in a 19th-century novel. Haven't read all six — or perhaps any — of Austen's published novels? Missed all the Jane Austen-related TV and film productions, including 27 new releases over the past decade? No idea what the Regency period is? Not a problem. The naïve and experienced alike may still enjoy, and perhaps even revel in, this three-day event billed as a "leisurely weekend of literary-inspired diversions for every Jane Austen devotee." July 17 marked the 200th anniversary of the British novelist's death at age 41. Consequently, this year there have been even more Austen-centric gatherings, tours and parties than usual. Yet her contemporary fans are legion, including more than 5,000 dues-paying members of the Jane Austen Society of North America. Among many annual events, they attend the celebration in Bath, England — the author's hometown — and the Jane Austin Festival, which organizers call "the largest Jane Austen event in North America," held in Louisville, Ky. For the past decade, Boden has done her part: About four times a year, she welcomes "Janeites" to honor the foremother of the modern-day romance novel. At a recent Pride and Prejudice-themed Austen weekend, six guests arrived at the Governor's House on a sweltering Friday afternoon and checked into their spacious rooms. This reporter was among them. "There are about eight things you need to know," Boden informed us. Each one pertained to forgoing many modern amenities and adjusting to conditions typical of Austen's time. The fireplace bricks might impede the Wi-Fi signal, she cautioned. Keeping the windows shut with curtains drawn during the day would make the air-conditioner-free house cooler. Electronic devices (other than cameras) should be left in one's room. This simplified lifestyle is precisely what drew Joan Haslett and her daughter, Mary Johnson, both from Chittenden County, to register for the weekend. The duo had attended two of Boden's other…