For 185 years, Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont, was home to generations of college students.
It closed its doors in 2019, but now the picturesque New England campus is being offered for free—if the right recipient can be found.
Specifically, a Catholic non-profit organization looking for a new home.
Current owner Raj Bhakta bought the rural campus for $4.5 million in 2020 with plans to turn it into a work-ag, debt-free college.
After those hopes failed to come to fruition, he now wants to give away the property to someone with “a vision aligned with the revival of the United States and Western Civilization.”
Bhakta’s plan is explained in this news release:
Entrepreneur and preservationist Raj Peter Bhakta, owner of the iconic former Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont, is offering "The Gift" — a donation of select campus buildings and surrounding land to a qualified Catholic mission-based organization. This extraordinary, once-a-century opportunity is now open through a public Request for Proposals (RFP).
Estimated to be worth in excess of $20 million in value by prior Maltz Auctions assessments, the offered properties present a rare chance to repurpose a historically rich, aesthetically beautiful, and strategically located campus for meaningful Catholic mission, education, and service. Green Mountain College was originally founded in 1834 as a Methodist institution; The Gift will return this singular site to its original Christian calling.
"This gift is about stewardship," said Bhakta. "The Green Mountain College campus is a magnificent resource, and I am seeking a Catholic organization with the vision and capability to use it for good — to serve people, purpose, and faith."
The campus includes academic buildings, residence halls, administrative offices, athletic facilities, and over 100 acres of farmland through which flows the Poultney River.
Any organization hoping to acquire the property will need to be prepared to spend at least $1 million per year on maintaining it.
If the right recipient can’t be found, Bhakta says he plans to sell the property.
Interested organizations can submit proposals here. The deadline is March 31.
