built in 1902 by albert gilbert, a wealthy chicago industrialist, the wilburton was at the time the largest privately held estate in the region. james wilbur, president of a chicago bank, purchased the estate in 1906 and named it wilburton hall. wilbur was known for his research into the historical vermont revolutionary ira allen as well as his generosity to the university of vermont. when the wilbur family’s fortune declined, the farmland was sold and the mansion was leased to the windsor mountain school, a school for refugee children of prominent families from nazi europe. in 1945, wilburton hall became the wilburton inn, an exclusive resort. it was purchased in the 1970s by general tire/ r.k.o., a conglomerate, which used the property as an executive retreat.