Living in the house that Peyton Place built

GILMANTON — Struck with Sunny Bishop's sudden desire to raise alpacas, and with her husband Marshall's longer-held desire to develop a vineyard, the couple decided to put their Gilford cabin on the market and find a piece of real estate with enough land for each of their pursuits. The right house for them, it turned out, was the former home of legendary author Grace Metalious.

The Bishops – Marshall is a retired combat photographer for the United States Marine Corps and Sunny is a flight attendant for American Airlines – have now lived at 528 Meadow Pond Road for five years. Their alpaca herd currently numbers 11 members, the vineyard has 700 grape vines and the occasional dinners they host are selling out. The Bishops didn't think twice when they learned of the property's famous prior owner and are enjoying their time in the house that "Peyton Place" built.

"It's a fun house to live in," said Marshall.

Metalious enjoyed sudden success with the 1956 publication of "Peyton Place," which spent more than a year on the New York Times list of best sellers. The small house she purchased was built in 1756 and Metalious saw fit to add enough rooms to create a home that was four times its initial size.

Metalious's famous book dealt explicitly with subjects that were only whispered about in small New England towns in the 1950s. It brought her fortune, though subsequent literary efforts never came close to the success of Peyton Place. Metalious died of liver disease in 1964 when she was just 39 years old.

However, the Bishops report that the house has forgotten the difficulties Metalious experienced as a result of her fame. Instead, they say it has the energy of a home about to host a good time.

"It's a cool house," said Sunny. "The house has a very 50s feel to it. She liked to drink and have parties and she built it that way."

Just as Metalious bought the property and converted it to her design, the Bishops didn't waste any time making the home their own. Marshall planted grapes in 2007 as soon as the ground shed its winter frost. They've since cleared a few acres for alpaca pasture, built a barn and most recently built a porch and converted the three-car garage into a winery.

The Bishops are able to operate a winery in Gilmanton thanks to hybrid grape varieties that are able to thrive in a cold climate with a short growing season and supplemented grapes shipped from Chile. Working with the guidance of winemaker John Jude, they created five red wines, a white wine and a signature blend, called "Grace's," of their white Seyval grape and Concord grapes. The resulting beverage is rose in color but not as sweet as its appearance would suggest. It's a wine that tasters have found intriguing, the Bishops report. They've filled 780 bottles of their 2010 wine and think they'll sell out sometime this summer. The 2011 batch, which they expect will arrive in early fall, will be about twice the volume of the 2010 run.

In addition to the wine, which can only be purchased at the winery, the Bishops sell alpaca yarn and host monthly dinners catered by Ellie Murphy. The next dinner will be hosted on Saturday night and will feature a viewing of the film version of "Peyton Place." The five-course dinners cost $65 per couple and reservations are strongly recommended as the limited seating often sells out.

Starting with Easter weekend, the Bishops will add brunches to their repertoire. Also catered by Murphy, the brunches will be served from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and they plan to offer them on the first and third Sundays of each month. The schedule may be altered as the season progresses.

Those who wish to visit the property are welcome to stop by between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Thursdays through Sundays. For more information, call 267-8251 or visit www.gilmantonwinery.com.

What's it like to live in Grace's home? They say it's been great. Although there are hints here and there that some local residents with long memories are still resentful that Metalious spilled closely-held secrets 45 years ago, they report they've been warmly received, whether by neighbors or by town or state officials, who seem to be glad that they're developing the historic home into a commercial venture.

"I love it," Sunny said of her home, which offers a welcome change from air travel environs. "It's quiet."

"We're trying to take it one day at a time and have fun with it," said Marshall.

CAPTION for ALPACA in AA:

Sunny and Marshall Bishop have started an alpaca farm and winery at the Gilmanton property that Grace Metalious purchased with income from her controversial and celebrated novel "Peyton Place." (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)