When the new owner of a 19th-century schoolhouse in Vermont removed its cupola, neighbors had concerns. Letters arrived in the mailbox. A story landed in the tiny local paper. The small town feared the worst. But the owner—a multidisciplinary creative and visual artist who is the head of Donkey Milk Studios—had no intention of erasing the beloved structure. They were simply repairing the old school bell so it could ring again.

The homeowner was finishing a degree in sustainable agriculture when the property hit the market. They loved the area, but the rural town didn’t always feel like an obvious place for their friends to express themselves.…