Bennington, Vermont

Today we drove west to the town of Bennington. One of the first city settlements in the state, Bennington sits in the southwestern corner of the state nestled amongst the Green Mountains. There are plenty of outdoor activities in the area, but we just wanted to see some of the old city.

Henry Bridge

We started out with the covered bridges. There are 5 bridges in Bennington County, as well as a Covered Bridge Museum, but we only went to the 3 closest to the historic district. Although covered bridges come in many different styles, these three were all built in the Town Lattice style. All three also span the Wallomsac River. As you look at the photos, they are going to look very similar, almost like looking at the same bridge. The Henry Bridge was named for the land owner who built his home across the street from the bridge. The Henry House is now a Bed and Breakfast.

Bennington College Dining Hall and Commons

Dorms at Bennington College

On the opposite side of highway 67 from the bridges is Bennington College. Since it was so close we decided to walk around there. We had no prior knowledge of Bennington College, but we felt like it would be an old campus because the city is old. Boy, were we wrong. However, it is beautiful and very small.

Sacred Heart Church

The Monument commemorating the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington was next. About this time of year in 1777 the “Green Mountain Boys” of Vermont helped to defeat a superior British force. Today the towering 300 foot stone monument can be seen from all over the city. From here we walked about 4 blocks down Monument Ave admiring the old homes from the late 1700s and early 1800s. This little walk brought us to The Old First Church and it’s cemetery where Robert Frost is buried. The church, built in the early 1800s in the Georgian Federal style, cost less than $8,000 to construct.

Old First Church

We wanted to see a little bit of downtown so we found a parking place and walked around for about an hour. This part of town is very accessible to tourists. There are several public parking lots which are free as well as free parking along the streets. We enjoyed the architecture, window shopping, and sculptures along the sidewalk. Like the cows, moose, and guitars or other cities, Bennington is decorated with sculptures of everyday folks doing everyday things. Most of them are so good they almost look alive. My favorite was the couple peering through the binoculars on the lawn in front of the funeral home—looking for the promised land, I guess.

We found a coffee shop, grabbed a cup to go, and headed home having enjoyed another fine Vermont town.