Grafton, Vermont

We were in Vermont a couple years ago, but I had forgotten just how pretty it is.

A porch rooster

As is our practice when visiting a location for the first time, we pick up a hand full of brochures then try to select what we want to see and/or do. Monday, when we stopped at a Vermont Information Center to have lunch and stretch (that’s another thing about not driving on the interstate—I miss the rest areas. They are so convenient and easy to get in and out of.) we picked up a brochure for the village of Grafton. On the front, it proclaims Grafton to be “one of America’s top ten most beautiful destinations.” That proclamation is not by the Grafton Chamber of Commerce, but by USA Weekend, whoever they are. Anyway, that statement caught our eye and we put Grafton on the list of things to see.

Alexander-Davis house

It is indeed a pretty, little community. I might not go as far as to say “one of the top ten in America.” However, this is not leaf season and folks in these parts put on their best duds and spruce up when the leaves turn. Maybe it will rank as a top ten in a few more weeks. Top ten pretty or not, it was still very much worth the visit.

The old fire station is now a gift shop

The Old Tavern is still and inn

The thing that makes Grafton unique is that everything here is old. There are no new structures. Most of the buildings have been restored so it looks like it might have looked way back when. The brochure we picked up had a map of town and a brief description of several of the buildings. We found a place to park the truck (in the white church parking lot) and set out on foot. The Historical Society operates a small museum. We were the only visitors there at the time, so once again got a personal tour. This is getting to be a habit I like. Bet this won’t happen in New York City.

The Brick Church

The white church

There were two churches in town—the white church and the brick church. They were about a half a block apart. The sign in front of the brick church read “Grafton Church”. Obviously, it was Christian, but had no denominational affiliation indicated. We couldn’t get very close because they were serving lunch in the “chapel” next door and it seemed like all the town folks were there for lunch. The sign out front just said “Lunch Today” so I don’t know if it is a regularly scheduled event or if this was a special occasion. It was the place to be, apparently. At the white church, the sign read “Baptist Church”. Our brochure gave us this history. The brick church was built in 1833 for the Congregational Church and the white church was built in 1858. The Congregationalists and the Baptists combined forces in 1972 and meet in the brick church during the summer and in the white church the rest of the year. By the way, the brochure refers to these buildings as the Brick Church and the White Church.

Town Hall and Post Office

We had our picnic, of course, and on our way out of town stopped by the Grafton Village Cheese Company. We sampled the 2, 3, and 4-year olds, but decided to purchase the 4-year old. I did not like the sage flavored cheese at all.

We liked the fan over the door

Grafton is a pretty Vermont village and we enjoyed our visit.

Brattleboro, Vermont

We acquainted ourselves with the town of Brattleboro this afternoon. The walking tour consisted of a walk along the city’s Main Street from the Connecticut River to the old town green—a distance of about 8 blocks. That short tour was packed with no less than 25 historical buildings and churches.

Connecticut River

It was a walking tour that bombarded our senses. We started our walk on the Connecticut River bridge. Our perspective there was of water and trees. You could almost forget there was a town at all. Within a few yards of the bridge we crossed the railroad tracks. Up the hill a few yards past the tracks is Main Street. In an earlier age, the merchants along Main Street received their goods from suppliers by way of the river and rail.

Main Street from Connecticut River Bridge

On Main Street, we felt we were alternately in the late 1800s and the 1960s. The historical buildings had been restored at some time in the past, but long enough ago for them to again look worn out. Many buildings are no longer what they used to be. One of the most interesting was the Methodist Church which is now the Hotel Pharmacy. The church was built in 1880 in the Victorian Gothic style. The building is now occupied by the Hotel Pharmacy. There was never a hotel here, but the pharmacy, which used to be in the Brooks Hotel down the street, kept it’s name when it relocated to the church. It was in this area that many shop windows displayed clothing reminiscent of the 1960. We saw several peace signs, flowing clothing, and lots of flower stencils.

Main Street

The Old Fire Station is now McNeil’s Pub. In the photo, the cupola on top was where the fire alarm was housed. The ground floor window was the doorway and I can just imagine horses pulling a fire wagon out of there. The high school until the early 1950s is now the Municipal Building and the All Souls Unitarian Church is now simply “the Church”--a performing arts theater.

Old Fire Station

All Souls Unitarian Church

About midway along Main Street, is a small park. About 10 years ago a welcome mural was painted on the side of the building showing the historic town of Brattleboro. However, it is so weathered now that you can hardly see it.

This may not be Brattleboro’s claim to fame, but we found it just one of those things we are glad we didn’t miss. The current Post Office was built in 1916, but in 1847 Brattleboro was the site of the first gummed postage stamp issued in the US. Most of these stamps were destroyed when the federal government started printing postage.

Hotel Pharmacy

Stained Glass window inside the Hotel Pharmacy

Gene’s favorite part along our walk was the Latchis Hotel and theater. Built in 1936, the Hotel is still a hotel and the Theater is still a theater. We wanted to see the Art Deco style inside so we asked the desk clerk at the hotel if we could look around. The theater was closed, but he showed us a door to get into the theater lobby. The lights were turned off so I didn’t even try for a picture, but it was truly special, especially what appeared to be the original ticket stub thingy (I don’t know what it’s official name is). We had stepped right back into the 1930s.

The old high school is now the municipal center

There is much more of Brattleboro to be explored. We’ll see what else we can find on another day.