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Walking & Driving Tours
Part of the draw of our region has always been our ability to slow the pace down a little. Much of our natural beauty and our historical heritage can best be enjoyed by traveling on foot. Ask any resident of the Vermont Crossroads region and you'll hear about his or her own favorite country roads or trails to walk on. Innkeepers and front desk staff can steer you to the nearest spot from where you stay to start your walk.
Our region has several organized historical walks to learn about how our past is tied to our present. Some historical sites, like the Calvin Coolidge Historic District in Plymouth, have trails that wander through the woods and fields that surround them.
The Brandon Region
A Self Guided Walking Tour through historic Barndon Village. Chartered in 1761, Brandon rapidly became an important mill town with both saw and grist mills operating at more than twenty sites. After 1849, Brandon became a center for the manufacture of railroad cars. During this time, many fine homes were built, and most are still occupied today. The involvement in the Underground Railroad movement by many of the town's leaders continues to provide us today with anecdotal evidence pointing to secret rooms, hiding places, and concealed stairways in a number of homes.
The tour starts at the Brandon Info Booth and takes approximately one hour to walk and is about 2 1/2 miles in length. A detailed map and guide is available through the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce. www.brandon.org
While at the Brandon Chamber pick up a brochure for descriptions of nearby walks and on Robert Frost Trail in Ripton; Texas Falls interpretive loop trail in Hancock and Minnie Baker Trail in Leicester.
The more adventurous hikers might visit the Falls of Lana at Lake Dunmore, Leicester-Hollow Trail, Mount Horrid at Brandon Gap, Rattlesnake Cliffs at Lake Dunmore or a hike to Silver Lake. Once again, the Brandon Information Booth has a great brochure and map.
Pine Hill Park - Giorgetti Athletic Complex
Running, mountain biking, hiking, walking, snowshoeing, XC skiing in a 275 acre park located within Rutland, Vermont. Events include The Summer Sunset Running Series, Tuesday Tune Up Running Group and more. For more information go to www.pinehillpark.org Trailhead is located at Giorgetti Athletic Complex on Preville Avenue in Rutland, which has an indoor skating arena, ballfields and other activities. Call Giorgetti at (802) 775-7976.
Historic Poultney Village
Long recognized in Vermont as being a community in the "Lakes Region" of Rutland County, it is also known throughout the world as being a town in the "Slate Valley" of Vermont. It was Chartered in 1791by Benning Wentworth, Royal Governor of New Hampshire, as part of the New Hampshire Grants. Its village first grew in what is now historic East Poultney. That site is recognized as the site where the first library in Vermont was founded in 1790. It now has five libraries - - a public, a high school, an elementary school, a private college and a Welsh family history library. It is the home of picturesque Green Mountain College. Visit the nearby Slate Museum.
Walking Tour of Wallingford
The selfguided tour takes you back to the 1800's when Wallingford prospered as a farming and industrial area. The guide details interesting facts regarding each structure and provides insight into the lives of the people who built them. The guide can be picked up at the Town Hall on School Street or at the I. B. Munson House B & B on Main Street, just south of Rt. 140.
Downtown Rutland Historic Tour
1. 26 Washington Street Home - One of the first Italianate style homes in
Vermont, this home is more than 150 years old, having been built by
George Strong in 1852. Its outstanding features include a belvidere
(Italian for beautiful view) and a porte cochere, a wide passageway for
vehicles. Much of the wealth to build homes like these came as a result of
the rail line that was built in the 1840s to connect the Champlain Canal,
backed by Strongs father, to factories and marble quarries in the Rutland
area.
2. 25 Washington Street - Directly opposite the Italianate home of George
Strong is the Colonial Revival home built by George T. Jarvis, another
success story related to the Rutland Railroad. Built in 1912, it is a melding
of the classical, colonial, and contemporary styles. A Federal style
fanlight, columns on the entry porch, and a triple window styled after an
Italianate Palladian window are some of the examples of the melting pot
architectural style.
3. 36 Washington Street - Featuring not one but three architectural styles,
this home was once inhabited by the great-great grandson of James
Mead, Rutlands first white settler. It includes Italianate features from its
original construction in 1867, a tower added in 1890 that was in the Queen
Anne style, and Corinthian columns added in 1910.
4. 44 Washington Street - Nearer to downtown Rutland are smaller, yet no
less attractive, houses. Among them was the 1888 home built by Colonel
James M. Putnam. These modest versions of the Queen Anne style showed
how the new age of mass production was affecting home building. The
applied woodwork was being milled in quantity in Rutland by the 1870s.
5. Masonic Temple and City Hall - 51 and 52 Washington Street - These two
buildings are examples of the City Beautiful Movement, which was based
on city planning that featured monumentality and classically-styled
architecture. Both buildings were designed by Charles E. Paige, who
eventually was elected Rutlands mayor.
6. Rutland Plaza - Imagine the area now bustling with shoppers buzzing in
and out of Price Chopper and TJ Maxx as the once busy railroad center of
Rutland. It was the hub of activity since the first train arrived in 1849, and
continues to be the place where Rutlands railroad activity takes place
today.
7. Bardwell House - Now used as residence apartments for senior
citizens, the Bardwell was once the Bardwell Hotel, built in anticipation of
the many travelers who would visit the area with the arrival of the
railroad in Rutland. Before it burned in 1917 and was rebuilt, it was a
model of architecture popular in the Victorian Age.
8. Service Building 128 Merchants Row - This building is hailed as one of
Vermonts first skyscrapers and an example of how Rutland aspired to
big-city status. Built in 1930, it was a prominent example of Art Deco
architecture, topped off by a narrow tower equipped with a beacon.
9. First Community Bank 104/108 Merchants Row - This building has been
used as a bank throughout its entire life. It was built as the Rutland
Savings Bank in 1865 and renovated soon after to reflect the countrys
interest in the French. A mansard roof with boxy dimensions and dormers
and Verde Antique, the green polished stone on the lower part of the
buildings exterior are just some of the buildings defining features.
10. Mead Building 98 Merchants Row - Charles E. Paige was once again
hired to design a downtown Rutland building, this time a substantial
office building for John Mead. It was erected on the site of the former
Bates House, which was destroyed by fire.
11. Bank North 89 Merchants Row - The expanding marble industry, along
with more than 70 manufacturing concerns, encouraged the creation of a
number of banks in Rutland, seven to be exact when Clement Bank opened
in 1881 in this building.
12. Rutland Opera House 67 Merchants Row - While it may have been
called an opera house, the Ripley Opera House was the scene of many
different types of live performances, and eventually movies were shown
here as well. Built in 1881 to replace an earlier version that burned down,
it was named after its owner and builder. Note the two stone plaques high
on the building that denote music and drama. Inside, there is still some
evidence of the buildings use as a performance venue.
13. U.S. Post Office and Courthouse 151 West Street - With the creation of
jobs being the utmost of importance in the 1930s, the construction of this
building came as welcome relief. Using local marble for its Neo-Classical
design, the building was impressive and patriotic-looking with its
Corinthian columns and murals depicting scenes of Vermont.
14. John L. Cootey Auto Showroom 169-173 West Street - Taking advantage
of Americas new love with the automobile, John L. Cootey constructed the
first auto dealership in 1927. Art deco styling, large windows highlighted
the shiny Packards, Hudsons and Essexes that were for sale.
15. Charter One Bank 45 Merchants Row - An elegant imitation of the
grand banks that graced the streets of New York City, the Marble Savings
Bank was built of just that, plenty of marble. Its Neo-Classical style of
architecture was representative of the 1920s, when the building was
constructed.
16. The Gryphon Building 56 1/2 Merchants Row - Once the highest
building in town, it was built in 1914 as the New Gryphon Building and
attached to the original Gryphon Building of 1906. Another representation
of the skyscraper form, it had an elevator to reach all the floors, and was
graced with large rectangular windows brought from Chicago.
17. 11 Center Street - In the early 1900s the Tuttle Publishing Company
rebuilt this entire block, which had been destroyed by fire. The buildings
were constructed of red brick and the windows featured marble trim.
After the Second World War, Munsat Jewelers occupied one of the spaces
in the block and designed a Modern style storefront that featured Carrara
glass panels.
18. Paramount Theatre 30-40 Center Street - Now experiencing a
renaissance after a major rebuilding campaign, the Paramount was built
in 1914 by George T. Chaffee as The Playhouse. It is another representation
of the City Beautiful Movement and has been restored to its original glory
in all its detail, including the exact fabric design for the covered
walls.Tours available Tues, Thurs 1:00-3:00pm and Sat. 10:00am-noon. For
more info call 775-0570
19. 69 Center Street - Pointed Gothic arches, cast iron columns, and large
windows highlighted this building, which was used originally as a bakery
when it was built in 1869. In 1901, the building had a new occupant,
William Metzger and his tent, canvas, and awning firm.
20. A Teachers Closet 67 Center Street - This building has been home to a
grocery store, real estate office, and an educational supply store (its
current use). It was built in 1865 out of wood, typical of the times. It has
been preserved almost exactly as it was when it was new.
21 Rutland County Courthouse 83 Center Street - Yet another story of a
building being built to replace a building destroyed by fire, the County
Courthouse was built in 1870. To fit in architecturally with the churches
and public buildings around it, the building was modest in size and
designed to look appropriate as a new building among the old Rutland
village homes
An Autumn Road Tour
by Royal Barnard
No matter where you go in the world or who you talk to, everybody knows about “fall” in Vermont….. the wild and unpredictable show of colors and weather that never ceases to amaze locals and visitors alike.
If you don’t live in Vermont, the first question is “When do the colors peak? … When should I visit? The truth is that this is a mystery that no scientist has yet to be able to answer. A good guess, however, is if you arrive at the end of September or the first week in October you’re almost guaranteed to find good viewing somewhere in the region.
It’s no secret, and it makes perfect sense to realize that the northern part of the State “turns” first… and there could be more than two week’s difference if time from north to south…. so you have some margin for error.
Your might also get surprised by an early snowstorm and see dazzling colors topped by snow capped mountains…. This is not at all unusual.
It’s also a treat to ride one of the chairlifts or gondolas that safely carry you to Vermont’s highest peaks. Typically, the lift operators slow the pace of the ride so you get the maximum “rush” from the experience. This is perhaps one of the most enjoyable ways to enjoy the foliage season…. much better than trying to drive your car and take in the experience.
There is an endless array of great “rides” that you might consider during your foliage visit, but only if you embark with the right attitude. To make the most of the experience and to be safe it’s important to NOT have a strict plan or a strict timetable…. let the experience bring you where it wants to go….. ride the wave…. stop when you feel the urge and savor the beauty. Get lost and don’t worry about it. Let nature remove you from your usual hectic pace and relax.
The most spectacular rides will be the east-west crossings over the Green Mountain Range. In our region, they include: Route 140 from Wallingford to Route 155 between East Wallingford and Weston… then connecting with Route 100 to Ludlow; Route 4 between Rutland and Woodstock; Route 73 between Brandon and Rochester; Route 125 between East Middlebury and Hancock; and Route 17 between Bristol and Waitsfield. There’s also a secondary road that connects Bristol with Warren over Lincoln Gap.
All of these mountain crossings ultimately meet with Vermont’s famous Route 100 …. sometimes called “The Skier’s Highway.” This is one of the greatest highways on the planet. Sports car enthusiasts, motorcyclists and bikers flock from around the nation to put their wheels on Route 100. Once you’ve done it you’ll know why.
In addition to the “rides” there are tens of thousands of scenic vistas. Every turn in the road brings a fresh view and a new surprise…. think how different this is than driving across the West or the Midwest when you can see your destination 100 miles away…. think how much fun to take a little side road and discover dozens of visual treasures that nobody else is looking at but you. Maybe bring a picnic lunch, and pick one of these spots for a special treat.
One thing you absolutely MUST have for your trip is a really good map. The State of Vermont has a free “Vermont Attractions Guide and Road Map” that’s available at all official State of Vermont information booths and at most Chambers of Commerce. The Rutland Chamber of Commerce and The Mountain Times have a free “Map of the Rutland Region of Vermont.” The U.S. Forest Service also has a wide range of free publications that will guide you through many of the back roads inside Forest Service lands.
When I make my “foliage tours” I always begin by studying my map. This ritual might be best done with the last glass of wine at dinnertime the night before… and it can be lots of fun to plot your favorite stretches of road, along with a few new places to “explore.”
A few years ago, while having a checkup at the local hospital, I met a nurse who was in Vermont on a short-term work assignment. I asked her how she liked being here. She said, “I love it.” Then she proceeded to tell me about sending postcards to her family and friends back home in the South. She said “I buy these pretty postcards, but it’s not like any of them are special. Everything here is beautiful. Back home we have some beautiful spots, but most of it is pretty dull… here everything is awesome.”
Indeed it is. So, come pay a visit, no matter what the season. You will definitely enjoy being here.
All content © The Mountain Times 2010