VT 251: Where It All Began (For Me)
- Mar 26, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: May 19
This episode of the VT 251 (town) exploration is very personal to me because it includes my childhood home-away-from-home. Danby is the town in which my family had a farmhouse and where I fell in love with the state of Vermont. The nearby towns of Dorset, East Dorset, Mount Tabor, Rupert, and Pawlet are also covered in this post and were all visited in mid-September of 2021.
DANBY
Danby, VT (pop. 1,284 in 2020) is a very small rural town in southern Vermont, just off Route 7 between Manchester to the south and Wallingford to the north. Its Main Street is about two blocks long and has a creek which runs through it. During Hurricane Irene in 2011, the creek flooded enough that the Historical Society building fell into it and was (obviously) destroyed. Danby is located between the Taconic and Green Mountain ranges, and offers spectacular vistas. It is most famous for its marble, which is the primary building material of the US Supreme Court building, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Beinecke Rare Books Library at Yale University. It is also known for being the final home of Pearl Buck and (less so) for being the home of Silas Griffith, Vermont's first millionaire (and lumber baron).
DORSET
Dorset, VT is slightly bigger (pop. 2,133 in 2020) than Danby, and while it is located just over the mountain, it feels a world away. It is a lively, picturesque, quintessential Vermont town, and is famous for being the location where the Dorset Accords were signed (leading to the independent Vermont Republic and future statehood). It has a thriving Playhouse and the first marble quarry in the country (now a swimming hole in the summer). Like several towns in this area, the sidewalks are made of marble. It is a fairly affluent town and is home to the oldest continuously running golf course in the US (The Dorset Field Club) and has a decidedly upscale general store, The Dorset Union Store. If hungry, this is a great gourmet market with marvelous freshly prepared items. The Dorset Bakery is also a delicious spot for breakfast, coffee, lunch, or all sorts of sweet treats. Like Danby, and actually all of the towns in this VT 251 entry, its location between the Taconic and Green Mountains offers incredible views.
EAST DORSET
While not an official town for the 251 list, East Dorset, VT is a village within Dorset (pop. roughly 250) which has its own feel. It has a post office and cute downtown, as well as a great orchard to pick apples and get super-fresh cider and cider donuts in-season (Mad Tom Orchards).
PAWLET
Going over the hill in the other direction from Danby, you get to Pawlet, VT (pop. 1,424 in 2020). It has a cute town center (a tiny village) with an amazing gourmet market, Mach's, built over a ravine! It's got tasty goods and enough groceries and drinks (and VT cheese) to get you through whatever you are craving. West Pawlet, VT is a village in Pawlet and feels like a ghost town -- complete with long-abandoned-looking storefronts and has a nod to its slate quarry history. If you are into cheese, though, a visit to Woodlawn Creamery is well worth your effort; they have award-winning cheeses and a farm store where you can test them out.
RUPERT
Rupert, VT is yet another beautiful, small, farming community (pop. 698 in 2020) in southern Vermont, bordering NY. While it is the home to The Maple News, a maple-focused publication, it may be better known for Merck Forest & Farmland Center, which offers something for everyone wanting to interact with the land (think: walking trails, anmals, berry patches, and educational talks). When I visited the area, there was an impossibly Vermont BARN CRAWL happening (mid-September), with barns in different towns offering wares and tastes. As this was a highlight of my VT 251 experiences, I would highly recommend participating in a barn crawl if at all possible.
MT. TABOR
Mt. Tabor, VT is an itty-bitty town adjacent to Danby (pop. 210 in 2020) which doesn't really have much to visit. It hugs the Green Mountains and shares Danby's volunteer fire department. Many (most?) of the town roads are at least party dirt, and due to it's location, it has lovely views and some nice hikes, like Little Rock Pond. Other than the Country Store right on the highway (which sells gas, normal mini-mart fare, pizza and sandwiches), there is no other place to spend money in Mount Tabor of which I am aware.
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