Grafton Vermont: A History of Stewardship

 

Grafton’s history is marked by an 1830's heyday, when the region bustled with woolen mills, gristmills, and factories producing sleighs, butter churns, and cheese. However, over time, a waning wool market and then a devastating flood in 1869 led to adversity and a century of hardship. Relief eventually came with the formation of the Windham Foundation in 1963. The private foundation is credited with bringing back Grafton’s small-town New England greatness through its preservation efforts, open-land stewardship, and financial support. Quite a legacy!

The village of Grafton is a shining example of the Windham Foundation’s mission to preserve and enhance the social, economic, and cultural vitality of Vermont’s rural communities. Among its many philanthropic programs, the Foundation provides support to Grafton in the form of yearly grants to support everything from educational programs to local food initiatives to historic preservation. Take a stroll through Grafton and you’ll see the Foundation’s mission in action by way of the Grafton Inn, Grafton Village Cheese Company, and many local businesses that operate in Foundation-owned buildings.

The purpose of the Windham Foundation was, and still is, to revitalize Grafton and separately, to provide grants to various Vermont organizations.  In the 1960s and 1970s it purchased about twenty-seven buildings in the village and restored them along with acquiring over 1,000 acres of land surrounding the village. Today, the Windham Foundation provides long-term leases for these buildings, and operates the Old Tavern, the Grafton Inn, the Grafton Village Cheese Company, and also conserves the rural acreage as a recreational area open to the public. Besides historic preservation, other community enhancements undertaken by the Windham Foundation include funding the burial of all utility lines in the village and the installation of historically appropriate street lights. As a result, today Grafton is one of the most historically intact and well-maintained villages in Vermont.

Grafton's uniqueness comes from being a real town - not a museum-like re-creation. And its citizens are its most valuable resource. It is a vibrant community, still holding the traditional Town Meeting with participation from a wonderfully diverse population of approximately 600 people.  Many of its beautiful and historic buildings have been restored by its residents in concert with the Windham Foundation and the result is that today's town looks much as it did decades ago.

Our research and curiosity prompted us to journey to this small village on our way to the Maine coast and stay at the The Grafton Inn.  Grafton is also featured in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, which is our go-to travel guide across the country. Originally a stagecoach inn dating back to 1801, this is one of the oldest operating inns in America and has welcomed such famous guests as Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.   

Staying at the Inn felt like we were on a movie set... immaculately maintained in it's period elegance... our corner room on the third floor was spacious and looked out onto the cross roads of Main street. The vintage furniture and floor rugs over the wooden floors were complemented by a welcome card and a brick of vintage Grafton cheese! And... in keeping with the early Americana vibe - no TV.  

Sooo, in the spirit of the times, we opted to forego the elevator and made our way down the rickety stairs to the veranda porch and sat in a couple rocking chairs... taking in the surrounding buildings and peacefulness. Some buildings even had hitching posts still intact from back in the day when one would ride into town on a horse - it was a lovely stay. 

 A set of framed vintage decorative plates in the dining room referencing a saying by Dr Samuel Johnson "There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn." 

We agree... and in Grafton you'll get a "two-fer" and some great cheese to boot!