Cumulative Official Town Count | Unofficial Town Count |
190 | 45 |
Montpelier is Vermont's state capital, and it, along with some of its surrounding towns, warrants a visit. This VT 251 excursion brings you covered bridges, the smallest state capital in the US, maple production destinations, and the granite center of the world! Read on for a virtual visit to MONTEPELIER and EAST MONTPELIER, BARRE (TOWN AND CITY), BERLIN, MARSHFIELD, & PLAINFIELD.
MONTPELIER
Montpelier, VT is the smallest state capital in the United States with a population of just over 8,000 (in 2020). It is also the only state capital without a Walmart, McDonalds, or Starbucks. The town was chartered by proprietors from Massachusetts and western Vermont on August 14, 1781 and the state house (erected in 1859) not only includes the legislative rooms, but also artwork supporting the state's committment to equality. Despite two historic floods over the past two years, Montpelier is Vermont Strong and has been building back its vibrant downtown with eateries, coffee shops, stores, and the amazing Barr Hill spirits, which is appropriately gaining popularity nationwide -- give it a try if (when) you see it in your local liquor store or have a drink (and nosh) there if you are in Montpelier. Rabble Rouser was a yummy sweets shop, with a definite political stance, that has sadly closed due to a massive flood in July of 2023... I'm mentioning it on the off-chance they re-open sometime... Montpelier "has a thriving arts and music scene, and it's rich in history and natural beauty... Visitors come for its diverse cuisine and fine restaurants. Wintertime brings snowshoeing, ice fishing, ice climbing, skiing and other outdoor sports to enjoy." - 50 Most Charming Small Towns in the U.S.
EAST MONTPELIER
East Montpelier, VT is far smaller (pop. 2598 in 2020) and more rural than Montpelier, and became a town in 1859. It has beautiful country (dirt) roads which offer mountain, field, and farm-scapes which define Vermont for many. Located in East Montpelier are the Coburn Covered Bridge and the excellent maple producer, Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks, which is well worth a visit should maple be a priority.
BARRE TOWN & BARRE CITY
(with E. Barre, Websterville, and Graniteville)
Barre, VT (pronounced like the name Barry) is all about granite. In fact, Barre is the self-proclaimed Granite Center of the World. The Town of Barre (pop. 8,059 in 2024) almost completely surrounds "Barre City", which is a separate municipality. The original town now known as Barre was first chartered in 1780 as the Town of Wildersburgh, and then changed to Barre in 1793. Because of its granite deposits (which have been reported to be 4 miles long, 2 miles wide and 10 miles deep), it attracted many stone carvers and artisans from around the world (including Italy, Scotland, Spain, Scandinavia, Greece, Lebanon, Canada, as well as a number of other countries), and by the turn of the 20th century, Barre was Vermont's most diverse city (which may not be saying much...). In 1895, the City of Barre was incorporated and separated from the Town of Barre, and both continue to exist as separate municipalities.
Barre Town, VT is home to four small unincorporated villages: East Barre, Websterville, Graniteville, and South Barre. Each village has a post office, stores, a playground and churches. Barre Town is known for its large granite quarries and panoramic mountain views. Barre City, VT is quirky with granite sculptures along Main Street and was an important trading stop (Boston-Montreal & to/from Haverhill, NH). The train enabled the city to bring in workers and export granite.
Why visit Barre? Well, there are some cool sites... Rock of Ages, in Graniteville, is a fun stop (and has a visitors' center, granite bowling alley to try, and gives tours), and there are cool sculptures (made of granite, obviously) all through the downtown, including the largest zipper in North America! You can also visit the Vermont Granite Museum and the Hope Cemetery for some unique memorials and displays of the artisanship for which Barre was known.
BERLIN (& W. BERLIN)
Berlin, VT (pop. 2849 in 2020) is a fairly typical VT town -- dirt roads, a church, and a historical society. It may well be a nice place to live, but there's not much to visit... Of note, the town name is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable -- BUR-lin.
PLAINFIELD
Plainfield, VT is a small town (pop. 1236 in 2020) that was incorporated in 1867. The town is best known for being the location of Goddard College (closing in 2024). The town has a church, very sad-looking bookshop, library, and a Town Hall which shares a space with the town Opera House. Should you be peckish and in the area, there is a good pizza place in town, Positive Pie -- be sure to check if they are open as hours are limited.
MARSHFIELD
Marshfield, VT, located next to Plainfield on Route 2, is worth a couple of quick stops. The town is small (pop. 1583 in 2020) but has a nice covered bridge with a 1-mile walking trail accessible by walking through the bridge, an AMAZING Village Store (with a good selection of organic, high end products including maple sugar cubes (think tea/ coffee)), and a store which sells syrups beyond (but including) maple. The non-maple tree syrups are tapped and boiled in summer, so no tastes are available until then.
Stay tuned -- there's a lot more still to come!