Cumulative Town Count | Unofficial Town Count |
85 | 41 |
Over the course of several days (and seasons), the towns of NORWICH, HARTFORD, HARTLAND, WOODSTOCK, SPRINGFIELD, BALTIMORE, CAVENDISH, & READING were explored as part of my VT 251 exploration. Sounds like a lot to cover in one post, right? Well, some of these towns don't have much to report on or show, so I figured I'd throw them together, especially as they are all in the same general part of Vermont -- near(ish) to New Hampshire in the south-central part of the state. Some have much to offer visitors and some have quite literally nothing. Read on for more.
NORWICH
Norwich, VT is an affluent town of roughly 3,500 which sits just across the Connecticut River from Hanover, NH (home of Dartmouth College and Dartmouth-Hitchcocok Medical Center). It has lovely homes and an Inn, but I've been there twice now, and have found not a single place to find lunch other than at the King Arthur Baking Company (which is not in the main village). I guess locals head over to Hanover (where many work), as there are many quaint and delicious options there. And speaking of King Arthur, I highly recommend a visit if you are into cooking and baking. They offer classes and have a pretty good store on-site (it used to be better, but it is till good, and great for gifts). I have been many times, and should warn you that I find their lunch/ cafe offerings to be somewhat disappointing (especially given the prices) -- I guess I just have higher expectations than I should. That said, if you are hungry, and don't feel like heading across the bridge to Hanover, NH, this is the place to get a bite in Norwich.
HARTFORD
Hartford, VT is a town which encompasses five unincorporated villages which together have a population of 10,724 (in 2023). Of those, two are pretty well known and worth a visit: Quechee & White River Junction. The other, tiny areas are Hartford, West Hartford, and Wilder. Wilder has a dam which spans the Connecticut River and is accessible both from VT and NH. It's not the most impressive dam I've seen, but Wilder is also not the most impressive village either... Hartford & West Hartford don't have village centers and don't offer much (at all) to see.
Quechee is a wonderful place to visit. It is home to Simon Pearce Glass where you can watch the artisans at work, buy products (including reduced-price seconds) in the store, and/ or eat a delicious meal at the restaurant -- make reservations! The view from the restaurant is gorgeous as it overlooks some falls and a covered bridge. Also in Quechee of touristic interest include the gorge (which you can hike down) and the General Store, which is the only independently owned Cabot (think: cheese) affiliate in the state.
White River Junction is more than just a town where two big highways converge (which is what many might think, as I did, if they are driving on routes 89 & 91). The town itself is actually pretty cool, with street art, plenty of shopping, cool places to eat, and it has an artsy/ hippy vibe. Plus, there's an Amtrak station with an old steam engine.
WOODSTOCK
Woodstock, VT is one of my favorite towns in the state, and has long been a tourist destination (for good reason). With a population of roughly 3,000, this upscale town has great shopping, yummy eats, an impressive library and inn (The Woodstock Inn, established by the Rockefellers), beautiful sceney, ample outdoor recreational opportunities, as well as three covered bridges. Billings Farm, which is associated with the Rockefeller family (along with the Billings and Marsh families) is a national historic park and working farm (with really good cheese), and well worth a visit (especially if you have kids)!
HARTLAND
Hartland, VT (pop. 3,446 in 220) felt like a fairly politically-oriented town (if that's a thing). While some Trump flags were flown, there was ample evidence of a liberal bent, and while the Hartland Diner has very good food (at very hefty prices), you are either going to feel like you fit in, or you don't. That said, gotta love a town with a voting ballot box which also collects your tax payments, right?! The very center of town is cute, but the rest is extremely rural and doesn't have much to offer, with two exceptions. Cobb Hill Cheese is produced there and available at an un-manned farm store (where you can also buy eggs and beef), and Andrew Pearce Bowls, located at the very tip of the town, between Quechee and Woodstock. I was there for their Memorial Day sale and picked up a few seconds (imperfect, but good enough for me). Andrew Pearce is every bit as talented as his well known father -- glass blower Simon Pearce, whose namesake flagship store and restaurant are located just down the road. They are both well worth your time and a visit.
SPRINGFIELD & BALTIMORE
Springfield, VT clearly was a mill town and still offers glimpses of its old factories along the banks of the Black River. Upscale it is not, but it seems to have all the amenities the 9,000 or so inhabitants would want. It is also the site of Vermont's oldest one-room schoolhouse and the historic Baltimore Covered Bridge (notice this bridge is NOT in Baltimore). Want to know what IS in Baltimore, VT? The only building we found was the town hall which used to be the one-room school house (and the chalk boards are still there). There were 229 residents in 2020, and I can only assume they all live on the dirt roads we drove looking for the town (which we never found).
CAVENDISH & READING
Yep, another two-fer. Cavendish & Reading, VT felt like they were hiding from us when we visited in March 2022. And as it happens, they were (and I must return not in the dead of winter)! That said, both towns are rural and their primary offerings fall into the outdoor recreation arena. I have since learned that Soviet dissident and Nobel Laureate in Literature Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn made Cavendish, VT his home from 1976-1994. About the town, he said, "It didn’t happen by chance. I chose this place. I dislike very much large cities with their empty and fussy lives. I like very much the simple way of life and the population here, the simplicity and the human relationship. I like the countryside, and I like the climate with the long winter and the snow, which reminds me of Russia." The population of Cavendish was 1,392 at the 2020 census and it seems there really isn't much of a town to speak of (which may be what Solzhenitsyn liked about it). However, the village of Proctorsville (officially part of Cavendish) has a general store and lovely resort, Castle Hill. Looks like I need to do some back-tracking.
In Reading, VT all we were able to find was the welcome sign and a covered bridge (which is arguably in a nearby town); not a single municipal or retail building. The roughly 700 residents must live on the beautiful dirt roads we drove looking in vain for a town center. Upon further research, there seems to be a small town, with a cute library and elementary school, as well as the Hall Art Foundation (associated with Mass MoCA), which was not open in March when we were there, but that is a place to check out for sure should you be in the area and interested in modern art. Another "who knew?" Looks like another visit is in order...
More to come, of course!
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