This Charming Vermont Town Is Picture Perfect For An Autumn Day Trip

The historic homes and buildings give a glimpse into the early colonial days when Grafton was a popular stagecoach stop for those passing through the Green Mountains on their way to Albany.

The residents of this picturesque village in southern Vermont have restored many of its original buildings to preserve its authentic New England atmosphere.

Grafton’s scenic beauty and historic buildings give us a glimpse into America’s early colonial days as Grafton was a popular stagecoach stop for those traveling to Albany, New York through the Green Mountains.

The town has always had a knack for hospitality and the Grafton Inn (formerly the Old Tavern) dates back to 1801 and remains one of the oldest operating hotels in the United States.

Visitors enjoy wandering around the town’s array of shops, galleries and restaurants, as well as walking or driving through the country roads.

Grafton wasn’t always named Grafton. Grafton was originally founded as Thomlinson, and renaming rights were auctioned in 1791. The high bidder, who reportedly offered "five dollars and a jug of rum," changed the name to Grafton after his hometown in Massachusetts. The money was never collected, possibly as a result of having celebrated a bit too much with the rum!

In the 1960s, the Windham Foundation was established to help restore the village and then purchased the Old Tavern and many residences in the area. The foundation also established an artisanal cheese business, the Grafton Village Cheese Company, and built a world-class cross-country skiing center at Grafton Ponds that offers a popular mountain biking program for children in the summer months. The restoration efforts attracted new residents from metropolitan New York and Boston.

Grafton Village Cheese Company produces award-winning cheese, and their profits are used to promote Vermont's rural communities. This gem of a cheese maker started in 1892 as the Grafton Cooperative Cheese Company producing aged cheddar cheese. It was restored in the mid-1960s and in 2008 they opened a new production plant and store in Brattleboro.

You can purchase Grafton Village Cheese at MKT Wine & Cheese at 162 Main Street or view the cheesemaking in person at the production facility at 533 Townshend Road on select days. MKT Wine & Cheese and the Grafton Inn front desk have the most updated schedule. MKT Wine & Cheese is also a morning must stop for breakfast goodies. Yummy homemade granola, tasty breakfast egg sandwiches and much more.

From the brightly colors of fall on the mountains to the streams running through the town...