Very few places in New England epitomize small-town splendor and charm better than Grafton. In the mid-1800s, Grafton had approximately 1,500 people and 10,000 sheep. Wool was turned into cloth, and soapstone in nearby quarries was used to create stoves, sinks, and foot warmers. By the end of the century, Grafton's inn, known as the Old Tavern, had played host to such luminaries as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Teddy Roosevelt. However, the village soon took a turn for the worst. Sheep farmers moved west , and the mills shut down . By the end of the Depression, the population was under 100. If it were not for the generosity of Pauline Dean Fiske, and the foresight of her nephews, Dean Mathey and Matthew Hall, the historic homes would have been torn down, and the land turned to pasture. With their aunt's money, the nephews founded the Windham Foundation in 1963 and restored the entire town, including the Old Tavern at Grafton. The village now looks the way it did a century and a half ago. Yet, this is no Disneyesque version of a Currier & Ives painting, but rather a working town where locals mix with a growing number of second-home buyers.
Play
Less than a mile down the road from the Old Tavern at Grafton, Grafton Ponds (Townshend Road, 802-843-2400, graftonponds.com) guarantee that there will be snow on the ground in season for at least a five-kilometer Nordic track. It is one of only two cross-country ski centers in the state that makes its own snow. Expect an additional 55 kilometers of trail through the hillside of maples and birches if the skies open up. An ice-skating rink and tubing hill are also on premises.Dig for fossils, discover minerals, and learn about the area's plants, animals, and geology at The Nature Museum (186 Townshend Road, 802-843-2111, nature-museum.org) in town. You can also meet the resident catamount.
Rest
Renting a room at the Old Tavern at Grafton (92 Main St., 800-843-1801, old-tavern.com. Rooms with breakfast start at $138 in winter ) is like renting a quaint village for the weekend. The former stagecoach stop has 46 rooms in the main building and four guest houses scattered about town, all of which have been meticulously restored to their 19th-century splendor with antiques and oversize baths.Two miles west of the village, the Inn at Woodchuck Hill Farm (Woodchuck Hill Road, 802-843-2398, woodchuckhill.com. Rooms with breakfast and private bath start at $155 a night ) is a 1790s country home on 200 acres. That's more than enough room to snowshoe in the winter, and hike and fish in the spring.
Fuel
A creamy wild mushroom risotto with grilled asparagus, pan-seared diver scallops, and a venison osso bucco are some of the entrees featured this winter at the Old Tavern at Grafton's dining room (92 Main St., 802-843-2231, old-tavern.com). The surprise for most, however, is the affordable wine list that innkeeper Kevin O'Donnell marks up only $6 to $8 above his cost. Expect to find a 1995 Neyers cabernet for only $45 or a Sineann pinot noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley priced at $42.Grab lunch next door at Daniels House (802-843-2245, thedanielshouse.com). The daily lineup includes a turkey and hummus wrap, veggie chili , and Cobb salads, washed down with freshly made raspberry ice tea.
Spend
For such a small town, Grafton features a good selection of art galleries, antiques stores, and boutiques. But don't expect a commercialized mix of kitsch. Most shops are tastefully housed in historic dwellings and feature an upscale selection of fine art, ceramics, and made-in-Vermont goodies.Start at the Grafton Grocery Market (Main Street, 802-843-1196), the town's general store, popular with the locals for sandwiches, soup, and the morning paper. This being Vermont, you can also find Ben & Jerry's ice cream and Lake Champlain chocolates.
Across the street, in an old fire station, Grafton Seasons (217 Main St., 802-843-1138) sells hand-blown glassware by Simon Pearce, maple syrup by Hidden Orchards, and ceramics by Nicholas Mosse, among other food and children's toys.
Next door to the Old Tavern at Grafton in a former barn is the Hunter Gallery of Fine Arts (Main Street, 802-843-1440, hunterartworks.com). Step into this intimate space to find the works of 11 artists, including watercolors of Grafton by owner Peter Jeziorski.
Just up the road, sculptor Jud Hartmann (Main Street, 802-843-2018, judhartmanngallery.com) has worked solely in bronze since 1983. His subjects are the Iroquois and Algonquin tribes of the eastern United States. Expect to find busts of former Indian chiefs or small figures playing a game of lacrosse. Indeed, a pair of 7-foot-tall sculptures created by Hartmann stand in front of the Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame in Baltimore.
You'll find some of New England's foremost landscape paintings, abstract sculpture, and figurative collages on display at Gallery North Star (151 Townshend Road, 802-843-2465, gnsgrafton.com). In business since 1975, the gallery also displays the highly original portraits made of fabric by artist Deidre Scherer .
Do
March and April signal the end of the sugaring season in Vermont. Stock up on fresh maple syrup, maple cream, and maple candy at Plummer's Sugarhouse (three miles down Townshend Road from the village, 802-843-2207, plummerssugarhouse.com).Next door, the Grafton Village Cheese Co. (Townshend Road, 802-843-2221, graftonvillagecheese.com) receives 6,000 gallons of buttermilk from Vermont Jersey cows every day to create its award-winning cheddar. Watch the short video on how the cheese is handmade as you peer through the glass window to see the works in process. Then stroll over to the gift shop to sample the wares. Their 6-year-old Stonehouse is the oldest cheddar made in the state, while the 2-year-old Classic Reserve Cheddar is still the most popular. Be on the lookout for a traditional farmhouse cheese, aged in a cave, which is set to be unveiled by the end of the year.
Those wanting to delve a little deeper into the origins of Grafton should stop at the Grafton History Museum (Main Street, 802-843-1010, graftonhistory.org). Displays include old photographs and firsthand accounts of living and working in Grafton at the turn of last century.
Check out the Grafton Library (Main Street, 802-843-2404) to see if any authors are giving readings in town.
Party
Mingle with the locals the first Friday of every month at the Old Tavern at Grafton's Phelps Barn (92 Main St., 800-843-1801, old-tavern.com). All other times, grab a Vermont microbrew, like McNeill's, made in nearby Brattleboro, and plant yourself in one of the cozy chairs and sofas that line the two-story rustic abode.If you're craving live music, drive the 12 miles to Bellows Falls and see who's playing at The Windham (40 Village Square, in the lobby of the Windham Hotel, 802-463-2229, thewindham.com).
