History and culture abound in our seven towns of the Okemo Valley. From Vermont's first school to the longest covered bridge in the USA. Historic Trains to Revolutionary War roads. Our region offers a unique and vibrant historic and cultural mix which can only be found in Vermont.  Our valley is also known for its cultural talents, from Summer stock theatre to weekly outdoor summer concerts.  

Each of our towns has galleries and antique shops to visit and explore.  The town of Weston is known for its’ summer theatre and the Weston Priory.  Plymouth is well known as the birth place of our 30th president, Calvin Coolidge.  Chester is home to the best village green in our valley and an annual quilting festival.

The Green Mountain Railroad takes daily excursions from Bellows Falls to Chester and back.  Riders can disembark at the Chester Depot and hop a bus into the village to learn more about the area.  And once a year, the Fall train travels to Ludlow.  The Ludlow train depot is just a short walk to downtown.

Black River Academy Museum

(located in Ludlow)
 

Founded in 1835, the Black River Academy enrolled 95 boys and 85 girls in high school classes. Fire destroyed the three-story building in 1844. School was held in the Union Church until 1889. The present building was built on this church property in 1888-89. The school continued to operate until 1938.  The museum is open during the summer months.   Please check their calendar for hours of operation.

Covered Bridges

A Vermont Tradition - We have grouped the bridges based on their location, information on the common name, date of construction, ownership ie Private(P), VT Historic Site (VHS), or those owned by the towns. Also, truss type, length, span, and builder information is provided for each bridge. This information was compiled by Mr. Neal G. Templeton of the First Vermont Bank and Trust Company and presented in a publication printed by the Bank and no longer available.

Brownsville, located on Route 44. Three bridges are located in the town of Brownsville. Two, the Best and Twigg-Smith Bridges, are located alongside Rt 44 and the third, Bowers Bridge, is on Bible Hill Road.

BESTS - built in 1890, a 37 foot Tied Arch style bridge built by A. W. Swallows to cross the Mill Brook. The 1880 Town Report shows the bridge cost $250.13 to construct.

TWIGG-SMITH - built in 1973, this 36 foot bridge of Town Lattice style was constructed by H. P. Cummings Construction and crosses the Mill Brook. This is one half of the Garfield Bridge of Hyde Park, built in 1870 and removed in the 1960’s and relocated here.

BOWERS - Date unknown, this 48 foot tied arch bridge was constructed by an unknown party and is located on Mill Brook-North off Rt 44.

Chester/Bartonsville, located off Rt 103 South . Two bridges are located in Bartonsville, the Worralls and Bartonsville both are just off Route 103, one half mile.

WORRALLS - built in 1868 and owned by the Town. An 87 foot Town Lattice bridge constructed by Sanford Granger crosses the Williams River E. off Rt. 103. The bridge has an unusual wooden ramp to the roadway on the west end.

BARTONSVILLE - built in 1870 with a 151 foot span this Town Lattice style bridge was constructed by Sanford Granger and crosses the Williams River.

Grafton, on Rt 35 . Two bridges are located in the village. The Kidder Hill Bridge is on Water Street S. off Rt. 121 in the center of town. The Cheese Company Bridge is on Townsend Rd.

KIDDER - build in 1870 with a span of 37 feet this King Post design was constructed by an unknown party.

CHEESE - built in 1967 with a span of 57 feet this Stringer design constructed by S. MacMillan. On South Branch of the Saxtons River west of the village on Townsend Rd. Not a true covered bridge but picturesque.

Springfield, on Rt 106 just North of exit 7, I-91. The Baltimore Bridge, a town lattice type built by Granville Leland, is located beside Eureka School House, N. Rt. 106. This is a Vermont Historic site, relocated and restored in 1970 by Milton Graton & Sons.

Amsden, of Rt 131. The Salmond Bridge build 1880 Est 54 feet in length of multiple kingpost design and constructed by James F. Trasker. Bridge located of Rt 131 just west of the village of Amsden and currently used as a storage shed by the Town.

Windsor - Cornish Bridge, E of Route 5. The longest covered bride still in daily service, the Windsor- Cornish Bridge connects the two towns across the Connecticut River. Owned and maintained by State of New Hampshire.

Perkinsville, located on Rt 106. .Downers Bridge established 1840. This bridge is of the town lattice type, 80 feet long, crosses the Black River W. of Junction Rt. 106 and Rt. 44. Builder unknown. Bridge was restored in 1975, 1976 by Milton Graton & Sons. (see photo on right)

Titcomb Bridge, privately owned was built in 1880 by Henry & James Tasker E. off Rt. 106. It is of the multiple kingpost type, 46.6 feet long. Originally the Stoughton Bridge, it was removed in 1959 and restored in 1963 by Andrew A. Titcomb, the present owner

President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site

Birthplace and boyhood home of Calvin Coolidge, is one of the best preserved presidential birthplaces in the nation. The small Vermont hill town is virtually unchanged since August 3, 1923, when, in the old family homestead, Vice President Coolidge was sworn in as the 30th President of the United States by his father.

Birthplace of Vermont

Old Constitution House
Learn about Vermont's tumultuous beginnings at the Old Constitution House in Windsor. Here, at the tavern of Elijah West, on July 8, 1777, representatives of the New Hampshire Grants met to adopt the first Constitution of the "Free and Independent State of Vermont". Exhibits and period rooms tell the fascinating story of the Republic and early years of statehood, focusing on Vermont's unique Constitution which was the first in America to prohibit slavery and establish universal voting rights for all men.