Mt. Equinox and the Green Mountains tower over this beautiful valley, with the majestic Battenkill flowing between them. Manchester was chartered in 1761 and settled in 1764. Situated where several roads cross to lead elsewhere, the town was a typical stop for travelers and a noted "town of taverns."
The tradition of hospitality has continued throughout Manchester's history, with a number of inns that started as private residences. The Inn at Manchester, for example , was built for the Strong/Shepard family in the 1880s. Marion Porter bought it in the 1940s and operated it for 20 years as an inn before it fell into disrepair. In 1978 the current owners bought it and restored it to its original appearance. Today the main and carriage houses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places .
Wilburton Inn is another architectural standout, built at the turn of the 20th century and designed to combine European Tudor style with the styles promoted by Frank Lloyd Wright. Once the largest private estate in Manchester, Wilburton Hall became Wilburton Inn in 1945, and became a corporate retreat for R.K.O., the communications conglomerate, in the 1970s.
Today, tourism is still a mainstay of Manchester. Fall foliage and the mountain splendor draw a number of visitors, as do events like the Fiddlehead Festival in May, which celebrates the wild edibles for which the area is renowned, and includes a foraging tour and barn dance. Anglers also know Manchester as the home of the American Museum of Fly Fishing, which has the largest collection of fly-fishing paraphernalia in the world, including tackle used by many famous Americans.
Hildene
Robert Todd Lincoln, the eldest son of President Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln , purchased 500 acres and hired a Boston architect to design a summer home in Manchester . In 1904, Lincoln and his wife, Mary Harlan, broke ground. The 24-room Georgian Revival cost $60,000--an impressive amount in that day--and took three years to complete . With a panoramic view of the Battenkill Valley and the Green Mountains, the Lincolns dubbed the place "Hildene," meaning "hill" and "valley.
All of the descendants of Abraham Lincoln lived at Hildene at one time or another . The last Lincoln to live there died in 1975, and in 1978 a non-profit organization , Friends of Hildene, purchased the estate. After a 17-year restoration, today's visitors can see the home, complete with its 1,000-pipe 1908 Aeolian organ, and one of only three remaining stove-pipe hats that were worn by Abraham Lincoln.
The Friends of Hildene are now working to restore the formal garden, which were inspired by Gothic cathedral windows in England. The privet hedge is original, and 1,000 peonies--still thriving from plantings established more than 100 years ago --provide a colorful and fragrant bouquet every June.
Guests Judy Paris
Public Relations, Hildene House
Manchester, VT
Phone: 802-362-1844
Jane Child
Volunteer, Hildene House
Manchester, VT
Phone: 802-362-1844
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