The weather here in Vermont for the last two days has been glorious! I’ve lived here for 31 years and know that it won’t last, but it seems that everyone is living in the moment and taking advantage of the warm sunny days while we have them. 45-degrees in Vermont after a long winter is t-shirt and sweatshirt weather.
Instead of walking on the treadmill, I’ve been able to walk outdoors again. Yesterday my walk was tricky as I had to puddle jump my way down Main Street. If I had my muck boots on, that wouldn’t have been an issue, but I was wearing sneakers.
I know I keep bringing up how different my life has been since I started living life as a journey and not a destination; my walk yesterday proved it once more.
I used to leave my house, and all I thought about when I walked was getting my exercise in and getting home. Yesterday I really looked at what I was walking through…history.
Arlington, VT, was chartered in 1761 with some pretty historical people who have lived here. Thomas Chittenden the first governor of Vermont, and Arlington was the first capital of Vermont. His home is the oldest wood-framed home in our town.
Norman Rockwell did most of his iconic paintings living in Arlington. He used the townspeople as his models. He was criticized that he wasn’t a real artist using models correctly because he had the models photographed, then he painted. He reasoned that the hard-working people didn’t have time to waste sitting for hours. Many of the model’s families and child models still live here today. It’s very cool.
Dorothy Canfield, another resident, was an author, educator and started the original Montessori way of teaching. Her home is diagonal from our home and is now a community house where I taught my cooking classes.
Revolutionary War soldiers included Sam Adams, Ethan & Ira Allen, who lived right here as well. The Green Mountain Boys held meetings next door to our house at the Deming House.
Many homes here in Arlington were part of the Underground Railroad and still have hidden doors and hiding places in them. Cool or what?
Our home was built in 1832 across the street from where it is today. The story goes that two brothers who owned homes across the street from each other had an argument, and the one brother decided in 1850 to move the peasant’s quarters across Main Street. Yes, we live in peasant’s quarters! 😂
Many homes have candles in their windows all year long. I learned from the previous owner that candles were put in windows of homes so that travelers would know what places they could find with different accommodations.
One candle meant the home was open to travelers for drinks. Two candles meant food and drink. Three candles were lodging, food, and drink. The fourth candle meant they had all those things and some nice ladies who could keep you company, putting it nicely. Of course, I ran out and had to put four candles in our windows the next day!
As I walked around town yesterday, I thought about these very people and how they literally walked the same path I was on, and I imagined what it was like through their eyes. I’ve never looked at it this way before. I love living in such an old historic place, maybe in 150 years people will point to our house and say that’s where those “spätzle people” lived.
I really enjoyed your walk around your town. So many historical people that had lived there, so much history. Nice to see also, where the spatzle people live. Thanks for the tour.
I eat up Vermont history, you mention the Green Mountain Boys and I am hooked. Did not know about Norman Rockwell painting there. You have put Arlington on my history map. Think it is so cool to live in a state where the Battle of Bennington is a state legal holiday