This summer, in cooperation with the Dorset Historical Society, the Dorset Village Library is one of the 20 stops on the Vermont Sampler Driving Tour. Drawing from the collections at the historical society, and from local families’ samples, the library presents these samples. Each has been researched to find a revolutionary ancestor.
Come see the samplers, and learn something new about the American Revolution!
The story of our Revolutionary War generation having fought the war for our independence, and then having relocated to Vermont to live their lives, is one that can be illustrated by studying the lives of their descendants. The values, artistry and degrees of hardship and success of these families are often conveyed by the girls who produced these samplers. They are almost always the progeny – daughters and granddaughters of the Revolutionary War generation – and their stories are many and unique!
The VT Sampler Initiative, a 501-c-3 entity, in cooperation with the national Sampler Archive has been documenting Vermont 19th century schoolgirl samplers since November 2022. To date, close to 800 such samplers have been located and documented using volunteer documenters and professional photography.
The VT Sampler Initiative is now producing a statewide driving tour, to view collections of these post-Revolutionary War samplers, in cooperation with the Nationwide celebration of the Semi-quincentennial celebration of the American Revolution.
The dates of the driving tour coincide with the statewide celebration of our national semi-quincentennial celebration, from Memorial Day, May 2025 – Columbus Day, October 2025, for most sites.
Please see the Vermont 250th website for more details: https://anniversary250.vermont.gov/
For more information about the tour, contact Michele Pagan at Mpp1@comcast.net.