Dorset Historical Society

Annual Holiday Open House
2024-12-07 11:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Saturday, December 7, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm!

Join us for our Annual Holiday Open House, when we serve up a selection of sweet treats from local cook books. We customarily exhibit the ever-changing traditions of the season in Dorset.

How Old is the Dorset Field Club Anyway?
2024-11-21 12:00 - 13:00
Come Join Us as Kevin O’Toole, introduces us to the first days of the Dorset Field Club’s inception
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on November 21, 2024 will feature Kevin O’Toole, Esq. answering the question “Just How Old is the Dorset Field Club, Anyway?”
Kevin’s talk will focus on DFC’s claim to be the oldest golf course in the United States continuously played on the same site. Using author Mike Circa’s article on the subject, he will highlight what DFC claims and what it does not claim, and leave ultimate conclusions to the audience. For a period of years, Kevin has acted as DFC’s historian, and worked closely with Mr. Cirba on his article, having conducted title examinations of the Club’s properties in his capacity as title counsel.
DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

Halloween Treats
2024-10-31 16:30 - 18:00
Thursday, October 31, Beginning at 4:30 pm

The Dorset Historical Society will be joining other Downtown Dorset Entities. We will all be handing out candy and our unique Dorset Historical Society Trading Cards to visiting trick or treaters!

Wilson House History Program
2024-10-17 12:00 - 13:00
Join us for a lively discussion about the Wilson House In East Dorset. It was formerly the Hotel to spend the night, before it was associated with Alcoholics Anonymous.

Annual Meeting
2024-10-11 05:00 - 18:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Dorset Historical Society
2024 Annual Meeting Notice
Friday October 11th at 5p.m.
If someone cannot attend and they wish to watch the meeting livestreamed on Facebook, please email DHS for instructions.
There will be a review of the events and accomplishments of the past year as well as an acknowledgement of some of the donations to the collection. The Dorset Historical Society will also thank the Directors that have stepped down this year for all their hard work.
The new business will include a small update to the Bylaws to allow for an earlier date for the Annual Meeting, and the election of directors:
Nan Bambara
Katherine Dickenson
Rocco Maggiotto
Kevin O’Toole
Megan Thörn
Immediately following the Annual Meeting, the Board of the Dorset Historical Society will convene to elect the following slate of officers:
President — Rache Simmons
Vice-President — Sallyan Pelletier
Treasurer – Rocco Maggiotto
Secretary – Donn Hutchins
For more information, stop into our offices, go to dorsetvthistory.org, or call DHS at 802-867-0331.

East Dorset Village
2024-10-06 14:00 - 15:00
Historical District Walk

Join the Dorset Historical Society on a walk along the streets of the East Dorset Village Historic District, listed in the Vermont State Register of Historic Places on July 18, 2024. Many of the buildings in the District share physical characteristics such as gable roof designs, marble foundations and sidewalks, slate covered roofs and clapboard siding. The design and layout of the village seem to have been planned with small lots, roadside homes, tree-lined streets and marble sidewalks. Marble mills once lined the entire west side of the village boundary. Little of that remains today. Meet at the Wilson House at 2 pm, to flesh out the clues that point to an earlier time in East Dorset’s history. For more information contact the Dorset Historical Society at 802.867.0331 or the tour guide, Ruth Stewart 802.362.1185.

East Dorset Historic Village District
2024-09-19 12:00 - 13:00
Who Lived Here and Why?

The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on September 19th will feature Michele Pagan talking about: East Dorset Village Historic District: Who Lived Here and Why.
Just this past month, the Vermont State Division of Historic Preservation designated East Dorset Village as one of its historic districts. Come hear the social details of who chose East Dorset as their home, and why. Why did the wealthiest man in all of Dorset choose to live in East Dorset? Which hotel was more valuable in 1870: The Wilson House, or the Dorset Inn? Learn these answers and many more at this new presentation about historic East Dorset Village, and the people who called it home.”
DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

East Dorset Village Now a Historic District
2024-09-08 15:00 - 16:00
Travel back to the bustling, 1880s community of East Dorset.
Hop on the Rutland to Bennington train, get off at the East Dorset Railroad Station and cross over the road to the Barrows Inn (aka Wilson House) to learn about how the hotel, two stores, two churches, a school, cheese factory, blacksmith shop, lumbering operations and the marble industry shaped and served this village. The Village’s importance and history were acknowledged on July 18, 2024, when the East Dorset Village Historic District was listed in the Vermont State Register of Historic Places. The travelogue begins at 3 pm. For more information contact the Dorset Historical Society at 802 867.0331 or ‘tour guide’, Ruth Stewart 802.362.1185. Location: Wilson House, September 8 at 3 pm.

Third Thursday Lunch Lecture: Writing for the Dead
2024-08-15 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third Thursday Lunch Lecture in August features Phil Holland. His presentation is called “Writing for the Dead”.

Holland will talk about the choices and challenges facing those who write dramatic monologues for historical figures. He will also perform some of the monologues from “Voices from the Grave” (premiered 2021 at the cemetery in Old Bennington) and “Voices of the Fallen” (premiered2023 at the Bennington Battlefield).

In addition to co-authoring these “Voices” shows, Holland is well known as an author and speaker on Robert Frost, the Battle of Bennington, and other subjects of local interest. He lives in Pownal.

DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

Fly Fishing with John Rano
2024-07-18 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on July 18th will feature John Rano who will discuss Fly Fishing.
The talk will feature the history and historical influencers who influenced the story of fly fishing in the US. Additionally a brief talk on the equipment used in fly fishing and how it differs from conventional fishing methods. And time and intrest permitting a demonstration of fly casting.
John worked in the men’s luxury product and cigar business as a sales and marketing executive until retiring in 1999. On moving to Vermont John has been associated with Orvis and has been a fishing and wing shooting instructor for 22 years. John has been an avid fly fisher for over 45 years and fished throughout the world for numerous species both in fresh and sal water. John lives in East Dorset with his wife Cathy and there 2 Gordon Setters.
DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

Ice Cream Social
2024-07-13 13:00 - 15:00
Come join us at the Bley House Museum for free Wilcox Ice Cream!

Hike to Folsom Quarry
2024-07-13 09:00 - 12:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Join Jon and Art Gilbert for a hike to the Folsom Quarry.
The morning begins with a bit of history about the location, then, we carpool to the site. Everyone is usually back to the Bley House by noon.

Hike to Freedley Quarry
2024-06-29 08:00 - 17:00
Join Jon and Art Gilbert for a hike to Freedley Quarry!
The morning begins with a bit of history about the location, then, we carpool to the site. Everyone is usually back to the Bley House by noon.

The Socioeconomic Clues Found in 19th Century Schoolgirl Samplers
2024-06-20 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on June 20th will feature Michele Pagan who will discuss the Socioececonomic Clues Found in 19th Century Schoolgirl Samplers.
Michele Pagan, a textile conservator in private practice, living in East Dorset, will be speaking about 19th century schoolgirl samplers which have been located and documented by the VT Sampler Initiative. Since November 2022, over 700 samplers have been found here in VT. Michele will speak about how to read a sampler, and what social and economic clues can be read from almost any sampler.

Michele Pagán is a recently-returned native Vermonter, who spent her childhood in Bennington and Rutland. She is a graduate of the University of VT and University of Connecticut, where she studied clothing & textiles.

Michelle credits her early experience visiting Bennington Museum with opening new doors to her, allowing her to envision a unique career trajectory. The Bennington Museum recently published her research entitled Geography and Technological Change in Vermont: The Transition from Homespun Flax To Machine-Made Cotton Textiles.

Today she is a textile conservator in private practice who likes to say that she is “Saving history one piece of fabric at a time.”
DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

Hike to Gettysburg Quarry
2024-06-15 08:00 - 17:00
Join Jon and Art Gilbert for a hike to Gettysburg Quarry.
The morning begins with a bit of history about the location, then, we carpool to the site. Everyone is usually back to the Bley House by noon.

Exhibit Open House
2024-06-01 11:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Join us at the Dorset Historical Society on Saturday, Jun 1st, from 11am-1pm to see our new exhibits!
Refreshments will be served.

Landgrove's Greatest Generation
2024-05-16 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on May 16th will feature Robert Badger who will talk about Landgrove’s Greatest Generation.
Robert graduated from Middlebury College in 1973 with a degree in Geology. He then earned a masters in Geology at the University of Vermont, and finally a PhD at Virginia Tech. Robert taught Geology in the SUNY system, retiring in 2015 back to family land in Landgrove where he built a house. With roots in Landgrove dating back to the 1920’s when his grandfather bought a farm, he joined the Landgrove Historical Society and is now president of that illustrious institution. Robert has written two books for the LHS: “Fading Memories from a Vermont Hillside” about the property his grandfather bought and the changes it has seen over the years of our ownership; and “Landgrove’s Greatest Generation” about the five from our little town who perished during WWII and the over two dozen others who served and survived, including two women, one who was a code breaker, the other a welder of electronic tubes for the US Navy. My talk will focus on the five who died in the war effort and six who survived.
DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

Blacks in Bennington County: Lucy Prince of Sunderland, and her Family
2024-04-18 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on April 18th will feature Avis Hayden discussing Lucy Terry Prince.
Lucy Terry Prince was born in Africa and brought to the colonies as a slave when she was five years old. When she was 70 years old she moved to Sunderland, Vermont with some of her children. At that time only 0.2% of the people of Bennington County were black. She struggled to obtain land that she felt was rightfully hers. Eventually many of the townspeople came to accept this loquacious black woman, who is best known as America’s first African-American poet. This presentation will cover Lucy’s years in Sunderland, her fight to keep her land, and stories about her children and grandchildren.
Avis Hayden has been a hobby genealogist since 1990. After retiring from her career in health care, she delved deeper into that field, completing a program in Genealogical Research from Boston University in 2016. She has published five research articles and has presented at the New England Historical and Genealogical Conference. She volunteers at the Bennington Museum Research Library and with the Russell Collection of Vermontiana.
DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

The Pinnacle
2024-03-21 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on March 21st will feature Kevin O’Toole talking about the Pinnacle.
Kevin was born in High Point, North Carolina, and his family moved to Dorset in 1972. Kevin attended what then was known as Burr & Burton Seminary for his junior and senior years. He received his B.A. degree from the University of Vermont in 1978 and his law degree in 1982 from the University of Notre Dame Law School. For the last 37 years, Kevin has maintained a solo general law practice with an office in Dorset Village. Kevin is a member of the Vermont and Bennington County Bar Associations.
Kevin’s contributions to the Town of Dorset include serving as Town Moderator for the last 28 years, serving as a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment for the last 25 or so years, and as a member of the Dorset Conservation Commission since it was created well over 20 years ago. An avid golfer, Kevin has been a member of the Dorset Field Club since 1972, and still serves as its historian. Since 1987, Kevin has acted, directed, produced, stage-managed and helped construct sets for the Dorset Players and has also served as its President and on its Board of Directors.
In 2013, Kevin gave a lecture on Cecilia deNottbeck and the Pinnacle Forest in Dorset. This talk will revisit the topic as well as providing an update on the property, including a new way to access it on foot from the Dorset Green.
DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

Hilary Solomon, Director of the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District
2024-02-15 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on February 15th will feature Hilary Solomon, Director of the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District.
Hilary will discuss fish passage as it relates to a series of historic dams and road crossings in Dorset Hollow. As settlers converged in the beautiful valley and started building farms, mills, and later, rural subdivisions, they utilized and/or crossed the river for their livelihoods or simply to access lands on the other side of the valley. As they did so, the resulting bridges, culverts, and dams limited the way fish and other aquatic organisms could access the headwaters of the Mettowee River. Between 2016 and 2023, the Poultney Mettowee NRCD along with many partners and landowners worked together to remove these barriers to fish passage. This talk will focus on the historic aspects of several of the dams removed, how sections were preserved for future generations of historians, and will discuss the ways that local and state partners implement fish passage projects in concert with historical preservation goals.
DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

The 250th Anniversaries and The Northshire
2024-01-18 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on January 18 will feature Jonah Spivak, Town of Bennington’s Communications Coordinator.
Our region played a major role in the story of the founding of Vermont and our nation during the 1775-1777 time period. The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is in 2026. Learn about past commemorations as well as plans and ideas for the upcoming 250th anniversary years.
DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

Holiday Open House
2023-12-09 11:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Join us to Celebrate the Holiday Season, 12/9 from 11 – 1!

Steve Butz: Shays' Settlement Project
2023-11-16 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on November 16, Shays’ Settlement in Vermont, will be presented by Steve Butz.
The Shays’ Settlement Project is the first formal archaeological study of the ruins of a fortified 18th century settlement located in the mountains of Southern Vermont. The settlement was founded by Captain Daniel Shays and his fellow refugees who fled Massachusetts following the uprising he commanded there in 1787. This lost piece of American history lay hidden and untouched for over 200 years until its discovery in April 2013. Steve will discuss the settlement and his archaeological finds.
The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill
Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

Steve Butz discusses Shays' Settlement
2023-11-16 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on November 16, Shays’ Settlement in Vermont, will be presented by Steve Butz.

The Shays’ Settlement Project is the first formal archaeological study of the ruins of a fortified 18th century settlement located in the mountains of Southern Vermont. The settlement was founded by Captain Daniel Shays and his fellow refugees who fled Massachusetts following the uprising he commanded there in 1787. This lost piece of American history lay hidden and untouched for over 200 years until its discovery in April 2013. Steve will discuss the settlement and his archaeological finds.

The program begins at noon. Feel free to bring a bagged lunch. Desserts and refreshments are provided.

The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

Fenton Family Pottery Ventures: New Discoveries
2023-10-19 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on October 19, Fenton Family Pottery Ventures, will be presented by Warren Broderick.
Warren Broderick will present briefly on the newly-discovered Walpole, New Hampshire, pottery that Jonathan Fenton and his younger brother, Richard W. Fenton, operated for a few years in the 1790s. Jonathan Fenton removed to Dorset ca. 1801 while Richard removed to St. Johnsbury in Caledonia County ca. 1800 and established a pottery there in the next few years. Warren will present newly discovered information on the Fenton redware and stoneware pottery which operated in St. Johnsbury there until 1860. Early photographs and remarkable documents concerning the Richard W. Fenton family, in the collection of the Bennington Museum, as well as examples of their production, will be featured. The site has been located and field investigation has begun.
The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

Dorset Historical Society 2023 Annual Meeting Notice
2023-10-16 16:00 - 17:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Dorset Historical Society
2023 Annual Meeting Notice
Monday October 16th at 4p.m.
The Dorset Historical Society’s Annual Meeting will be held Monday, October 16th at 4 p.m. at the Dorset Historical Society. If someone cannot attend and they wish to watch the meeting livestreamed on Facebook, please email DHS for instructions.
There will be a review of the events and accomplishments of the past year as well as an acknowledgement of some of the donations to the collection.
The new business will include the election of two directors: Sallyan Pelletier and Kathryn Czaplinski.
Many thanks to Sue Washburn and John Rodenburg who will be leaving the Board after years of dedication and hard work.
Immediately following the Annual Meeting, the Board of the Dorset Historical Society will convene and the following slate of officers will be nominated and approved:
President- Rache Simmons
Vice-President- Megan Thörn
Treasurer — Mary Stevenson
Secretary — Erica Shott
For more information, stop into our offices, go to dorsetvthistory.org, or call DHS at 867-0331.

Dorset Historical Society: 60th Birthday Party!
2023-09-23 11:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Come to the Bley House Museum at 11am until 1pm on Saturday, September 23rd, to help us celebrate 60 years of the incorporation of the Dorset Historical society.

Enjoy a piece of birthday cake and a beverage as you browse a display spanning to 60 years of the Dorset Historical Society history and hear tributes from local dignitaries.

The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, visit our website or call 802 867.0331.

From 1970 to 1973, the Dorset Historical Society led Jeep adventures to remote areas of Dorset. They met at the Dorset Church, caravaned down the Lower Hollow Road, went up Coolidge Lane, off-roading to the top of Crane Hill, to the Freedley Quarry, and back down to Dorset Hill Road.

Myths and Legends of the Battle of Bennington
2023-09-21 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on September 21, Myths and Legends of the Battle of Bennington is presented by David Pitlyk, historic site assistant.

As events pass out of living memory and into history, the way they are remembered is shaped by the collective effort of generations. From the misrepresentative to the mendacious, over the years some people have just plain gotten it wrong. Join us as we consider some of the worst milestones in the historiography surrounding the Battle of Bennington. This lecture will lay out several myths, explore their origins and attempt to set the record straight.
David Pitlyk is the Historic Site Assistant at Bennington Battlefield. He previously served as the Interpretations Coordinator at the USS SLATER. He holds a BA in history and MS in secondary education from the University at Albany.
The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

A Brief History of Forestry and Land Use in Vermont
2023-08-17 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on August 17 will feature Rick Kelley, Vermont Forester. Rick will discuss the history of forestry in Vermont.
DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.

For the Love of Vermont: The Lyman Orton Collection.
2023-07-20 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society’s Third-Thursday Lunch-Lecture on July 20th will feature author, Anita Rafael. Anita will be discussing her book Orton Book Project: For the Love of Vermont: The Lyman Orton Collection.
Anita Rafael is a writer living and working in an 1840s carriage barn she rehabbed in 2005 in the village of Wardsboro, Vermont. Her feature articles about people, places, arts, food, travel, and events in Vermont have appeared in lifestyle magazines and newspapers throughout the state of Vermont since 2007, as well as on websites and travel blogs. Publications in Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts printed her feature articles throughout the 1990s.
In October, 2022, Anita Rafael began working with Lyman Orton, proprietor of The Vermont Country Store, on the book about his forty-five year adventure in collecting the art of Vermont. The book, released in mid-2023, is titled For the Love of Vermont: The Lyman Orton Collection. (Hardcover, dust jacket, illustrations and photographs, 220 pages. Publisher: The Vermont Country Store). The talk will be about putting the story of the artists together with Lyman’s story about collecting art.
DHS’s TTLLs begin at noon and last about an hour. Attendees are invited to bring some lunch; desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free, open to all and handicapped accessible. The Dorset Historical Society’s Bley House Museum is located on Route 30 at Kent Hill Road. For more information, see https://dorsetvthistory.org or call (802) 867-0331.
