The Lincolns and Manchester: A Commemorative Talk at Hildene by Shawn Harrington Celebrating 120 years since the Lincoln Family moved into Hildene
2025-06-22 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, 1005 Hildene Road, Manchester, VT, 05254, United States
Join Manchester Historical Society Curator Shawn Harrington at Hildene’s Lincoln Hall for a glimpse into life in Manchester around 1905, when Robert Todd and Mary Harlan Lincoln settled at Hildene. Harrington will also discuss Mary Todd Lincoln’s Civil War-era visits to The Equinox House and the family’s return in the 1890s to visit Robert’s law partner, Edward S. Isham— visits that inspired the Lincolns to want to build their ancestral home, Hildene, in Manchester.

The program features rare family photos and personal stories that bring the Lincoln family’s nearly 70-year connection to this mountain valley to life.

This program is free with admission. Reservations are required to accommodate the proper number of guests.

Click to register.

Sampler Stories at the Dorset Village Library
2025-07-03 18:00 - 19:00 | The Dorset Village Library, Corner of Church Street and Route 30, Dorset
Michele Pagan, Textile Conservator in Private Practice, will be speaking on July 3rd at 6pm at the Dorset Village Library about the VT Sampler Initiative, and how this national effort has been documenting VT 19th century schoolgirl samplers since November 2022.
She will share the techniques which the Initiative uses to uncover clues about the socioeconomics which can be read from each sampler. Additionally in cooperation with the VT 250th Commemoration, she will share some of the stories of the ancestors of the girls who made the samplers, and what their service was during the Revolution. No registration is required.

Ice Cream Social
2025-07-12 13:00 - 15:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
It’s the annual Dog Days and Ice Cream Social! Join us at the Dorset Historical Society on Saturday, July 12th from 1-3pm for an open house featuring free Wilcox ice cream, and visit the Dorset Village Library across the street for their Dog Days hot dogs!

History Hike: The Pinnacle
2025-07-19 09:00 - 12:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Join Kevin O’Toole, and folks from Hike Dorset and the Dorset Historical Society, for a hike to The Pinnacle!
The morning will begin with a bit of history about The Pinnacle at the Dorset Historical Society, then we’ll carpool to the site for a hike. We anticipate being back to the Bley House by noon!

Architectural Gems: Historic Buildings of Dorset and East Rupert
2025-07-22 17:30 - 19:00 | United Church of Dorset, 143 Church Street, Dorset, VT, 05251, United States
Join us for an engaging and in-depth illustrated lecture and discussion about the architecture, history, and development of Dorset and East Rupert, with specific focus on the five houses included in the companion house tour on August 2, 2025. Architectural historian Jennifer Lang and architect Bill Badger will share information about the fascinating history, design, and construction of the houses located in these contiguous communities in the upper Mettawee River Valley, beginning in the late 19th century. This program will be held at the United Church of Dorset and East Rupert, prominently located within the center of the National Register of Historic Places Dorset Village Historic District and adjacent to the green on Church Street.
You may register for the lecture only for $20, or choose to bundle the lecture and the August 2nd house tour for $50.
Dorset resident Jennifer Lang is an architectural historian and conservationist. She has worked in the historic preservation field in New York City, California, and most recently in Hong Kong, where she was the director of the graduate program in architectural conservation at Hong Kong University. Currently, Jennifer writes and consults with UNESCO and ICOMOS on historic preservation projects around the world.
Bill Badger is an experienced local architect and historian with a passion for railroads. He is president of the Rutland Railroad Historical Society and has been a board member of the Manchester Historical Society for many years. Bill’s background includes architectural history and preservation.
This talk will take place on Tuesday, July 22 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at the United Church of Dorset and East Rupert.
Click here to visit the Green Mountain Academy of Lifelong Learning’s website and register.

Author Talk: Jon Mathewson on “Dorset” History Book Commemorating the Dorset Conventions
2025-07-25 18:00 - 19:00 | Northshire Bookstore, 4869 Main St, Manchester Center, VT, 05255, United States
Join us at Northshire Bookstore on July 25th at 6pm to hear Dorset Historical Society Curator Emeritus Jon Mathewson discuss the new book Dorset. The book covers the origins of Dorset and its pictorial history from 1850-1965, but Mathewson’s talk will highlight the era before photography with a special emphasis on the history of the Dorset Conventions.
From 1768 on, people settled in several parts of Dorset, creating 14 school districts and six distinct villages. Discover the industry and recreation of North Dorset, the marble mills of East Dorset, the quarries of South Dorset, and the businesses of Dorset Village, as well as the people who have called Dorset home: Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Bill Wilson, authors Elizabeth Prentiss and Zephine Humphrey, quarry and orchard entrepreneur Ernest West, and many others.
The Dorset Historical Society has been actively preserving and presenting local history since 1963.

Architectural Gems: Historic House Tour in Dorset and East Rupert
2025-08-02 10:00 - 14:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Explore five unique Dorset and East Rupert historic houses at the self-guided GMALL Historic House Tour. GMALL has creatively selected properties that express the unique history and spirit of the upper Mettawee River Valley in southern Vermont representing a diverse range of architectural styles from Federal to Victorian. This tour will offer a rare opportunity to visit inside these intriguing residences, each with a unique history and story to tell. This historic house tour will inspire, delight, and invite appreciation for the stewardship of some of the most charming historic properties in the area. In addition to the house tour, GMALL is offering a companion lecture and discussion about the history and architecture of Dorset and East Rupert on July 22, 2025 from 5:30-7 pm at the United Church of Dorset and East Rupert.
Begin the tour at the Dorset Historical Society where you can pick up your ticket and program and enjoy some refreshments.
$35 for the tour paid in advance
$45 for the tour paid at the door
$50 for the package (tour and lecture on July 22)
This event is rain or shine.
The self-guided Historic House Tour will take place on Saturday, August 2 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, starting at the Dorset Historical Society in Dorset.
Click here to visit the Green Mountain Academy of Lifelong Learning’s website and register.

History Hike: Gettysburg Quarry
2025-08-16 09:00 - 12:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Join Kevin O’Toole, and folks from Hike Dorset and the Dorset Historical Society, for a hike to the Gettysburg Quarry!
The morning will begin with a bit of history about the quarry at the Dorset Historical Society, then we’ll carpool to the site for a hike. We anticipate being back to the Bley House by noon!

250th Anniversary Lunchtime Lecture: Rutland County Forts with Joseph Kinney
2025-08-21 12:00 - 13:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Join historian and archaeologist Joseph Kinney for a Lunchtime Lecture exploring the Revolutionary War-era forts of Rutland County and how they’ve been remembered, or forgotten, over time. Drawing from his undergraduate thesis and ongoing research, Kinney will introduce attendees to key military sites including Castleton’s Fort Warren, Pittsford’s Fort Vengeance, and Rutland’s Forts Rutland and Ranger.
This talk, titled The Lost Forts of Rutland County: A Discussion of Public Memory of the American Revolution, will trace the history of these forts from the late 18th century through their evolving place in public memory up to the twenty-first century. Whether you’re a longtime Vermonter or new to the area, you’ll gain insight into the region’s overlooked Revolutionary War heritage, and maybe even recognize a few places from your own experience. The lecture will be accompanied by a visual presentation, offering images and maps to bring this history to life.
Joseph Kinney earned his BA in History from Castleton University in 2023, where he participated in the Castleton Hidden History Project. He currently works as a field archaeologist for Heritage Consultants in Connecticut and is pursuing a master’s degree in Historical Archaeology at UMass Boston. His research interests focus on New England’s Revolutionary War and Early Federal period history and material culture. His most recent work explores the 1777 Skirmish of Castleton, an event closely tied to the construction of Fort Warren.

Annual Meeting
2025-10-03 17:30 - 19:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Dorset Historical Society
2025 Annual Meeting Notice
FRIDAY OCTOBER 3rd at 5:30 p.m.
The Dorset Historical Society’s Annual Meeting will be held FRIDAY OCTOBER 3rd at 5:30 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 directors:
Sallyan Pelletier
Donn Hutchins
(Rich Grip)
(Chad Smith)
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 867-0331.

Fall Festival
2025-10-11 11:00 - 15:00 | Dorset Green
Gather your friends and neighbors – we’re having a Fall Festival!
Please join us on Saturday, October 11th from 11a-3pm for a Fall Festival on the Village Green, hosted by The Union Store. Wagon Rides and games for the kids, local vendors, and a bake sale for The Dorset School’s DPV. Don’t miss this day of fun, food, and community spirit!

Halloween at DHS!
2025-10-31 16:30 - 18:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
The Dorset Historical Society will be joining other Downtown Dorset Entities handing out candy and our unique Dorset Historical Society Trading Cards to visiting trick or treaters!

Holiday Open House
2025-12-06 11:00 - 14:00 | The Dorset Historical Society Bley House Museum, Corner of Kent Hill Road & Route 30, Dorset, VT, 05251
Join us for our annual Holiday Open House! Taste a selection of sweet treats, and view our newest exhibit on the history of Dorset’s apple orchards.
