Manchester Vermont Hotels Luxury Inns and B&B s

Manchester Vermont (pop. 4200) in Bennington County VT is set in rolling hill country surrounded by the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Taconic mountains.

Originally a farm town, Manchester flourished after Vermont farms received licenses in the nineteenth century to breed merino sheep. Breeding gave rise to carding and other textile millwork, and the town’s economy diversified with mines, quarries and lumber mills.

In the mid-nineteenth century, rail access from major cities including New York, plus the natural and architectural beauty of Manchester, turned the town into a tourist destination. After the Civil War, Manchester became known as a resort for the wealthy. Today, luxury hotels Vermont style set a standard of Manchester excellence.

Manchester has become a tourist destination, especially for New York and Connecticut shoppers bargain hunting at the factory outlet stores of fashion designers and franchise shops, along with local businesses.

Approximate driving times to Manchester are: from Albany, NY, 1.5 hours … Bradley International Airport (Hartford, CT) and Burlington International Airport (South Burlington, VT) 2.5 hours … Boston, MA and Portsmouth, NH, 3.5 hours … Montreal, QC, 4 hours … and New York, NY 4.5 hours.

The splendor that was Manchester VT still is, maintained perfectly in the Manchester Village Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Nearby towns are Arlington, Bennington, Chester and Ludlow.

The jewel in Manchester’s crown is Hildene, the family estate built by Robert Todd Lincoln as his summer home. The only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive to maturity, Robert first visited Manchester in 1863. Forty years later, after serving as War secretary to both President James Garfield and Chester A. Arthur and becoming president of the Pullman Company, he returned to Manchester, bought 500 acres of land, and built his family estate.

The gardens of Hildene are special all of the growing season, but if you’re in Vermont in June, make a point of stopping by the Hildene gardens to visit with the peonies. Beginning in 2010, Manchester Vermont became co-host of the Vermont Flower Show, which takes place in March. This year’s theme was “Gorgeous Gardens Green Living.”

Most of all, take pleasure in the fact that Robert Todd Lincoln used the massive front lawn as a driving range.

If you are bringing your clubs, reserve tee times are advised at the Manchester Golf Course.

Before leaving town, stop by the Dutton Farm Stand of Manchester, South Vermont for a taste of Vermont country. Load up on Dutton’s fresh, farm-picked fruits and vegetables and Vermont syrup.

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