Dorset's appeal as a Vermont getaway destination was established over a century ago. The town occupies the highest valley between New York City and Montreal, Canada. Nineteenth century physicians recommended these clean, cool environs as restorative havens from crowded, polluted cities.

By the early 1900s, artists were gathering here to capture the landscape on canvas while enjoying the peace and quiet of the countryside and the wholesome fare offered at the dairy farms and Vermont country inns.

This largely summer traffic soon led to the acquisition of homes by those who wished to stay for longer periods. It is to these early "summer people" that Dorset owes much of its current appeal.

The marble quarries at the edge of Dorset are said to be the oldest in the country and were once a major part of Dorset's economy. They provided the marble for landmarks such as the New York City Library as well as for the marble sidewalks which lace the town and the all-marble church next to the village green. Yesterday's quarries now are today's popular swimming holes.

F or more information about Dorset's past, visit the Dorset Historical Society.