Our Stories

What makes Dorset so special?

Telling Our Stories

It’s the amazing combination of people, pace and place! Dorset’s community consists of an intriguing combination of old and new guard, locals and second home owners, new families and multi-generational businesses. Pair this dynamic melting pot of people with a relaxed yet productive pace of life and a small yet vibrant, bustling commercial core. Add stunning mountains and valleys and you will understand why so many want to call Dorset home. Read our stories to learn more.

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Learn the history behind Vermont’s first millionaire Silas Lapham Griffith—landowner, politician, business mogul who made significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of early southern Vermont.
Silas Griffith: Riches & Redemption
By Liz Schafer Was Vermont’s first millionaire a greedy curmudgeon, bent on profit at any cost, or a generous benefactor whose legacy continues to serve his hometown? That depends on who you ask. But no one can dispute that Silas Lapham Griffith—landowner, politician, business mogul—was a brilliant man who made significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of early southern...
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Explore the history the homes in Dorset that have been moved from other locations, including the CW House
Rescued from the Flood: Charley Wade & Dorset’s Quabbin Houses
by Liz Schafer                           Period photos courtesy of Dorset Historical Society One of Dorset’s native sons, Charles Augustus Wade (1874 to 1949), was an industrious and affable son of a farm laborer. By his mid-30s, he was the owner and operator of two successful businesses, and, in 1921 at age 47, became...
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Click to explore the story of a thread between past and present that endures! A new family in Dorset took up its tattered remains, preserving its rich history before passing it on to the next generation.
The Eli Deming House: A Continuing Saga
By Liz Schafer                       Period photos courtesy of Dorset Historical Society The historic narrative of many an old house is often broken—even lost—with the passage of time. People move out, circumstances change, and a different story begins and ends with each new household. But when several generations of the same...
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Linda O’Leary and her dog, Rosie, are perhaps two of Dorset’s most universally recognized figures. Linda has served the community as a lifelong member of the Church, as well as a local teacher and school principal.
Linda O’Leary—To Serve with Love
by Liz Schafer  Linda O’Leary, pictured above with her faithful companion, Rosie, is perhaps one of Dorset’s most universally known denizens. Not from celebrity or notoriety, mind you, although she is recognized for acting as consultant by acclaimed author Anita Shreve in her novel ‘Rescue.’ And it’s not because she comes from a large, extended family with a long history in the...
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Elizabeth Payson was an accomplished and industrious young woman who began her writing career at just 16. Click to learn more about her moving stories, her family, and why she chose to call Dorset home.
The Big House — Love’s Legacy
by Liz Schafer Elizabeth Payson was an accomplished and industrious young woman who began a writing career at the age of 16. George Lewis Prentiss was the son of a prosperous shipmaster who became known as a forceful messenger of God’s Word. The two married in 1845, moving from their native Maine to Manhattan, New York, where George’s skill as...
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The Bley House Museum, home of the Dorset Historical Society, is dedicated to discovering and collecting materials that illustrate the history of Dorset, Vermont. To learn more about museum hours and the lineup of speakers, click to read.
Dorset Historical Society—Dorset Way Back When
By Liz Schafer. Above, The Bley House Museum, home of the Dorset Historical Society.   When you ask Jon Mathewson about his job as curator for the DHS (Dorset Historical Society), he talks a lot about synergy. He credits a list of volunteers with running the show at the organization’s Bley House Museum. Folks of all ages, including local business people,...
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