Montpelier and Surrounds

Vermont State Capitol

Montpelier, Vermont
In some ways Montpelier, Vermont hasn't changed a lot since I was a kid growing up there, while in other ways it has.  It's a place that for 13 years I went to school along side the same 100 or so kids from Kindergarten through my senior year at Montpelier High.  After that, I saw these same people throughout the summer and during college breaks.  Sure, some kids moved out and others moved in, and friendships evolved with the usual cliques that all school-age kids experience.  There were the popular kids, the smart kids, the geeky kids (such as yours truly), the athletic kids and the kids that seemed to transcend the "labels" and got along with everyone.

In Montpelier is was common to live amongst the people who represented you. I had a state senator up the road, the parents of a U.S. Senator two houses away, this same U.S. Senator was the God son of my uncle, a widowed former U.S. Senator's wife down the road, and a popular former Governor two streets away who had grandkids that my brothers and I used to play with.  It's also a town where I used to babysit for the Mayor who lived in the neighborhood behind my house.  Even my high school science teacher became a state representative.  I guess that's the way it is in the country's smallest capital city.

While there aren't as many "dignitaries" living in town these days, it is still a town where your neighbors owned their own businesses in town.  And much like it was during my childhood, your neighbors were also the ones with whom you'd do business downtown. 

In high school my friends and I often talked about getting out of this "boring" town to unnamed places that we were sure would be more exciting.  But as an adult, I appreciate the culture and vibe of this little city of nearly 8,000 people, and I ponder how I might some day return and take advantage of the things I took for granted when I was growing up.

We get to Montpelier a couple times a year to visit my father, who still lives in the house in which I grew up.  And while the guest room happens to be my old bedroom, very little evidence of my possessions exist after my 20 or so years of absence, save one little brick door stopper.

During our latest trip, my family visited the State Capitol.  In all the years we've gone back to visit, my family has never been in, which is kind of ironic since my mother worked there for a number of years.  For me, going to the State House was no big deal.  It's just where mom worked.

Ashton and Bethany looking at the "wall-sized" Civil War Painting in the State House

One of the people who greeted us in the State House was the wife of my 7th grade French teacher (there's that small-town thing again).  We opted for the self-guided tour, but you can take a guided tour as well.

Adamant, Vermont
Another interesting place we visited during our trip was the quiet hamlet of Adamant.  As a kid watching Saturday morning cartoons in the mid to late 60s, I remember Atom Ant, the insect super hero.  But this is definitely different.  Where is Adamant one might ask?  Here are the directions from a former Montpelier "local".  Well, if you take Main Street out of Montpelier, it eventually turns into the County Road.  Follow the County Road until you get to Cutler Cemetery and bear right onto Center Road.  Follow Center Road until it drops you on the doorstep of the Adamant Co-op/Post Office.

Adamant Co-op

This out of the way little gem is the lifeblood of the community.  It is the store, post office and library for this little corner of Calais.  Upon entering this unassuming building, you discover a mixture of handcrafted Vermont products, standard groceries, fresh baked goods, the town post office and a small shelf to books, also known as the "Annex" to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier.

Ashton perusing the Adamant Co-op

You will notice that the word "Annex" is surrounded by quotes.  That's because the library consists of a single wooden shelf with an armload of books and books on CD, along with a clipboard that is used to sign out them out.

The library "Annex"

Inside the store we bought maple syrup from the Adamant Sugar House run by Rick Barstow and family, a peanut chocolate chip cookie, goat's milk soap from Elmore Mountain Farm, a couple bottles of Adamant Root Beer, a bottle of Adamant Raspberry Lime Rickey and some candy for Ashton.  All told we dropped $38.50.  My father also bought a bottle of wine bringing our shopping spree up to around $50.

Outside the Co-op and across the (dirt) road is a nicely mowed area where a family was having a picnic.  It's a lovely spot next to the small waterfall that drops out of Adamant Pond and flows into Sodom Pond across another (dirt) road.

This is definitely a quintessential Vermont experience, so stop by next time you're in the greater Montpelier area. I also heard there's a great little theater called Quarryworks in town that offers three shows a year.  My father insists that he's going to check it out one of these days.

A short drive from the co-op along forested dirt roads is another attraction in the area - the Old West Church.  This building joined the ranks of the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and is a well-preserved historical building that was built in 1825.  While it doesn't have the historical cachet of say, Old North Church in Boston, it is a great little piece of history that you should take the time to visit when you're in the area.

Old West Church in Calais, Vermont

It's not a tourist attraction in the typical sense.  No one's there collecting admission, but the doors are unlocked so you can go in and walk around.  Inside you'll find dueling woodstoves that used to keep the building warm in the colder months, boxed family pews and a wonderful balcony overlooking the raised pulpit.  If you go in, I encourage you to leave a cash donation in the basket in the church's entrance.  Donations go towards upkeep of this precious old building.

Behind the church is a small cemetery whose gravestones give some clue to the early settlers of the area.  In it are names like Bliss, as in Bliss Pond a couple miles down the road; and Morse, as in the Morse Farm a few miles farther down the road.  The Morse Farm is now a tourist attraction and farm stand where generations of Morses have been selling fresh farm goods for 200 years.

View of pulpit from balcony

View from pulpit

Another church overview

Bethany & Ashton on the pulpit

Dueling wood stoves

It's funny how when you return to a place you really haven't explored in years, how interesting it can be.  My next exploration goal in Vermont is to find the old barn along one of these dirt roads near Calais that had the entrance to the top level of the barn going over top of the dirt road on a bridge.  I know I've seen it, but whether or not it has survived the years is yet to be determined.

Incidentally, please forgive the exposure on some of these images.  Most of them were taken with my Smart Phone and I haven't figured out all the tools they have to get the proper depth of field  and compose photos in different lighting situations.