Manchester Village maintains the much loved grace and charm of the past while offering its residents and visitors many cultural, outdoor, fine dining, and shopping experiences. It is home to the Southern Vermont Arts Center, Hildene, The Equinox Preserve; offering 914 acres of recreational land, Burr and Burton Academy; an independent secondary school, fly-fishing, golf, and close proximity to alpine skiing.
A Brief History
Manchester Village was first settled in 1761. From 1761 to 1850, the Village was primarily a crossroads featuring numerous taverns and inns. From 1850 to about 1900 the Village entered its resort phase with the most notable contributor being the Equinox Hotel. The cities of the Northeast were growing explosively and tourists began to appear in numbers in Manchester Village. The first marble sidewalk, a still treasured historic feature, was laid in 1850 and by 1890, four miles of marble sidewalks adorned the Village.
Manchester Village represents a rural Village which has changed into a prospering, culture-filled community over the past century and a half. The architecture of the Village presents an unusually complete and well preserved record of the development of a resort community between 1850 and 1925. This record shows changing tastes in architecture, significant architectural examples, and a wide range of adaptive uses.
Today, Manchester Village maintains the much loved grace and charm of the past while offering its residents and visitors many cultural, outdoor, fine dining, and shopping experiences. It is home to the Southern Vermont Arts Center, Hildene, The Equinox Preserve; offering 914 acres of recreational land, Burr and Burton Academy; an independent secondary school, fly-fishing, golf, and close proximity to alpine skiing.
