Rupert, Vermont
Picturesque and peaceful, Rupert’s agrarian landscape includes dairy farms, maple sugaring operations and specialty farms. The east part of town between Dorset and Pawlet is nestled in the fertile Mettowee Valley, whose farmlands are among 4844 acres protected by the Vermont Land Trust. To the west is Merck Forest and Farmland Center, the legacy of George Merck, who established the Vermont Forest and Farmland Foundation in 1952. MFFC’s 3000-acre preserve is both a working landscape and a field classroom open to the public. Visitors can access over 30 miles of trails, long-range views, hunting, rustic camping and educational programming for all ages. Youngsters especially enjoy seeing the farm’s draft horses, sheep, pigs and chickens.
Foodies may already be familiar with the iconic house in Rupert village that was the filming location for ten seasons of the syndicated PBS cooking show, Cook’s Country with Christopher Kimball. The town’s library and historical society are both housed in former village schoolhouses. The historic Sheldon Store in West Rupert, a community center run by the Rupert Village Trust, hosts events and offers a small café.
The Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail meaners through the verdant countryside and is open to pedestrians, bicyclists and horseback riders in the summer and snowshoers, skiers and snowmobiles in the winter.
History
One of Rupert’s earliest settlers was Reuben Harmon, who was granted the right to mint coins for the Republic of Vermont in 1765. Vermont Coppers were produced along the town’s Hagar Brook until 1791, when Vermont joined the United States. There is a state marker along Route 30 that designates the spot. Somewhere beyond the steep and densely forested 363-acre Rupert State Forest is the remote location of a Revolutionary War-era settlement. There are no public trails, but the history of the area is worth a mention. The Shays Settlement Project is an on-going archeological investigation of a fortified 18th-century settlement that involves local students during summer field studies.
Education
Mettawee School District
Pre-K to grade 6: Mettawee Community School
Grades 7-12: Full choice (state average tuition paid for any private/independent school)
Area schools include: Burr & Burton Academy, Long Trail School, Mill River Union High School, Salem NY Central High School, Granville NY High School and others.
Local Attractions
Merck Forest and Farmland Center
Historic Sheldon Store Community Center
Kittay Public Library
Rupert Historical Society Museum
Rupert Town Green
Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail
Harmon’s Mint
Dorset Farmers Market (year-round)
Local Businesses
Sherman’s General Store
Authentic Designs
Black Rose Creamery
Rupert Rising Bread
Government
Phone/Internet/Television
Rupert & West Rupert: Consolidated Communications for DSL internet and telephone
East & North Rupert: VTEL telephone and state-of-the-art fiberoptic internet
Houses of Worship
United Methodist Church
The Congregational Church
West Rupert Church of Christ
Nearest Medical Facility
SVMC Northshire, Manchester
Southern Vermont Medical Center
Proximity
Rupert is a 20-minute drive to Manchester, 10 minutes to Dorset, and 12 minutes to Route 22 in Salem, NY.
The Rupert area is within an hour to Saratoga and Albany, NY, areas. The major metropolitan areas of New York, Boston and Montreal are reachable in about four hours.
Airports: Rutland and Burlington VT and Albany NY.
Train stations: Rutland, VT, Whitehall and Albany, NY