READSBORO
A town of 743 people on the Deerfield River , Readsboro is tucked away in the southeasternmost corner of Bennington County .
Water power from the Deer field River once powered industry , and a sizable immigrant population from northern Italy , from terrain not unlike Vermont ’ s , settled here a hundred years ago to work in Readsboro ’ s thriving furniture factories .
The Readsboro Gener al Store still stocks the coarse-grained polenta favored by those hardy Italians .
In summer , kayakers , rafters , and tubers who begin their river adventures In Readsboro or further upstream in Readsboro Falls can end up ( by design ) in Charlemont , Mass .
A Fourth of July parade ends in an impressive display of fireworks at the park , and summer ends In a burst of autumn colors .
RUPERT
The northwesternmost town in The Shires of Southwestern Vermont .
PBS ’ s “ Cook ’ s Country ” was produced for many years in Rupert at the country home of Christopher Kimball ( the New York Times called him “ the most influential home cook in America ”).
Christopher Kimball ’ s family has owned property in Rupert since 1955 , but he says he wouldn ’ t go so far as to call himself a Vermonter . Want to stay in the house where the show was filmed ? You can : it ’ s listed on Airbnb .
Rupert is also the home to Merck Forest & Farmland Center , whose mission is to teach and demonstrate the benefits of innovative , sustainable management of forest and farmland . Its 3,100 acres , with 30 miles of trails , are open year round at no charge .
Photo by Lorianna Weathers Photography
COME EXPLORETHESHIRES . COM 25 FOR INFO CALL 802.447.2456