experiencing a vibrant artistic renaissance . Famed artists , composers and luminaries such as Norman Rockwell , Rockwell Kent , Carl Ruggles and Dorothy Canfield Fisher were living in the picturesque nearby valley town of Arlington to the south , and the Weston Playhouse ( which had opened a decade earlier in 1935 as Vermont ’ s first fully-fledged professional theatre ) was bringing a new wave of thespian talent and creative notoriety to the region . In 1943 , Norman Rockwell inspired millions of Americans and brought international fame to Vermont through his iconic Four Freedoms illustrations , which were published in The Saturday Evening Post . The Four Freedoms series was a watershed moment in his career , which cemented his place as one of the most celebrated artists in American history .
Nine years after Rockwell ’ s magnificent illustrations secured his spot in the American artistic pantheon , The Saturday Evening Post also played a crucial role in the continual expansion of The Vermont Country Store . When The Saturday Evening Post published an article by Edward Shenton entitled “ The Happy Shopkeeper of the Green Mountains ” in
1952 , The Vermont Country Store began to receive more attention than ever before . Tens of thousands of eager customers from all around the country placed orders and made pilgrimages to Weston to experience The Vermont Country Store firsthand . Vrest and Ellen quickly seized the opportunity to take their business to new levels . In 1959 , exponential increases in demand led to the opening of a second store in nearby Rockingham , which is now the home of a beautiful restored covered bridge known affectionately as the “ Kissing Bridge .” A picturesque mill pond and gristmill further accentuate the countrified ambience , offering patrons a glimpse back into a bygone era of Arcadian mystique .
As the business continued to grow and blossom , Vrest and Ellen passed the leadership duties down to their son , Lyman , in 1972 . Lyman grabbed the reins with vigorous enthusiasm and took the opportunity to grow the business even further by diversifying their product range and expanding their phone-ordering and mail-ordering capacities . In the process , Lyman also began to broaden The Vermont Country Store ’ s inventory by
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