Dorset

Lying at the foot of many mountains and blessed with a village green surrounded by white clapboard homes and inns, Dorset has a solid claim on the title of Vermont's most picture-perfect town. It also has two of the state's best and oldest general stores. The town has just 2,000 residents.

The country's first commercial marble quarry was opened here in 1785. Dozens followed suit. They provided the marble for the main research branch of the New York City Public Library and many Fifth Avenue mansions, among other notable landmarks, as well as the sidewalks that border the streets here and in Manchester. A remarkable private home made entirely of marble can be seen on Dorset West Road, a beautiful residential road just west of the town green. The marble Dorset Church on the green features two Tiffany stained-glass windows.