Poultney, Vermont

I started this page many years ago, back when I was residing in Poultney, Vermont. Back then, the town did not have a website of its own. (The Chamber of Commerce has since remedied that, and their website can be visited at http://www.poultneyvt.com/ .) I liked Poultney. Winters were hard, it's true, but the folks that lived there were, for the most part, people you'd want to live near. Poultney is a small town, so whether you'd like it or not depends a good bit upon how you feel about small town life. Why not go visit, and see for yourself?

Poultney is in many ways the quintessential small town many of us picture in our minds when we think of Vermont. Its quaint little downtown area consists of charming shops on Main Street, as well as the local Post Office and the town's library. At the end of Main Street lies the picturesque campus of Green Mountain College.

Poultney is located in the heart of the Southwestern Lakes Region, long considered one of Vermont's finest summer retreat locations. A beautiful chain of lakes surrounded by rolling hills and cliffs, the area offers fine sailing, fishing, canoeing and more.  Lake St. Catherine, often said to be Vermont's most beautiful lake, is located in the southern tier of Poultney Township.  Lake Bomoseen is a few minutes away.

Golf?  Visit the Lake St. Catherine Golf Course.  Got cabin fever?  In winter there's ice-fishing and snowmobiling, and downhill skiing is just 45 minutes away at Killington, Pico and Middlebury. 

Facts and Figures

• Area Code for Vermont: 802
• Zip code for Poultney:  05764
• Poultney is located in Rutland County
• Fire Emergency - 287-9360
• Ambulance 287-9360
• Poultney Chamber of Commerce (802) 287-2010
• Vermont Chamber of Commerce (802) 223-3443
• Poultney Town Clerk -287-5761
• Town Manager - 287-9751
• Village Office - 287-4003
• Constable - 287-9112

Shopping - from great antiques to gift shops and bookstores . . .

• Country Craft Corner - 87 Grove Street, Poultney.
• The Craft Seller - 66 Depot Street, Poultney.
• Everyday Flowers - 200 Main Street, Poultney.  802 287-4094.  
• Ginger Jar Antiques - 188 Main Street, Poultney.
• Hermit Hill Books - Used and antiquarian books.  95 Main Street, Poultney.
• Hometown Photo - 153 Main Street, Poultney.
• Loomis Paint, Wallcoverings and Flooring - floor covering, paint, etc.  200 Main Street, Poultney.
• Mart's Sporting Goods - 85 Main Street, Poultney.
• Original Vermont Gift Shop - As cute as any gift shop in Manchester, Woodstock or Alexandria, in a town where there are actually places to park on Main Street.  Main Street, Poultney.  Website:  http://www.originalvermontstore.com 
• Picket Fence Antiques - 95 On the Green, East Poultney.
• Picture Window Antiques - 144 Main Street, Poultney.
• Thirty York Street - Antiques.
• Williams Hardware.  Sure there are other hardware stores in America, but none boast the affable Bob Williams.  Main Street, Poultney.  Website:  http://ww2.truevalue.com/williams    
• Witch's Cauldron - Antiques.  41 On the Green, East Poultney.

Food

• Perry's Main Street Eatery - 18 Main Street.  Breakfast, lunch, supper.  Tel: (802) 287-5188.  
• Tot's Diner, Main Street - breakfast and lunch.  Tel. (802) 287-2213.  Real food, real people. 
• Poultney House of Pizza -  Main Street.  Good pizza, either eat-in or take-out, plus grinders (aka hero sandwiches or submarines, for you non-New Englanders).
• Preseau's Place - 216 Main Street, Poultney.  (802)287-9860.  Deli.
• Sam's Dog House - Sam's Dog House is on Route 22A in Hampton, NY, about 30 seconds from the Vermont border.  To a lot of folks around here, summer wouldn't be summer without a trip to Sam's Dog House for a hot dog, onion rings and ice cream.  
• East Poultney Grocery.
• Shaw's Supermarket.  This is Poultney's primary supermarket, and is located just off Main Street.  Shaw's took over this supermarket from Grand Union, and has significantly improved it.

Education

• Poultney Elementary School, 96 School Circle; 287-5212
• Poultney High School, 154 East Main Street; 287-5861.  Poultney High website: http://www.phsvt.org/
  • Poultney High School Drama Club - contact Gary Meitrott at 802 235-2400
• Green Mountain College - One College Circle, Poultney VT 05764-1199; Tel. 287-8000.  Green Mountain College is located in the heart of Poultney.  It has one of the most beautiful small campuses you'll ever see, and a long and respected history as an institution of higher learning.
• Castleton State College - Seminary St., Castleton 05735; Tel. 468-5611.  Castleton borders Poultney to the north. 
• College of St. Joseph the Provider, 71 Clement Rd., Rutland 05701;  Tel. 773-5900.  Undergraduate programs, plus graduate programs in Education, Psychology and Business.

Financial & Insurance Services

• Chittenden Bank - Fair Haven, VT.
• Kinney Pike Insurance.  199 Main Street, Poultney.

Beauty, Health & Well-Being

• Barb's Shear Designs.  32 Church Street, Poultney.
• Hair Works.  355 Furnace Street, Poultney.
• K&K Creations.  153 Main Street, Poultney.
• Mountain Yoga, 135 North Main Street, Rutland VT 05701
  Tel. 802 773-5045

Places of Worship

• St. Raphael Catholic Church, Poultney.  On Main Street, just off Route 30. 
• St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Main Street, Castleton.

History

• Poultney Historical Society
  On-the-Green, East Poultney
  PO Box 605
  East Poultney, VT 05741
  802-287-5252
  Website: poultneyhistoricalsociety.org
  
  The Society owns three historic buildings restored as museums on the green in East Poultney: the Union Academy one-room school (1791), the newly renovated Melodeon Factory (1810), and the 1896 Schoolhouse. Exhibits include melodeons in the Civil War era, 19th century agricultural tools, and glass plate photographs from 1890-1910. The museums house extensive collections of costumes, furniture, ironworks, tools and photographs. A large genealogical library is available for research.
  
  New Poultney Historical Audio Walking and Driving Tours, narrated by Willem Lange, guide visitors through East Poultney, downtown Main Street, and the surrounding quarries, farms, and hollows. Winner of two Vermont state awards.
  
  Contact Person: Ina Smith, President
  Hours and Admission: Museums are open from Memorial Day through Columbus Day on Sundays from 1:00 to 4:00 PM or by appointment during the rest of the year. Free admission.
   
• Slate Valley Museum - 17 Water Street, Granville NY, a short distance from Poultney.  Since Poultney is in the Slate Valley, you might be interested. 
  Tel. (518) 642-1417.  Website:  http://www.slatevalleymuseum.org 

Lodging

• The BENTLEY HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST (Formerly Tower Hall B&B)
  399 Bentley Avenue, Poultney, VT 05764
  (802)287-4004
  (800)894-4004 
  Website:  http://www.TheBentleyHouse.com
  Located adjacent to Green Mountain College in the beautiful Village of Poultney. Call Denise to make arrangements for lodging, special functions or a house tour of this century old Queen Anne Victorian. 
• Birdhouse Inn B&B
  1430 East Main Street, Poultney, VT 05764
  Tel. 802 287-2405
  Website:  http://www.birdhouseinnvt.com
• Panorama Motel.  2227 Route 22A, Hampton, NY.  Tel: toll free 888-423-9648. 
  Website:  http://www.panoramamotelny.com/
  Although the Panorama Motel is technically in another state, most of us in Poultney consider it local - it's just outside of town, up on a hill overlooking Poultney and the surrounding Vermont countryside.
• The Poultney Inn.  326 Main Street, Poultney.  802 287-4270.  Right on Main Street, right in the heart of town.
• Sheldon Mansion, 48 North Street, Granville, New York.  (Granville is another New York town that borders Poultney.)  518-642-0000.  Granville is the home of the Slate Valley Museum, which makes for an interesting excursion, and the Sheldon Mansion is the former home of slate baron Frederick Sheldon.
• The Victorian Suites Inn at Poultney.  Why not enjoy Poultney while staying at a beautiful Victorian inn?   802 287-5505.  

Legal Services

• American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont
• John D. Burke.  21 Preston Lane, Castleton, VT.  802 468-5454.
• DeBonis & Wright.  226 Main Street, Poultney.  802 287-9110.

Library

• Poultney Public Library, 38 Main St.; 287-5556; Open: M, Tu, W, Th 2-8 pm; F 10 am-5 pm; Saturday 10 am-1 pm

Manufacturing

• Brass Butterfly.  Website:  http://www.brassbutterfly.com 

Map

• Poultney and surrounding area

Media

• Vermont Public Radio.  Poultney receives a very clear broadcast from VPR's radio station.  Excellent programming, and we should (in my humble opinion) all do our best to support Vermont Public Radio.  
• Lakes Region Free Press.  518 642-1234.
• WNYV 94.1 FM.  802 287-9031.  The local radio stations.

Medical

• Rutland Regional Medical Center - 160 Allen St., Rutland 05701; Tel. 747-3777; FAX 747-3955.
• Castleton Family Health Center - just north of Poultney, on Route 30.

 

Vermont State Government

• State of Vermont Home Page

Real Estate

Realtors in Poultney and Surrounding Area

• Vermont Forest and Field.  287-2049.  Visit their website at http://www.vermontrealestatehome.com - lots of interesting information, and realty listings!
• Northland Real Estate.  287-9797.  Website - http://www.northlandvt.com/ - more listings! 
  

Outdoor Recreation

• The historic Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail follows the border between Vermont and New York and runs through Poultney.  It follows the old railroad bed of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, connecting Rutland, VT with Albany, NY.  For more information, visit the Vermont State Parks website.
• Lake Bomoseen
• Half Moon State Park
• Lake St. Catherine State Park - (802) 287-9158
• Horsewise - Holistic horse riding programs, offered by Teri J. Dluznieski, M.Ed.  Ms. Dluznieski is also the author of Dancing In Your Bubble: Ancient Teachings; Modern Healing.

Truth is, if you like the outdoors there's a lot to do in Poultney; fishing (including ice fishing in the winter), snowmobiling, etc.  Serious hunters and fishermen should stop by Mart's Hunting & Fishing, right on Main Street.

Those who want to "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints" will also find Poultney congenial.  There's great hiking in the surrounding area, especially by Lake St. Catherine State Park.  And, since Green Mountain College has a curriculum that is heavy on environmental studies, you'll find lots of folks in Poultney who share your interests.  

Utilities

• Electricity:
  Central Vermont Public Service Corp.
  Customer Service:  (800) 649-2877
  To report power outage: (800) 451-2877
• Fuel
  • Bixby's  287-5512
  • Suburban Propane 287-5555
• Cable television in Poultney is provided by Adelphia. 
• Telephone service is provided by Verizon.

Genealogy & Heritage

• Green Mountain College Welsh Heritage Program - Green Mountain College is active in promoting and preserving the Welsh Heritage here in the United States through various programs, including musical programs. 
• The Welsh-American Genealogical Society is located in Poultney.  Their website is located here.   Their mailing address is:
      Welsh-American Genealogical Society
      60 Norton Avenue
      Poultney, VT 05764-1029
      U.S.A.
      e-mail address: wagsoff1990@yahoo.com 
• Poultney Area St. David's Society

Fun Facts About Vermont

Astound your friends!  Amuse your relatives! 

• Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the United States, producing over 500,000 gallons a year.  So please - stop using "pancake syrup" and start using the real thing!
• The first person to cross the United States by automobile was a man from Vermont - Dr. H. Nelson Jackson of Burlington.  He made the trip in 1903.  
• John Deere served his apprenticeship in Vermont.  He left for the "New West" - Illinois - in the 1830's, when Vermont was going through an economic depression and work was scarce.  Vermont is expected to recover from this economic downturn any day now . . . 
• Some philatelists credit Brattleboro, Vermont with producing America's first postage stamp, in 1846.
• Coldest temperature ever recorded in Vermont: 50 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.  Hottest: 105 degrees Fahrenheit.  (Normally, though, it's a lot nicer here!)
• Vermont was the first state to outlaw slavery.
• Vermont was the first state to offer the legal rights of marriage to couples of the same gender, known as "civil unions."