With my in-laws in town, I really wanted to make sure they got a chance to see as much of the countryside as they could stand in their visit. And of course, when you live so close to the state border, you have to check that out too!
Brett and I loaded up his parents and made a quick trip over to Bennington, Vermont. It’s such a cute little town! I shouldn’t say little though, the community of 16,000 is actually the largest town in Southern Vermont. (I had no idea that the whole state only has about 630,000 people!) It’s also home to the Bennington Battle Monument…which, you guessed it…is the tallest structure in the state!
The monument commemorates the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Bennington, which happened in August 1777. In those days, Brigadier General John Stark, with 1,400 New Hampshire men, defeated not one, but two detachments of the British army. The throw down is called the Battle of Bennington, but it actually happened about 10 miles away in New York at the Bennington Battlefield.
Construction on the monument began in 1887 and the last block was laid in 1889. It’s amazing that it’s more than 120 years old! The grand total to build the Vermont skyscraper…a whopping $112,000!
The monument’s observation deck was closed so we didn’t get to check out the view from 200 feet up. Folks tell us that on a clear day, you can see New York and Massachusetts from way up there!
However, my father-in-law had a great time striking a pose at the monument!
We also got a chance to see a couple of covered bridges (insert Madison County joke here) while we were there. This is the Burnt Henry Covered Bridge just of Route 67A.
Totally worth checking out if you’re over that way!
