The Windham Foundation

Visit Grafton, Vermont to tour two of The Windham Foundation’s historic properties. The Old Tavern at Grafton and The Grafton Village Cheese Company – Winner of three Gold Trophies from the International Fancy Food Show. Beginning in 1963, The Windham Foundation has purchased nearly half of the buildings in Grafton, Vermont’s village center, which can be identified by small plaques displaying the locally-known house name and date of construction. Please share your Windham Foundation or Old Tavern reviews or comments.

Windham Foundation

Beginning in 1963, The Windham Foundation has purchased nearly half of the buildings in Grafton, Vermont’s village center, which can be identified by small plaques displaying the locally-known house name and date of construction.

The Windham Foundation’s most visible work has been the restoration of some of Grafton’s finest old buildings.  The Foundation employs over 100 employees who work with local artisans, breathing new life into the old buildings through a marvelous institutional memory.  Although not involved in town government, The Windham Foundation was instrumental in constructing a new elementary school by donating land and offering financial assistance, and has funded a number of local improvements including a hydrant system, underground power lines, several highway projects, landscaping, and shade tree plantings.

In the heart of the Village sits ‘the Jewel of The Windham Foundation‘ – the historic full service inn known as the Old Tavern at Grafton, with history dating back to 1788.  Six other such houses can be rented short-term through the Old Tavern’s reservation office.  Every effort is made to restore each structure in an historically accurate manner, using more modern materials and approaches when practical to insure structural strength, longevity, safety, and occupant comfort.

The Old Tavern at Grafton was restored by The Foundation in 1965 with painstaking historical accuracy and the addition of modern plumbing, heating, and safety features.  When you enter the Inn, you step back in time to the era of hand-hewn beams and wide pine flooring with pewter and brass accoutrements.  Today, the Old Tavern looks much the same as in the days of old when visited by Daniel Webster, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ulysses S. grant, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Rudyard Kipling, and Henry David Thoreau.

The Foundation  owns and operates a number of Grafton businesses including the Old Tavern, the Grafton Village Nursery, and the world-renowned Grafton Village Cheese Company founded in 1890 and winner of three gold trophies from the International Fancy Food Show for its Classic Reserve Cheddar.  The extra-aged flavorful cheddar is made with milk from selected herds of Vermont Jersey cows, and was chosen for its superb creaminess and high butterfat content. A visit to the Grafton Village Cheese Company will add a uniquely historic complement to your stay at the Old Tavern.

The Windham Foundation is a not-for-profit organization located in Grafton, Vermont. The Foundation was established in 1963 with a three-fold purpose: to restore buildings and economic vitality in the village of Grafton; to provide financial support for education and private charities; and to develop projects that will benefit the general welfare of Vermont and Vermonters. 

Chesterfield Inn, 20 Cross Street, West Chesterfield, NH 03466 | 800-365-5515
The Chesterfield Inn is a warm, welcoming Bed and Breakfast Inn just across the river in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. We specialize in personal service and comfort. Enjoy our delicious country breakfast, cooked to order, with homemade muffins made from scratch each morning. Our romantic candlelit dining room is the perfect place for dinner with a menu of fresh, local food that changes with the seasons. The inn is the perfect place for intimate weddings. Most guest rooms have fireplaces, pretty views and six rooms are pet friendly!
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Bromley View Inn, 522 Vermont Rte. 30, Bondville, VT 05340 | 802-297-1459
Bromley View Inn is located between Manchester, Bromley Mountain Resort and Stratton Mountain Resort. Our guests will find themselves in an activity haven with six ski areas within an hour, five golf courses within a half hour, superior hiking and snowshoeing, plenty of waterways for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing; and some of Vermont's best shopping and antiquing in the towns of Manchester, Arlington, Londonderry, Weston, Peru, and Dorset.
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Windham Foundation PO Box 70, 225 Townshend Road
Grafton, VT 05146 | Ph: 802-843-2211

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