Weathersfield is a small Vermont town rich in nature and character
Home to about 2800 residents in the Connecticut Valley, Weathersfield, Vermont, is a township bordering the Connecticut River near the New Hampshire border. A sense of history and community permeates the area. “Some properties are still known by the names of people who lived there 100 years ago,” says Danny Kogut, associate broker with Williamson Group Sotheby’s International Realty, who has spent the past decade and a half working in the area. “These towns like Weathersfield offer that in a way other places have lost.” Historic Federal-style architecture and ample outdoor recreation choices round out the key features of this area. And while Weathersfield is no bustling metropolis, necessities are nearby. “You don’t necessarily have a coffee shop down the road, but you have everything you need,” Kogut says. “And proximity to towns with more shopping, industry and larger employers.”
Wide-ranging styles and prices along wooded dirt roads and small highways
Weathersfield offers a wide range of home styles and price points. The median price here is $380,000, with many properties ranging from $110,000 to $610,000, depending on size, age and style; architectural styles here include ranch-style homes, expanded Cape Cods, rustic new builds, historic buildings, Colonials and A-frames. “There are different types of properties that come in and out of fashion,” Kogut says. “Years ago, the quaint Vermont farmhouse was the thing, then later it was more the contemporary aesthetic. Young people who weren’t putting their hands in the soil. Now it’s back to the way it was 15 years ago.” Much of the area is dirt roads or narrow state highways. Some homes line the roads among farm fields or sit clustered among outbuildings, while others are tucked back in thick wooded areas. The area has a CAP Index Crime Score of 1, significantly lower than the national average of 4.
Mount Ascutney, hiking spots, state parks and more
Weathersfield is close to Mount Ascutney, the tallest point in southeast Vermont. The state park bearing the mountain’s name is about 4 miles north, with trails such as the Futures Trail and the Weathersfield Trail. The latter passes a pair of waterfalls on the way to the summit. Once owned by out-of-state investors, the nearby town of West Windsor banded together to purchase the mountain back, installing ski infrastructure as well. “It’s 100% volunteer-manned and run,” Kogut says of the ski resort. Other outdoor areas include Wilgus State Park on the Connecticut River, the Crown Point Camping Area and Stoughton Pond, which has a day-use fishing area. The area's dirt roads are popular for recreation, too. “Hiking, biking, horseback riding,” Kogut says. “You’ll see more of all that than cars sometimes.” Weathersfield Center Historic District contains several buildings, including a Federal-style meeting house, the town’s second-oldest church, and a stone animal pound that once served as an enclosure for livestock at the southern end of the meeting house property.
A newly built local K-8 school and Windsor High School
Weathersfield School serves grades kindergarten through eighth grade and earns a B-minus from Niche. The recently constructed building boasts a science lab and soundproof music rooms for lessons. Students can then attend Windsor School for grades nine through twelve; the school serves K-12 students, though students from the smaller surrounding communities like Weathersfield don’t join until ninth grade. Windsor School earns a C-plus.
Interstate 91, small airports and Amtrak stops nearby
Interstate 91 and U.S. Route 5 run approximately parallel to the Connecticut River and connect Weathersfield to Windsor to the north. Claremont, New Hampshire, is about 5 miles away, just across the river. Mt. Ascutney Hospital in Windsor is about 7 miles north. Springfield Hospital is another medical option closer to the southwest portion of Weathersfield. Small airports are in Claremont and Lebanon, New Hampshire, while Burlington International Airport is about 110 miles northwest. Windsor and Claremont both have train stations served by Amtrak.
A handful of local spots and more options in larger towns nearby
Local restaurants include Exit Ate Restaurant, which serves American fare near Interstate 91. Near Weatherfield’s southwest corner, the Hidden Kitchen at the Inn at Weathersfield offers a prix fixe three-course menu. Across Mount Ascutney, Brownsville Butcher & Pantry serves café fare and sells grass-fed local beef and fish from Boston. Walmart, Hannaford and a few family-owned markets for groceries and other necessities are available in Claremont, New Hampshire, about 5 miles across the river.
Fishing, a parade, a potluck and the Prouty
The Weathersfield Annual Good ‘Ole Fishing Derby is a children’s angling competition held at Spring Street Pond that is open to kids in kindergarten through sixth grade. Other town events include an Egg Hunt, an annual potluck put on by the Historical Society, a Fourth of July parade and a town-wide yard sale. The Prouty, an event that includes cycling, walking, rowing and golf, starts and finishes at Dartmouth Green in Hanover, New Hampshire, about 25 miles north.
