Grand Hotels & Resorts of Northern Vermont

By: Jason Barney

Published by The History Press, 2026-05-12

The Era of Grand Hotels and Resorts, and the Efforts to Preserve Vermont's Past.
Northern Vermont was bustling with resorts and grand hotels in the nineteenth century.
New Englanders came to take in the country air. Patients from across the country drank from the mineral springs and tried to improve their health. People from around the world visited and experienced the unmatched beauty, the quiet calm, and the small-town atmosphere. French Revolutionary War hero General Lafayette, Henry David Thoreau, and famous speakers like Henry Ward Beecher all came to this part of the country to write and reflect.
From Burlington to Sheldon, from Highgate to the Lake Champlain Islands, some of the buildings have faded from memory, while others have been lovingly restored to their former glory.
Award-winning teacher and author Jason Barney uncovers slice-of-life stories, humorous moments, and the history behind some of the state’s most beautiful hotels.