Grafton Village

Grafton has just over 640 residents (2020 census) and was originally called Thomlinson; the town was chartered in 1754. It received its present name in 1791: the high bidder for the right to rename it is said to have offered "five dollars and a jug of rum" and named it after his hometown in Massachusetts. Sheep farming, woolen mills and soapstone quarrying on Bear Mountain brought the village prosperity in the early 19th century. The Old Tavern of 1801, now The Grafton Inn, is one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the United States.

Before the Civil War nearly 1,500 people lived here, and during the Great Depression fewer than 400. Since the 1960s the Windham Foundation has been buying and restoring buildings in the village; it also helped revive the Grafton Village Cheese Company and created a cross-country ski center. One to two hours is a good guide for a stroll through the streets and a visit to the cheese shop.