Vergennes, Vermont

Vergennes is Vermont's oldest town, founded in 1788 as a result of its ample water supply from Otter Creek and easy access to the Lake Champlain Waterway. The historic Vergennes Opera House serves as the cultural and performance center for this small town. Vergennes Falls Park, with six and one half acres of land, offers a beautiful system of walking paths, picnic areas, bank-fishing and boat launch. The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum reveals the history of this contested body of water, both as a traditional museum (pictures, plaques, artifacts), and as a functional docking station (the museum even harbors its own seaworthy replicas—the Lois McClure and the Philadelphia II). You'll find shipwreck tours, a small-boat festival, occasional races, and authentic metal-working in the blacksmith's shop. The town’s name was suggested by Ethan Allen to honor the Comte de Vergennes who served as the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and negotiator of the Treaty of Paris after the Revolutionary War.