Downhill skiing, however, would not truly develop in Stowe until the Great Depression, when the Civilian Conservation Corps established camps and began clearing ski trails on Mt. In 1921, Stowe held its first Winter Carnival with ski jumping, skating, and myriad other fun-filled events. This turning point marked the launching of what was to become Stowe’s true destiny. It did not take long for many townspeople to become hooked on this strange new sport, and skiing found a home in Stowe. This new form of transportation piqued the curiosity of the local citizenry. 1913 marked the beginning of a new era in the history of Stowe when three resident Swedish families took to traveling around town on long wooden boards with upturned ends. Summer tourism remained vital to Stowe’s economic life through the First World War. The Depot Building is now connected to the Inn by a bridge, housing 16 guest rooms and a variety of shops on the lower levels. Running the 11 miles between Waterbury and Stowe, this train carried both passengers and freight until 1932. The Depot Building, located adjacent to the Green Mountain Inn, was built in 1897 as a depot for the Mt. This barn was eventually torn down as a fire hazard in 1953, and several of the original beams were used in constructing The Whip Bar & Grill. Known as the “Big Hotel”, the Mansfield House burned to the ground in 1889.Ī large stable housing over 100 horses, tack, carriages and stable hands, was located behind the “Big Hotel” at the present site of the Green Mountain Inn’s Annex wing. Mansfield was finished just as the Civil War broke out, and the stately 300-room Mansfield House occupied most of the present village. Mansfield was completed by 1870 the Summit House on the top of Mt.

By the mid-1800’s, Stowe had developed into a famous summer resort due to its spectacular mountain scenery and good transportation connections. Unlike most of Vermont, Stowe’s history does not center exclusively around farming. Over the years, this shift allowed 75% of the cleared land to reforest. Only nine of these farms continue to operate today. Eventually, most of Vermont shifted from sheep to dairy farms with more than 100 farms located in Stowe alone. Stowe’s farming fortunes fluctuated with the rest of New England agriculture. As many as 8,000 sheep grazed the hills and valleys of Stowe in those days. At one time, over 75% of the land in Stowe and most of Vermont was open land that had been cleared by lumber-production and was used for agriculture – primarily sheep farming. The agriculture and lumber industries were essential to the town in Stowe’s early years.

4000 mountain road stowe vt