The beauty of Vermont Route 30 as it winds through the Taconic Mountains is unmatched: in Rupert and Pawlet, the road bisects flat valley farms extending to the edges of steep forested hillsides; through Wells the road follows the eastern shore of Lake St. Catherine before reaching Poultney’s classic Main Street. All along the route, small villages compliment the working landscape.
A new sign near the Byway's southern terminus
Despite the corridor’s pastoral nature, its sights unseen—buried by time and soil—that lend their name to the new Stone Valley Byway. The nation’s finest marble and slate quarries sent thousands of tons of ancient rock beyond Vermont to build grand edifices—including the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress’ Jefferson Building—and to roof millions of homes.
Prominent legacies remain. Premium slate is still quarried for roofing and flooring needs, and colored slates create intricate designs on the roofs of many old barns. Descendants of the skilled Welsh, Polish, and Italian immigrants employed to extract, handle, and detail marble and slate contribute greatly to the region’s contemporary cultural diversity.
In March 2010, signs recognizing the Stone Valley Byway were installed in Manchester, Dorset, Rupert, Pawlet, Wells, and Poultney. The town of Castleton is considering joining the byway designation. The route is one of six designated scenic byways drawing tourists to Vermont’s finest travel corridors.
