This was a terrific event. For those of you who missed it, we hope to hold a similar event in June 2013.
(the bicentennial of the birth of Stephen A Douglas).

Here is the write-up of what was happening around town on June 18, 2011. And some photos too!

What we did in 2011: Brandon celebrated all day long with Reenactors, a Historic House Tour, Historical Presentations and a 250th Birthday Bash! Read one visitors review of the day.

The Civil War ignited conflicts and strong emotions throughout the United States, and even a small town in the Northeast was not immune to the changes sweeping the nation. Especially instrumental during this time period was Stephen A. Douglas, a renowned son of Brandon, and Abraham Lincoln’s strongest competitor in the 1860 presidential race.

2011 marks the 250th anniversary of the town’s charter and the sesquicentennial of Douglas’s death. The town celebrated with the second annual Civil War Days event on Saturday, June 18. Members of the Champlain Valley Historic Reenactors camped out in Brandon’s Central Park from 10 am – 5 pm offering enlistment activities and running drills. They wore reproductions of uniforms worn by the 1st and 2nd Vermont as they marched off to war. The uniforms were gray and similar to that worn by the Allen Grays, Brandon’s town militia unit.

For those who like to tour historic homes, a number of Brandon’s Civil-War era homes opened their doors to visitors, giving a rare glimpse of what everyday life might have looked like during the 19th century. Visitors listened to presentations from Howard Coffin, author and historian of Vermont and the Civil War, and Dr. Kevin Thornton,  University of Vermont Professor of History specializing in the 19th century U.S. “Brandon shows us how the anti-slavery movement gained momentum among ordinary people who were fired up by a moral commitment to a cause they believed was holy,” says Thornton. “The experiences of this town also show us how average northerners became motivated to fight in the Civil War.”

The town’s birthday party began at 4:15 pm with a special singing performance in front of the Brandon Congregational Church. The party  concluded with a commemorative cake celebrating the Town’s 250th birthday. In the evening, there was a special screening in the Brandon Town Hall of the 1926 Buster Keaton silent comedy film movie called “The General,” which takes place during the Civil War. Jeff Rapsis, who plays piano behind silent films around New England, was the accompaniment.

Brandon is one of Vermont’s most inviting small towns with its entire downtown listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recreational opportunities in its backyard.  The village of 4,000 has a revitalized downtown with shops, galleries, and restaurants and over 70 miles of back roads to explore. Easily accessible at the crossroads of Routes 7 and 73, Brandon is in the foothills of the Green Mountain National Forest, near the shores of beautiful Lake Dunmore and close to an array of covered bridges. Accommodations for travelers include luxurious country inns, comfortable bed & breakfasts, reasonably-priced motels and clean, scenic campgrounds.

For more information, contact the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce: 802-247-6401. Email at: info@brandon.org