Dorset, Bennington County, Vermont Genealogy

Brief History
Dorset was chartered by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth on Aug. 20, 1761.

The country's first commercial marble quarry was opened in South Dorset by Isaac Underhill in 1785 on the land of Reuben Bloomer. Over the next 130 years, two dozen or more quarries located on the slopes of Dorset Mountain and Mt. Aeolus were quarried.

It was in 1775 and 1776, that this town hosted the vitally important Dorset Conventions which set the stage for the creation of the Republic and later the state of Vermont.

Historical Data
The Vermont Historical Gazetteer is a 5 volume set of historical information by Abby Maria Hemenway with Volume I published in 1867 and Volume V completed in 1891 after her death. Also available online in PDF format at this link.

Town Histories
Hisotry of the Dorset Inn

Dorset VT Marble History

Vital Records
FamilySearch Historical Records Collection has Vermont birth, death, and marriage records online.

City Directories
Vermont City Directories in Vermont Repositories.

Maps
1856 Dorset map

Cemeteries
The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Dorset. For location of cemeteries, see Cemeteries of Vermont, Bennington County, website at this link.


 * Curtis Cemetery- inscriptios at Find A Grave site.
 * East Dorset Cemetery (aka South Village Cemetery) - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Maple Hill Cemetery- inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Morse Hill Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * North Dorset Cemetery (aka Whitney Cemetery) - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Saint Jeromes Catholic Church Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.

Churches
1. St Jerome Parish   398 Bonnet St    East Dorset, VT 05253    Phone: (802) 362-1380

2. United Church of Dorset   143 Church St    Dorset, VT 05251    Phone: (802) 867-2260

Town Records
The Family History Library has microfilm of original records from the Dorset Town Clerks Office. These include Land records, 1764-1906; index to land records, 1764-1939, [https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/665009?availability=Family%20History%20Library Town records, vols. A, C, 1-3, 1734-1949], and Records of births, marriages, and deaths, 1856-1994; indexes to births, marriages, deaths, 1734-1994.

Town of Dorset PO Box 715 112 Mad Tom Road East Dorset, VT 05253 Phone: (802) 362 4571 Email: dorsetclerk@gmail.com Website: http://www.dorsetvt.org/clerk.php

Newspapers
Bennington Banner Newspaper

The Manchester Journal

Libraries and Historical Societies
Dorset Village Library P. O. Box 38 Route 30 &amp; Church St Dorset, VT 05251 Phone: (802) 867-5774 E-mail: dorsetlibrary@aol.com Website: http://www.dorsetlibraryinfo.org/

Dorset Historical Society PO Box 52 Route 30 at Kent Hill Road Dorset, VT 05251 Phone: (802) 867-0331 E-mail: info@dorsetvthistory.org Website: http://www.dorsetvthistory.org/index.php