Websterville Loop - 13.7 Miles.
* Tour Difficulty: 5
Terrain and Road Conditions:
Although this route is fairly short, there are a few good climbs, especially
after reaching Washington Village. Roads are paved near the settled areas, but
most of this tour is on unpaved, gravel roads.
Tour Highlights :
Granite is the backbone of Vermont. Nowhere is this more
evident than in the vicinity of Barre, where the landscape,
economy, and culture have been defined by this rock for 200
years. This route will take you past historic and active quarries
(including the world's largest!). But granite isn't the only
attraction - there are Indian trails, historic homes, three
villages - and of course, the classic Vermont countryside.
Although the route is fairly short, there are a few long climbs.
Route Description:
Park at the Barre Town Elementary School on Websterville Rd., Lower Websterville.
From Barre Town Parking area turn right onto Websterville Road. From this point until you reach Washington Village you will be following the Historic Coos Indian Trail, one of only two East/West prehistoric Indian trails known to have existed in Vermont.
Continue on Websterville Road for about a mile until you reach the Wells Lawson Quarry on the right. This is the oldest quarry on Millstone Hill and was opened sometime around 1800 by Abijah Abbot who is said to have provided millstones to many of the early gristmills in New England. This was the deepest quarry in the world having a depth of over 400 ft.
At the quarry, Websterville Road bears left. Continue straight for a few hundred feet to the next intersection then turn left onto Little John Road, getting off the main road (Church Hill Road), which continues up hill. Little John Road will be paved for .2 miles then will continue as a gravel road for about another mile. Historically this is the most interesting part of the old Coos Indian Trail. It is part of the very first road opened throughout the town of Barre and was home to many of the town's first settlers.
Shortly after pavement ends on the left is the "Lodge at Millstone Hill," a converted barn that's now a new bed and breakfast whose property contains many old quarries and private trails. Farther down the road on the right you will come to 2 abandoned quarries with historic markers. These are typical of the 50 or more abandoned quarries located within a one mile radius of this road. What was once an industrial wasteland some 100 years ago has now been reclaimed by nature to become one of Millstone Hill's unique man made natural wonders. These quarries range in depth from 25-50 feet. The water is spring fed and contains several varieties of fish.
Beyond the quarries at the intersection is the historic Nichols House. It was built around 1800 and is believed to be the oldest home in Barre Town. It still contains several original fireplaces and a beehive oven.
Continue straight through the intersection onto Lowery Road. Just beyond the intersection .3 miles on the left you will come to the historic Sherman Farm. This was the home of Jonathan Sherman, the winner of the Famous Fist Fight held in the 1790's when Barre was renamed from Wildersburg to Barre (after Barre, Massachusetts), the home town of Mr. Sherman and many of Barre's early settlers.
The road will continue through open farmland for about 1.9 miles until you reach the intersection with Lambert Road. Turn Left onto Lambert Road, descending .7 mile to the intersection with Route 110. Turn Right onto Route 110, and follow for .7 mile going into Washington Village.
At the library in the village turn right onto Firehouse Road. Go up the hill for .4 mile turning left onto McDonald Road (impassable by auto) at the cemetery. (McDonald Road will turn into Washington Road, and eventually it will become Tower Road, and then Graniteville Road).
After 1.5 miles, you will start to climb a steep hill. (Climb will start at Poor Farm Road and will continue for .5 mile) The road will narrow and eventually merge with an unnamed road (when you see a Chalet type home); continue straight on road. After about another mile, you will pass Sugarhouse Road. Shortly after you will pass through a pine tree plantation. About .5 mile beyond, you will see the large communication tower on the right. This is the highest point of the trip.
Continue on road, notice view of active quarries after about .5 mile. Continue for about 1 mile, you will then be descending into Upper Graniteville and will then see the large Rock of Ages quarry on your left. This is the largest granite quarry in the world. Several hundred feet deep and almost 100 acres in size, it is now filled with water and is no longer active. You can turn left at the old tourist center and get to the edge of the quarry to get a better look at its size.
Then continue down the hill for about 1 mile. You will pass through Lower Graniteville and will reach the new Rock of Ages Tourist Center. There you can get a comprehensive overview of the Barre Granite story, or visit the manufacturing plant and tour an active quarry.
When done with your tour, turn right back onto Graniteville Road. Follow for about 1 mile then turn right onto Websterville Road. Follow .2 miles back to Barre Town Elementary School parking lot.
* Difficulty is based on a scale of 1 (Easy - Family Friendly) to 10 (Very Difficult - Experience is Advised).
We suggest reading the route description to figure out if this tour is right for you.
