Grafton (pop. 600) is located in
Windham County at the junction of Routes 35 and 121. Chartered in 1754 and originally named Thomlinson, the leading settlers of Grafton were attracted by assurances of hilly, affordable land for farming.
Many of its venerable buildings have been restored by residents and the Windham Foundation. Grafton enjoys the distinction of supporting the oldest cornet band in Vermont, formed in 1867. The village still holds the traditional town meeting with participation by a diverse population. The town boasts two repositories, the Nature Museum and the Grafton Historical Society Museum. The Old Tavern at Grafton has welcomed Ulysses S. Grant, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Woodrow Wilson, among others.
Soapstone was once quarried here in enormous quantities for aqueducts, pumps, stoves, etc.
