Dorset

Dorset, pop. 2,038, is located in Bennington County along Highway 30, six miles north of Manchester. It also lies near Emerald Lake State Park and the Warner Highway.

On August 20, 1761, Benning Wentworth, governor of the Province of New Hampshire, created by royal grant the township of "Dorsett" out of old growth forest. Under the grant's terms, two annual fairs could be scheduled and a market could be set up when there were "50 families resident and settled thereon."

Dorset is situated in a high valley of marble. The first marble quarry in the U.S. was opened in South Dorset in 1785. Other quarries in the area are among the country's oldest. Formerly a major segment of Dorset's economy, they are now a draw for swimmers.

The Dorset Playhouse is host to the Dorset Players and the Dorset Theater Festival. Sportsmen enjoy fishing on the nearby Battenkill River.