Creating the
Brattleboro Words Trail
Self-guided, community-created audio tours for walking, biking and driving, beginning in Brattleboro, Vermont
Unlocking the Secrets of Our Storied Past
From Abenakis using writing to defend their homeland and Lucy Terry Prince, regarded as the first African American poet, to Nobel Prize winners and contemporary authors, Brattleboro and its environs has a rich and varied history of writing.
Marlboro College, Brattleboro Literary Festival, Brattleboro Historical Society, Brooks Memorial Library and Write Action have joined forces to document how this history is embedded in particular places and make it accessible for all. People, Places & History of Words in Brattleboro, Vermont (The Brattleboro Words Project) was awarded a multi-year National Endowment for the Humanities matching grant to help connect today’s citizens to the stories behind the places we share—and each other, as we help shape the future of our places—together.
The Brattleboro Words Project and the Brattleboro Words Trail it will create highlight the unique literary treasures of the Brattleboro community for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.
Featured Research Sites
There are over 20 groups currently researching sites throughout greater Brattleboro, including 8 schools and 14 classrooms. Sample a few of the sites in progress below, or read more about site selection, research teams, and see the full list of sites.
Did You Know?
The first American edition of Harry Potter was printed in Brattleboro.
By bringing together partners from different backgrounds to share in a common mission, the Brattleboro Words Project helps unite the community at a time when there is too much division in the world.
Building Community
Collaborating
Five local organizations and some of the areas finest writers, scholars, artists, artisans, educators, and storytellers are lending their skills and passion to this community-wide collaboration.
Connecting
The more you know about a place, the more deeply connected you become. Students, teachers, artists of all kinds, and the public are engaged in learning about the people and places that have come before, while connecting with each other in new ways, to help form the community they desire.
Creating
Together, we are creating the Brattleboro Words Trail. Along the way, we’re producing hands-on public exhibits, performances, and roundtable discussions, and podcasts that engage, inspire, and build a deepening awareness.
The Brattleboro area has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to its history of book publishing, printing, literature and the like, but few people who live here, much less outsiders, appreciate this history. The Brattleboro Words Project will bring these facts to the fore in an entertaining and creative way that aims to involve the whole community over time.
Join Us in Building the Brattleboro Words Trail!
Every Dollar Donated is Matched by the NEH grant.
Donations are Tax-Deductible
Join a Research Team, or Start Your Own.