For release at will
Winter 2008/2009
Contact: Bonnie MacPherson, director of public relations
Okemo Mountain Resort | 77 Okemo Ridge Road | Ludlow, VT 05149
802-228-1947 | bmacpherson@okemo.com
IT TAKES A VILLAGE – LUDLOW IS THE REAL THING
LUDLOW, Vt. – With so many ski resorts creating quaint, replica villages at their base areas, it is refreshing to find a resort located in an authentic community with a real-life village – complete with restaurants, galleries, specialty shops, a village green with a bandstand … and even a Main Street hardware store and post office. Okemo is that mountain resort and Ludlow is the genuine village where townsfolk and visitors gather, conduct business, socialize and worship.
Ludlow was chartered in 1761 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. Twenty-six lots were surveyed on the east side of town and of the original grantees, only one, Seth Lee, claimed his lot and settled on what is now Pond Street. It wasn’t until 1783, when Simeon Reed, James Whitney, and brothers Josiah and Jesse Fletcher arrived, that a settlement started to form. The men began clearing land along the Black River, and Whitney eventually headed for higher ground on North Hill. Land was acquired by paying back taxes or by homesteading a grant. More families moved to the area and by 1792, the town was fully organized and the first town meeting was held in March that year. A store was built at the corner of Commonwealth and Main Streets and a business hub grew up around what is now the village green. Like many small New England towns, Ludlow’s economic history began with self-sufficient, hardscrabble farmers. With the industrialization of the early nineteenth century, the water power of the Black River gave rise to several woolen mills. In 1838, sheep outnumbered the 292,000 Vermonters at a rate of five-to-one. Rail service brought travel and industry to Ludlow in the mid-1800s and created additional opportunities.
Reminders of Ludlow’s industrial prosperity can still be witnessed in the community’s pride, hospitality and the impressive architecture of grand homes, churches and the Black River Academy (alma mater of President Calvin Coolidge). The large brick mill at the corner of Main Street and Depot Street has taken on a new life as condominiums, with restaurants and office space on the ground level. Storefront windows that line the sidewalk across the street invite shoppers inside to peruse specialty shops selling gift items, toys, books, clothing and more. Restaurants, real estate agents and art galleries add to the mix and provide Ludlow visitors with hours of village exploration.
Ludlow is the kind of place where flag-waving marching bands still parade down Main Street to celebrate national holidays. The snowmobile club’s annual chicken barbecue is an event marked on every local calendar and bands play in the Veterans Memorial Park gazebo every Tuesday evening through the summer. Village business owners are community activists and support efforts to improve the streetscape and its aesthetic appeal. The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce does its part to promote the area through popular events like the annual Winter Carnival and perennial favorite Zucchini Festival.
Ludlow offers a safe and friendly village that is easy to explore on foot. Lovely neighborhoods extend from either side of Main Street. In addition to well-kept homes, visitors will find inviting inns, bed and breakfasts, and other lodging properties. Free public transportation serves many of the village inns and outlying motels and hotels, so Okemo skiers enjoying overnight accommodations can take advantage of daytime door-to-door service to the mountain.
With a vibrant, classic New England village at its doorstep, Okemo Mountain Resort is delighted to offer visitors an authentic Vermont experience in addition to that of a world-class resort destination.
Okemo Valley is your place in Vermont. For more information, please call (802) 228-1600, or visit www.okemo.com. To learn more about Okemo Valley and the village of Ludlow, visit www.okemovalleyvt.org.
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