A village on a hill
Strafford is a picture of old Vermont — a white-clapboard village gathered below the striking 1799 Strafford Town House, a meetinghouse on the hill that still hosts town meeting. But its quiet lanes hold outsized history.
Justin Morrill’s homestead
This was the home of Senator Justin Smith Morrill, who designed and built a 17-room Gothic Revival house here, now a state historic site with its gardens and outbuildings preserved. Morrill authored the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Act, which funded a public university in every state — the foundation of institutions from the University of Vermont to Berkeley.
Touring the site
The homestead offers house tours and exhibits on Morrill’s life and the land-grant legacy, set against a classic Vermont backdrop of gardens and hills. It pairs naturally with a walk around the village and the Town House.
Deep-country setting
Reached by a classic dirt road, Strafford rewards visitors who like their history quiet and their scenery unspoiled — especially when the surrounding hills turn in October.
Good to know
Who was Justin Morrill?+
A Vermont senator whose 1862 Morrill Act created America’s land-grant university system; his Gothic Revival home in Strafford is a state historic site.
Can I tour the homestead?+
Yes — the Justin Morrill Homestead offers house tours and exhibits in season.
What else is in Strafford?+
The landmark 1799 Strafford Town House and a beautiful, quiet hillside village.