Bennington, Vermont, 38 miles (61 km) northeast of Albany NY and 14 miles (23 km) north of Williamstown MA (map), is Vermont's most historic area because the Revolutionary War's Battle of Bennington was fought near here in 1777.

The grand Bennington Battle Monument commemorates the decisive American victory over British troops.

Today Bennington is an attractive, bustling town, the "anchor" of the southwestern corner of Vermont, with two major roads (US Route 7 and VT Route 9) crossing in the town center and connecting it to Albany in nearby New York state to the west, and Williamstown and North Adams to the south in neighboring Massachusetts.

Old Bennington, up on the hill to the west of Bennington proper, is the historic center, where you'll find the Bennington Battle Monument, the Bennington Museum, and the Old First Church with the grave of Robert Frost. More...

Bennington has nearly a dozen hotels and inns. More...

Car is the easiest way to reach Bennington, but there are also buses to the town, and an airport and train stations only an hour away. More...

Bennington History

As for the Battle of Bennington, it is looked upon as a turning point in the Revolutionary War.

The British forces expected to encounter little resistance at Bennington, but Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys put up quite a fight.

The British were forced to retreat after having lost a good number of casualties and prisoners to the Revolutionaries. These losses weakened the British force to a disadvantage at the later Battle of Saratoga. Forced to surrender, the British soldiers thus gave the Americans their first great victory of the Revolutionary War.

—by Tom Brosnahan

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