Grafton VT Vacation Rental: Our Stay at the 1850 Ephriam Bruce House

You can’t get more Vermonty than the village of Grafton, Vermont, and the circa 1850 Ephriam Bruce House will send you back in time in the best way possible.

Tucked away on a quiet street in Grafton Village, this unique vacation rental gives visitors plenty of room to spread out and relax while enjoying beautiful outdoor spaces, river views, and a few modern upgrades that don’t diminish the home’s historic charm.

With room for eight guests, this dog-friendly home is the perfect escape for families, groups of friends, or multi-generational getaways. With three full bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and a beautifully landscaped, fenced-in yard, it’s no wonder this vacation rental has enthralled Airbnb guests for more than a decade.

Hosts Laurence and James have created a welcoming, cozy vacation rental with plenty of vintage touches, giving visitors a thousand reasons to make Grafton their home base for a Southern Vermont getaway.

Eric and I were lucky to escape to this enchanting getaway after a colossal spring snowstorm. In April, we celebrated winter by meandering around Grafton, drinking craft beers, and exploring a few nearby towns, including a new favorite — Bellows Falls.

If you enjoy small-town vacations, historic architecture, and beautiful Vermont scenery, a stay at the Ephriam Bruce House in Grafton makes a wonderful home base for your Southern Vermont explorations.

Welcome to the Ephriam Bruce House!

There’s an easy shift that happens when you step onto the front porch of the Ephriam Bruce House. The rocking chairs beckon you to sit a spell, and the historic home envelopes you like a warm hug.

Tiny nooks for kids to play in, sitting areas with gorgeous river views, a garage-turned-game-room with air hockey and foosball tables, and a magnificent barn that begs you to indulge in a local beer while warming up by the fireplace.

The barn is reminiscent of an old Vermont ski lodge, with high ceilings, a lingering smell of wood smoke, and a sofa big enough for family movie night.

While we enjoyed our stay on the cusp of spring, I imagine that this house would be lovely in the summer with the windows thrown open and the river dancing merrily past.

For the six months of the year when Vermonters embrace the snow and cold, I recommend trading your boots for a pair of fuzzy slippers and preparing to relax, Vermont style.

Amenities and Details to Help You Plan Your Trip

The historic Ephriam Bruce House is dog-friendly, kid-friendly, and perfect for a Vermont staycation. Here are some of our favorite amenities:

• A large master bedroom with a king-size bed — perhaps the best Airbnb bed we’ve ever had the pleasure of sleeping on
• Two additional bedrooms upstairs, one with two twin-size beds and another with a full and two twins
• 2.5 bathrooms
• A small kitchen with everything you need for cooking small or large meals
• An outdoor fire pit
• A beautifully landscaped fenced-in yard bordered by the Saxtons River and Hinkley Brook
• A rocking chair porch in the front of the house and a screened-in porch in the back
• A large, furnished barn with a fireplace, a bar, a huge sofa, and a flat-screen TV
• A garage-turned-game-room with foosball and air hockey
• Lots of books for kids and adults
• Kids’ toys and games
• A collection of bikes, sleds, snowshoes, and outdoor toys
• Easy walking distance to all of Grafton Village

Explore Grafton, VT, and the Surrounding Towns

Day Trips from Grafton at a Glance

Stop	Distance	Why go	Dogs
Grafton Village	Walk from the house	Historic buildings, the Nature Museum, and MKT Grafton	MKT Grafton is dog-friendly (inside and out)
Vermont Country Store, Rockingham	9 miles	Old-school browsing and a creemee stop	Vermont Country Store is dog-friendly
Bellows Falls	12 miles	Coffee at Flat Iron, dinner at Ciao Popolo, River Artisans Cooperative	The village is great for a dog walk, but restaurants/cafes aren’t dog-friendly
Jamaica State Park	20 miles	Hamilton Falls hike (6 miles round trip) and Ball Mountain Dam	Yes, leashed; not at Salmon Hole

The communities surrounding Grafton are small mountain towns and villages with small populations and big hearts. You could spend weeks exploring the southern Green Mountains, discovering general stores and farm markets, cozy cafes and vibrant pubs, waterfalls, and woodland trails.

And while I’d encourage you to get a little lost adventuring in these parts, here are some highlights you won’t want to miss.

Read Next: Christmas in Vermont: Your Ultimate Holiday Guide

First, Get to Know Grafton, Your Home Away From Home

There are no stoplights in Grafton. No sidewalks either. Just a tiny hamlet of historic homes, a single market for provisions, the sprawling Grafton Inn, and a few local shops and galleries.

Oh, and Grafton Village Cheese is a must-visit! One bite of the award-winning cheddar made from raw cow’s milk, and you’ll be browsing real estate listings and planning your move to Grafton (or is that just me?).

Grab a grilled cheese and soup combo at MKT Grafton, and be sure to check out the Nature Museum, especially if you’re traveling with kiddos.

Get your bearings by meandering around the village and admiring the beautiful architecture. Visit Grafton, VT has a town map to help you discover local businesses in town.

Explore Bellows Falls, Vermont (12 miles from Grafton)

Once a gritty riverfront town with empty storefronts and an industrial past, Bellows Falls has transformed itself into a vibrant arts community with live music, theater, galleries, and restaurants. Stop into Flat Iron Cooperative for coffee and pastries and Ciao Popolo for upscale Italian.

Browse the eclectic offerings at River Artisans Cooperative, where you can pick up locally crafted gifts, candles, jewelry, and fine art. Finally, stroll down Mill Street to the Frank Adams Grist Mill (open on weekends between May and October) and walk the trails at Riverfront Park.

Check out the Vermont Country Store in Rockingham (9 miles from Grafton)

The famous Vermont Country Store features all the quirky items you’d find in an old-fashioned country store, plus loads of eclectic things that you never knew you needed. It’s one of those places where you can spend a few hours without buying a thing!

Be sure to grab a creemee from Mildred’s Dairy Bar, smooch your sweetie inside the Kissing Bridge, and check out the old grist mill next to the pond.

Explore Jamaica State Park and Ball Mountain Dam (20 miles from Grafton)

Breathtaking mountain views, hidden swimming holes, a meandering rail trail, and one of the Green Mountains’ prettiest waterfalls. Find all of this at Jamaica State Park, one of our favorite parks in Vermont.

Jamaica is particularly enchanting in the summer when you can swim in Salmon Hole on the West River, but you can also explore the park on snowshoes in the winter and bike the West River Trail in three seasons.

The 125-foot Hamilton Falls is one of Vermont’s loveliest waterfalls, but to see it, you must hike a 6-mile (round-trip) route. Four of those miles are easy and flat, but the other two require a bit of a climb.

The massive Ball Mountain Dam, just down the road from Jamaica State Park, was constructed between 1957 and 1961 to control floods on the West River. It is 265 feet high and 915 feet long, and it’s an awesome feat of engineering to see in person.

Grafton Vacation Rental FAQ

How many people does the Ephriam Bruce House sleep?

It sleeps eight in three bedrooms, with two and a half bathrooms in the main house. The converted barn adds a hangout space with a wood-burning fireplace, but its bathroom is closed from November 1 to April 1.

Is the Ephriam Bruce House dog-friendly?

Yes! Dogs are welcome, and the fenced yard keeps your pup safe.

Is the Ephriam Bruce House a good winter rental?

Yes. The barn’s wood-burning fireplace is the winter hangout, and the house comes with sleds and snowshoes. The barn bathroom is closed from November 1 to April 1, so plan on using the two-and-a-half baths in the main house.

What can you do near Grafton?

Within a short drive, you’ll find the Vermont Country Store in Rockingham, the shops and restaurants of Bellows Falls, and the Hamilton Falls hike at Jamaica State Park.

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Ready to plan your next Vermont vacation in Grafton Village? Book your stay at the Ephriam Bruce House on Airbnb!

Our stay at the Ephriam Bruce House was hosted. As always, the opinions (and the dog hair left on the barn couch) are our own.

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