Vermont Guides
Maple festival capital, Civil War Confederate raid site, and a Victorian downtown on the northern Champlain Valley — 30 minutes north of Shelburne.
St. Albans occupies a particular corner of Vermont history. It's the seat of Franklin County — one of the most productive maple syrup counties in the state — and it hosts the Vermont Maple Festival each April, one of the oldest and largest maple celebrations in New England. But it's also the site of a stranger piece of American history: the St. Albans Raid of October 19, 1864, in which Confederate agents crossed the Canadian border and robbed three banks in a coordinated strike, making St. Albans the site of the northernmost land engagement of the Civil War.
The downtown that holds both of these histories is compact and Victorian — centered on Taylor Park, a tree-lined green with a Civil War monument and the kind of 19th-century commercial buildings that define the New England small-city streetscape. From Heart of the Village Inn in Shelburne, St. Albans is approximately 30–35 minutes north via I-89 North to Exit 19.
Taylor Park — the central green at the heart of the downtown — is the gathering place that the city has organized around since the 19th century. The Civil War monument at its center marks the county's contribution to the Union cause; the 1864 raid is commemorated with a historical marker nearby. The commercial buildings around the park include a mix of independent shops, a few restaurants, and the restored St. Albans City Hall. The overall effect is of a Vermont city that has kept its bones intact while adapting to contemporary life.
The St. Albans Museum (9 Church St) documents the city's history with particular attention to the 1864 Confederate Raid — the most dramatic single event in Franklin County's past. The raid's story is genuinely extraordinary: 21 agents, three banks robbed simultaneously, a horse-stealing getaway, a cross-border chase, and a diplomatic incident that nearly brought Canada into the war on the Confederate side. The museum presents the full account with period materials and artifacts. Confirm current hours before visiting; the museum operates with limited staff.
The Vermont Maple Festival, held each April in St. Albans, is one of the best regional food festivals in New England. Events include sugar house tours throughout Franklin County, pancake breakfasts, maple product tastings, syrup judging, and a festival downtown in Taylor Park. The festival draws visitors from across the Northeast. If you're planning a stay at the inn during April, it's worth timing around the festival — confirm current year's dates at the Vermont Maple Festival website before booking.
St. Albans Bay State Park provides public access to Lake Champlain from the western side of the city — a picnic area, boat launch, and swimming beach on the bay. The bay here is one of the quieter stretches of the Vermont shore, with views north toward the Champlain Islands. Confirm current park hours and day-use fees with Vermont State Parks before visiting.
The St. Albans Raid deserves more attention than it typically receives in Civil War histories focused on the southern theater. On October 19, 1864, approximately 21 Confederate agents — operating under orders from the Confederate Secret Service in Canada — entered St. Albans separately, gathered at a pre-arranged time, and simultaneously robbed the First National Bank, the St. Albans Bank, and the Franklin County Bank. They took approximately $200,000 in total, attempted to burn the town with Greek fire incendiary devices (which largely failed), and fled north across the border.
The Vermont governor mobilized the militia. Most of the raiders were captured in Canada, but the diplomatic fallout was significant: the Confederate agents argued they were soldiers operating under orders, not criminals, and a Canadian court initially agreed — nearly creating an international incident. The money was never fully recovered. The St. Albans Museum documents the raid, the diplomatic crisis it provoked, and its place in the larger history of Confederate operations on the northern border.
Vermont's maple festival capital (Vermont Maple Festival, held each April); the 1864 Confederate Raid (northernmost land action of the Civil War — three banks robbed simultaneously by Confederate agents from Canada); Taylor Park Victorian downtown; St. Albans Bay State Park on Lake Champlain.
October 19, 1864: 21 Confederate agents crossed from Canada, robbed three St. Albans banks of ~$200,000, attempted to burn the town, and fled back to Canada. The northernmost land engagement of the Civil War. Most raiders were captured; the money was largely not recovered.
Typically late April in St. Albans. Sugar house tours, pancake breakfasts, maple tastings, and a downtown festival in Taylor Park. Confirm current year's dates at the Vermont Maple Festival website.
Approximately 30–35 minutes north via I-89 North to Exit 19.
Heart of the Village Inn is Vermont's only adults-only (21+) B&B in Shelburne Village — 30–35 minutes south of St. Albans. Made-from-scratch breakfast, free on-site parking, and a quiet inn as your base for the northern Champlain Valley.
Book Now ↗Vermont's quietest Lake Champlain island — the oldest coral reef in the world, a lakeside shrine, and complete absence of crowds.
6,700 acres of wetland and forest on Lake Champlain's northeastern shore — world-class birding, walking trails, and canoe routes.
A full guide to what's within easy reach of the inn — from Shelburne Museum to Burlington waterfront and beyond.