Old Constitution House State Historic Site
A tavern room witnessed Vermont declare an independent republic, with constitution room and tavern facade shaping the visit
Artwork inspired by Bread and Puppet print tradition
A tavern room witnessed Vermont declare an independent republic, with constitution room and tavern facade shaping the visit Delegates met here in 1777 to adopt a constitution notable for early adult male suffrage language and the prohibition of adult slavery. The building invites precise reading: revolutionary ideals were consequential but did not eliminate coerced labor, racial exclusion, or later political compromise.
Use the room scale to imagine debate, then follow the exhibition beyond celebratory firsts into the limits and afterlife of the document. The site is closed for restoration; do not plan around legacy seasonal hours until the operator announces reopening. Windsor’s broader streetscape helps place the convention inside an active river town.
- Event
- 1777 Constitution
- Original use
- Tavern
- Status
- Under restoration
Quick guide
- Enter the tavern mentally
- Political change occurred in an ordinary public room.
- Read exact language
- Celebrate firsts without flattening their limits.
Know before you go
- Enter the tavern mentally
- Political change occurred in an ordinary public room.
- Read exact language
- Celebrate firsts without flattening their limits.
- Follow the republic
- Vermont remained independent until 1791.
- Confirm reopening
- Restoration currently supersedes visitor hours.
Good to know
The site is closed for restoration; do not plan around legacy seasonal hours until the operator announces reopening.
Notice these
- Constitution Room
- tavern facade
- Windsor streetscape