Historical Significance:

In 1934, the Vermont D.A.R. obtained the whole property known as the "Raine Place", which consisted of 100 "wild" acres on the east side of State Route 17 and 60 acres on the west side of the highway extending to the shore of Lake Champlain.  The property included a large brick mansion built, about 1796, for Gen. John Strong. The proposal was to reserve a strip of land 150 or 200 feet wide from the forest land to the road for a DAR park, stating "Here all tourists entering or leaving the state would find a DAR welcome".

It was an auspicious location near to a historic French settlement that was taken over by the English. After 1760, English settlers began to arrive and build homesteads. John Strong is believed to have built a cabin on top of a former French home site. The foundation is visible just north of the park picnic pavilion. The Strong’s cabin was burned in 1790 by loyalist British forces; at that time they decided to build the imposing brick mansion near the park entrance.

 In 1949, the Society deeded the forest land, and a portion of the property west of the highway to the state. Their records in 1946 stated "great difficulty was experienced in getting a pine growth established, and the Society voted to give most of the land to the State of Vermont for park purposes".