The Crowley Cheese Factory is a historic factory at 14 Crowley Lane in Healdville, Vermont. It is the home of the Crowley Cheese Company, which is believed to be the oldest indigenous manufacturer of cheese in the United States. The factory was built in 1881, and still makes cheese using its original methods and recipes. The factory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Award-winning Crowley Cheese has been made from the same unique cheddar recipe, in the same manner, since 1824. Hand-made with raw milk, it’s cheese the way it used to be — all natural, with no additives or preservatives.
Crowley Cheese is one of a very small number of genuine American cheeses. Very few cheeses originated in the United States; most came to this country with the various immigrant groups who settled here. The Crowley cheddar recipe incorporates a rinse of the cheese curds which is not part of a regular cheddar recipe. It results in a cheese that is moister, creamier, less acidic, better melting, and faster aging (sharper!) than regular cheddar.
The Crowleys had already been making cheese from their own milk at facilities at the farm, just up the hill from this factory’s location. In the days before modern refrigeration, factories like this were common all across the state. Most succumbed due to the decline of Vermont’s farms and the advent of refrigeration, which enabled the shipment of dairy products across much greater distances. The Crowley Cheese Company is believed to be the oldest surviving cheese company in the state, and one of the oldest in the nation in continuous operation.
According to en.wikipedia.org; crowleycheese.com. Source of photos: internet
