Town of Addison
The history of Addison Vermont parallels historical recounts of America itself. Originally frequented by Huron and Iroquois hunting parties, then by French exploration parties headed by Samuel D. Champlain (Vermont’s great lake namesake), it quickly became noteworthy for its agricultural potential. The town was founded in 1761, formally being settled in the 1780’s. The clay soil is well suited for hay, corn and other crops, especially those needed to sustain the thriving dairy industry found there
Town of Bridport
Bridport, VT nestled in the picturesque Champlain Valley of Addison County, offers a charming blend of rural beauty and recreational opportunities. Like most Addison County towns, agriculture abounds due to rich soil and open meadows. Early history in Bridport is full of exciting tales; run ins with Native Americans, visits from Revolutionary war heroes, and caring family stories. The name Bridport is unique, as claimed on their town website; There’s Only One Bridport USA! It is indeed the only town in
Town of Bristol
Bristol VT, originally founded as Pocock in 1762, bills itself as the “Gateway to the Green Mountains”. It’s easy to see why while gazing from historic Main Street toward the awesome cliffs referred to as Deer Leap. Hogback Mountain gives the vibrant village a beautiful backdrop, especially during peak foliage season. Bristol CORE supports the small, independently owned, unique shops found along the historic downtown. Helping Bristol maintain its long history of an active, engaged and service minded
Town of Cornwall
Cornwall VT, with its rich soil and flat topography was settled as a quiet farming community in the late 1700’s. The first residents were reported to have come from Connecticut with the pursuit of agriculture at the forefront of their minds. They were successful in their endeavors; sheep roamed the countryside and farmers yielded plentiful crops. Today the town is much the same, without quite as many sheep. With apple orchards, hay fields, sugar bushes, cows, goats and sheep it remains a beautiful place
Town of Ferrisburgh
At roughly 39,000 acres, Ferrisburgh VT is the largest town, area wise, found in Addison County. It also boasts the longest Lake Champlain shoreline in the state, at 21 miles, which lends itself to many recreational activities. Ferrisburgh has a rich history, which can be rediscovered today at two of its nationally renowned museums, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and the Rokeby Museum. Button Bay State Park, and Basin Harbor are also technically located within Ferrisburgh’s vast boundaries, along with
Town of Goshen
Goshen is a small mountain community nestled in the heart of the Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest. Chartered in 1792, Goshen has a rich history, and its generational heritage runs deep. The folks who call Goshen home tend to be independent minded, hard-working, and typically possess an adventurous spirit and unusual self-gratification for their choice in settling in this rugged place. The mountains are full of wildlife, hiking and x-country & backwoods downhill skiing, and snowmobiling trails.
Town of Granville
It surprises many people, even long time Addison County residents to learn that Granville is part of Addison County. It’s more often associated with its northern neighbors of Warren and Waitsfield, some even consider it part of the Mad River Valley. The 300 or so residents really aren’t concerned one way or the other, after all Vermont doesn’t really have county level government. What Granville does have is spectacular views, and undisturbed natural beauty that can take your breath away. The most
Town of Hancock
Route 125 is one of the few ways to reach the eastern side of the Green Mountains from Addison County. It takes you over Middlebury Gap, right through the small town of Hancock Vermont. It’s a bit hard to tell you’re even in a town until you reach the end of Route 125 where it meets Route 100. This is where the town center can be found with a cluster of homes, the Old Hancock Hotel with the Heart of Hancock Restaurant and Hubbard’s Country Store. Turn south on scenic Route 100 and you’ll find the town
Town of Leicester
The town of Leicester VT (pronounced LES-ter) is sandwiched along with it’s neighbor Salisbury, between the bustling towns of Middlebury and Brandon. Leicester is much quieter, but it does have something the bigger towns don’t, lakes. Leicester is home to 3 prominent bodies of water; Lake Dunmore (which it shares with Salisbury), Fern Lake, and the sparkling mountain oasis known as Silver Lake. There’s also Mud Pond, that might not be considered a lake, but at 23 acres sure feels like one. These
Town of Lincoln
The Hill Country Community of Lincoln VT is defined by its scenic beauty and rural character. Nestled at the foot of Mount Abraham, its small village center is clustered around the New Haven River. Featuring a small general store, the quintessential little white church, Burnham Hall, the Lincoln Volunteer Fire Company, and down the road a bit the Lincoln Library. The town of Lincoln VT was not named after the 16th United States President, who at its founding hadn’t even been born, and wouldn’t for an
Town of Middlebury
Almost from the year of its founding in 1761, Middlebury has been a town of significance in the state of Vermont—a leader in innovation, manufacturing, agriculture, and education. Today is no different. Middlebury is the home of the first community-founded college in the United States, Middlebury College, the first institution of higher learning for women, and the first chartered village museum, the Henry Sheldon Museum. Middlebury's spirit of innovation, unquenchable curiosity and strength as a community
Town of Monkton
Even without an organized town center, Monkton Vermont is quite the close knit community. Spread out over almost 40 square miles are the many orchards, farms, and families that compose this patchwork of Vermont’s countryside. They have their own lake (Cedar Lake, sometimes called Monkton Pond), town offices, library, elementary school, fire department, chocolate shop, hiking trails, and dirt roads. Two signature annual events bookend the summer, the Strawberry Festival and Mud Bog. The Strawberry
Town of New Haven
New Haven VT is a town divided, geographically speaking anyway, by two main roads. US Route 7 (aka the Ethan Allen Highway) runs north to south, while Route 17 runs east to west. Where the two routes meet is referred to by locals as either ‘the Junction’ or 7-17. Train tracks also cross this busy section of road, lending more credence to the title ‘Junction’. Until recently the junction housed the historic 1868 New Haven train depot. In 2021 it was almost lost to make way for the Amtrak extension
Town of Orwell
Orwell VT, nestled in the countryside surrounding Routes 73 and 22A, is a small quiet community, residing in the southern most part of Addison County. But look closer and you’ll discover a wealth of revolutionary war history. Most Addison County towns that border Lake Champlain have war stories to tell, but no other town can boast that they once housed the largest fortification of the Revolutionary War, Mount Independence. After the war, many of the men stationed at Mount Independence settled into
Town of Panton
Panton VT’s entire western border is made up of Lake Champlain, so there are many stories recounting Revolutionary War era events that took place here. None so locally famous as the burning of the American Fleet in Peter Ferris’ Bay, now called Arnold’s Bay. However, Panton is much more than lake front property. The rich soil and flat land are great for agriculture, and for centuries locals have quarried and used a native stone, known as Panton Stone for building foundations, fireplaces, landscaping and
Town of Ripton
The small mountain town of Ripton Vermont was never very populated, after its charter in 1781 it took twenty years for the first settlers to stake their claim, the first census in 1810 only recorded 15 total people. While the population never boomed the way some other Addison County Towns did, the now 700 or so residents seem to like it just fine the way it is. It’s a quiet life atop the mountain, with a small country store, the 200 year old Chipman Inn, Robert Frost Mountain Cabins, Middlebury College’s
Town of Salisbury
Salisbury, VT is a beautiful and peaceful community surrounded by lush greenery and rolling hills. Home to Lake Dunmore, residents of Salisbury enjoy an active lifestyle, with plenty of outdoor activities to choose from like hiking, biking, swimming in the lake, boating, and more. Chartered mere weeks after the neighboring town of Leicester, the two towns argued over boundary lines. They would eventually come to an agreement after the Revolutionary War in 1796, agreeing to split the area into two equal
Town of Shoreham
Located on the shores of Lake Champlain, the Town of Shoreham was established in 1791. Among the dairy farms and apple orchards is a tight-knit community that is proud of its history, invested in its future, and welcoming to all. The village center is a cluster of homes and businesses located around the intersection of Vermont Route 22A and Vermont Route 74. Adventuring along route 74 in Shoreham, seemingly out of nowhere, large sculptures come into view. What you thought were horses grazing are in
Town of Starksboro
With busy VT Route 116 cutting through the entire length of the Town of Starksboro VT, it’s easy to miss the quiet community. Located in the most northeast corner of Addison County, this town has two distinct ‘villages’. One along Route 116 where you can find the only school, Robinson Elementary School, and the second along Route 17 in the South Starksboro/Jerusalem area. Most of the 1700+ residents are scattered among the mountainous terrain, tending to agricultural pursuits of all kinds. You don’t
City of Vergennes
The city of Vergennes, the only city in Addison County VT, was incorporated on September 19th, 1788. Settlers had been living and working in the area (specifically near the falls) as early as 1766, though indigenous peoples had utilized the area for generations before that. After the Revolution War the area around the falls flourished with industrial pursuits. The falls themselves powered mills, the Otter Creek provided a direct route out to Lake Champlain and quickly the surrounding land became a
Town of Waltham
In a 2022 conversation with one of the town elders, the question was asked as to why there are no signs identifying the location of the Town of Waltham, Vermont. After pondering the question, a bit, the reply came back, “The people who live in Waltham know where it is. For the rest it is not necessary. This is a small, but special place.” Small indeed, occupying only nine square miles, with a population of less than 500. It’s a quiet place, with a mountain for hiking, fields for farming, back roads for
Town of Weybridge
Weybridge is a small rural town in Addison County Vermont, but don’t let its size or the less than 1000 residents fool you, it is home to some very important businesses. First there is the historic UVM Morgan Horse Farm, in existence since the early 1870’s (on the very same farmland), the Morgan horses it breeds today can be traced back to the original steed of Justin Morgan himself. Then there is Monument Farms Dairy, the premier dairy producer in Addison County. Their products can only be found
Town of Whiting
What more could one want from a small farming community, but a post office, general store and of course an active and engaged Library. The quaint town of Whiting boasts all of these amenities, not just for its 400 or so residents, but those in neighboring towns as well. The 150 year old building housing the post office and general store has remained much the same, though ownership of the general store has changed hands a few times over the years. Today’s owners believe every town should have a place to
