Cumulative Official Town Count | Unofficial Town Count |
210 | 48 |
The towns of EDEN, LOWELL, WESTFIELD, TROY, NEWPORT TOWN, JAY & RICHFORD are covered in this VT 251 exploration. You'll read about an abandoned asbestos mine, a great brewery, a ton of farmland, some adorable towns (and some not-so-adorable towns), as well as a lake and really nice waterfalls...
EDEN
Eden, VT is a small town (pop. 1,338 in 2020) on a lake which may be aspirationally named. Coming in summer will reward you with fun lake experiences; in fall you'll get foliage to die for; and in winter, you can ethically experience dog sledding there! There's not much of a town to speak of, but it's Vermont, and so there is outdoorsy stuff to do.
LOWELL
Lowell, VT is a very small town (pop. 887 in 2020) which used to be home to the Vermont Asbestos Group. The asbestos mine has been abandoned, and the warnings to keep our distance were heeded! The town is home to the Mississqoui River and Hazen’s Notch, which is accessed by Hazen's Notch Road (route 58 -- a mostly dirt state road) connecting Lowell to Westfield, in the northern Green Mountains of Vermont. There's no real town to see, and there are rumors that Lowell Mountain may be home to a number of windmills in the nearish future (proposed to generate enough power to run 20,000 homes).
WESTFIELD
Westfield, VT is tiny, with a population of only 534 (in 2020). The town was founded in 1780 and named after Rhode Island general and politician, William West, a supporter of Vermont statehood. There you will find a nice library and general store. Westfield is mainly a farming community and is home to Berry Creek Farm (an organic vegetable farm), Butterworks Farm (specializing in yogurt and cream and seen in dairy cases throughout the state), and Lazy Lady Farm (which makes organic goat cheese, but I don't think you can visit).
TROY (& North Troy)
Troy, VT (pop. 1,722 in 2020) is located along the Canadian border and in the village of North Troy (not an official town) there is a sleepy border crossing. Troy is a country town with beautiful views of nearby Jay Peak Mountain. Hungry while visiting? Try the Junction Restaurant, just across the street from the Troy General Store. My favorite thing to see in Troy is Big Falls on the Missisquoi River, located in North Troy. It's an easy walk to get to the top and look down; well worth the effort despite its remoteness.
NEWPORT TOWN
Newport Town, VT is a small town of roughly 1,526 (in 2020) located in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont (NEK) and is not to be confused with Newport City (which is covered in this post). Newport Town (aka Newport Center) was established in 1908 and is located about 10 miles from the Canadian border. There is a rural suburban feel to the town, with lots of farmland, rolling hills and vistas, and while it may be a lovely place to live, the only place I saw that a visitor to town (who likes beer and/ or pizza) needs to visit is Kingdom Brewing. The day we visited was perfect and good friends were forged there; highly recommend.
RICHFORD
Richford, VT is a town of 2,346 (in 2020) that is located on the US-Canada border. The Missisquoi River, which runs through town, is the source of much outdoor recreation. There are numerous opportunities in and around town for hiking (Long Trail), biking/ walking (rail trail), cross country skiing, paddling, and snowmobiling. The town was chartered in 1780 and then settled in 1795, growing into an active rural trading center. The main part of the town feels pretty stately today with many of the original buildings intact, but the area outside of Main Street feels decidedly less "urban" and bustling.
Stay tuned for more of my Vermont town-by-town exploration!