Cumulative Official Town Count | Cumulative Unofficial Town Count |
41 | 18 |
Who knew that so many towns in central Vermont offered unique sights? Sure, Brookfield, Randolph, Sharon, Royalton, Roxbury, and Northfield are "typical" Vermont towns, but they each offer something decidedly atypical, as well. And, in case you were wondering, mud season was still very much in evidence on the dirt roads (mid-March 2024) ...
BROOKFIELD
Brookfield, VT (pop. 1244 in 2020) is home to Vermont's only floating bridge, which spans Sunrise Lake. The village doesn't offer much to see anymore (the General Store is no longer, but the library is still there) and the town doesn't have a visible welcome sign. However, as is evident throughout the state's agricultural communities, it does have a gem of a farm store, located off a dirt road which is self-serve (honor system payments) and provides only local offerings -- produce, dairy, meat, soap, and even flours (not King Arthur). I love places like that. And an interesting tidbit for you New Yorker cartoon fans: Edward Koren lived in Brookfield for years (and died there in 2023).
RANDOLPH, VT
Randolph, VT (pop. 4,774 in 2020) is best-known for its Whale Dance sculpture and for its breeding of the Morgan Horse, Vermont's state animal. (You can learn about and visit some of those horses at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, VT.) Whale Dance, a 16-foot bronze sculpture by Jim Sardonis, is located just off I-89 (exit 4), and is a recreation of a similar sculpture made of granite further north on I-89 called Reverence, which was originally located in Randolph but had to be moved when the land it was on was sold. Whale Dance is beautifully situated and well worth a stop. Randolph is considered the area's cultural hub and boasts the Chandler Center for the arts, as well as a huge library. As it was actually considered as a possible state capital at one point, it's Main Street is especially wide and has stone mansions. Outside the Main Street area, things are a little less stately...
SHARON, VT
Sharon is a very small town town (pop. 1,560 in 2020) and is best known as Joseph Smith's birthplace even though the road taken to it (Dairy Hill Road) is in Royalton (the next town over). It's clear the Mormons have invested a good deal in this monument as the approach to it is quite impressive and the road turns to dirt immediately after the turn-off. What I love most about Sharon, however, is the mini-mart/ trading post combo store. You can enter the trading post through its original door and exit where you filled your car with gas. And inside this retail place? Local meat in a butcher counter, a deli counter, booze, a good maple products display, chips, and tobacco. It was awesome.
ROYALTON, VT
Royalton is a town of roughly 2,750 (in 2020) with a somewhat hippy vibe. It is a classical railroad village with oversized town green (complete with 2 band stands and a civil war canon), surrounded by shops, a church, and a defunct railroad hotel. The co-op was impressive, and there's a very nice looking bookstore in town. It is home to Vermont Law School, which is the state's only accredited law school (the campus is charming). Should you find yourself there, or near there and hungry, have a bite at Worthy Burger -- I hear it's great but was closed when I was there so can't say it with certainty (yet).
ROXBURY, VT
Roxbury is a very small town (pop. 678 in 2020) and while it may not have any retail other than the country store, it has all the municipal buildings, and in pretty good shape, too! There are some noteworthy falls (Roxbury Falls) and while at the correct location, it was unclear whether they were impressive and whether we were even looking at them -- I may need to go back sometime and explore more. What is unique about Roxbury, which feels like so many other tiny Vermont towns? Well, it is geographically located in the center of Vermont! Cool, huh?
NORTHFIELD, VT
Northfield is a bustling town of almost 6,000. It is home to Norwich University, the oldest private military college in the US. It is also home to five covered bridges (not the most in one Vermont town -- that honor goes to Montgomery with six) and the Good Measure Pub & Brewery (whose sign reads Coffee & Beer); Gotta love that. Also, Northfield is where the awesome Darn Tough socks are made -- they are comfortable (I'm wearing them now) and will be replaced for free if/ when they wear out or fail. At the west end of Northfield's Village Square is the now-defunct oldest railroad station in Vermont, built in 1852.
Please know that I am still WAY behind in my 251 blog posts. I have actually now visited 158 out of the 251 towns. So stay tuned for (much, much) more!