Orange County

When Orange County was organized in 1781, Vermont was still an independent republic — statehood wouldn't come for another decade. The county is named for William III of Orange, the Protestant king whose legacy resonated with Vermont's fiercely independent settlers. It sits in east-central Vermont, bordered by the Connecticut River to the east and the granite hills of the Piedmont region to the west.

Chelsea, the county seat, is one of the few Vermont towns with two commons — a North Common and a South Common — both lined with white-clapboard buildings that look much as they did in the early 1800s. The town was chartered in 1781 and has served as the county seat since the beginning. Orange County was a hotbed of the Anti-Masonic movement in the 1820s and 1830s; the nation's first Anti-Masonic political convention was held in the region, and the movement influenced Vermont politics for a generation.

The county's 17 towns are home to around 29,000 people. Bradford, on the Connecticut River, serves as the commercial center of the eastern half, while Randolph — home to Vermont Technical College (now Vermont State University) — anchors the west. Dairy farming, forestry, and education sustain the local economy. The Orange County Courthouse in Chelsea, a Federal-style building on the South Common, continues to serve the Superior Court. The sheriff and state's attorney maintain offices in the county seat, governing a jurisdiction that has changed less than most in the past two centuries.