Windham County

Organized in 1781 as one of Vermont's original counties, Windham County occupies the southeastern corner of the state. It was named for Windham, Connecticut, reflecting the origins of many early settlers who migrated north from the Connecticut colony. The county seat is Newfane, a town of about 1,700 people whose village green — framed by a white-columned courthouse, a Congregational church, and the Four Columns Inn — is regularly cited as one of the most classically beautiful town centers in New England.

Brattleboro, the county's largest town at around 12,000 residents, sits at the junction of the Connecticut and West Rivers. It was the site of Fort Dummer, built in 1724, the first permanent European settlement in what would become Vermont. The town developed into a cultural center — Rudyard Kipling wrote "The Jungle Book" while living in nearby Dummerston in the 1890s. Today Brattleboro supports an arts community, a food co-op that has operated since 1975, and a walkable downtown that draws visitors from across the region.

The county's 23 towns are home to roughly 44,000 people. The West River valley, Wilmington's proximity to Mount Snow, and the Connecticut River corridor shape the local economy around tourism, education, and small manufacturing. The Windham County Courthouse in Newfane, a Greek Revival structure built in 1825, is still in active use. The sheriff's department and state's attorney serve from the county seat, though many residents do their daily business in Brattleboro, fifteen miles to the east.