Arlington

Before Vermont was a republic, Arlington was its capital. From 1778 to 1782, this Bennington County town along the Battenkill River served as the seat of government for the independent Vermont Republic, and two of the state's earliest governors -- Thomas Chittenden and Jonas Galusha -- called it home. The town was chartered in 1761 and played a significant role in the struggle for Vermont's independence from New York's land claims.

Norman Rockwell lived in Arlington from 1939 to 1953, using his neighbors as models for his Saturday Evening Post covers. The town embraces this legacy, and long-time residents can still point out which farmhouses and faces appeared in his paintings. The Battenkill, one of the finest trout streams in the eastern United States, runs through town and draws fly fishers from across the country.

Today Arlington has about 2,300 residents and retains a classic Vermont village center with a white-steepled church and a town green. Governance follows the selectboard model with an annual town meeting, continuing a tradition of direct citizen participation that began when Arlington was the very heart of Vermont's experiment in self-rule.