Belvidere

Tucked into the northern foothills of the Green Mountains in Lamoille County, Belvidere was chartered in 1791 and has always been one of the more isolated towns in the region. The North Branch of the Lamoille River flows through town, and the terrain rises steeply toward Belvidere Mountain, where an asbestos mine operated for much of the twentieth century. The mine brought jobs but also left an environmental legacy that the community has had to reckon with.

Belvidere Mountain itself is now better known for hiking than for mining. The Long Trail passes over its summit, offering views that stretch from the Green Mountains to the Northeast Kingdom on clear days. The town's landscape is heavily forested, with a scattering of farms in the valley bottomland and seasonal camps along the streams.

With roughly 346 residents, Belvidere is among the smallest towns in Lamoille County. Town meeting is a genuinely intimate affair here -- a room where most people know one another and where a single persuasive argument can shift a vote. The selectboard handles day-to-day governance, but the real decisions are made in March, when the town gathers to do the work of self-government.