Bennington

On August 16, 1777, a force of Green Mountain Boys and New Hampshire militia defeated a detachment of British and Hessian troops in a battle that helped turn the tide of the American Revolution. The Battle of Bennington -- fought just across the border in New York but claimed by this town -- remains the defining event in Bennington's identity. The 306-foot Bennington Battle Monument, completed in 1891, dominates the skyline and is the tallest structure in Vermont.

Bennington is the largest town in its namesake county, with a population over 15,700, and serves as the economic and cultural center of southwestern Vermont. Old Bennington, the hilltop neighborhood where the original settlement stood, preserves colonial-era homes and the Old First Church, where Robert Frost is buried. The town's industrial heritage includes pottery, textiles, and paper manufacturing, and Bennington College, founded in 1932, brings an arts-focused academic presence.

Governance in Bennington follows the selectboard and town meeting model, though the town's size has led to the adoption of Australian ballot voting for many items rather than voice votes from the floor. Even so, the tradition of citizen participation remains strong in a place that helped fight for the very idea of self-governance nearly 250 years ago.