Braintree

Chartered in 1781, Braintree is an Orange County town spread across a hilly landscape between the White River valley and the Winooski River watershed. The town's terrain is rugged enough that settlement clustered in several distinct neighborhoods -- Braintree Hill, East Braintree, and West Braintree -- rather than forming a single village center. This pattern persists today.

Braintree Hill, the highest of these settlements, was once the civic center of town and still holds the historic meetinghouse. The shift of population and commerce to the valley floor over the past century left the hilltop neighborhood quieter but remarkably well-preserved. Dairy farming sustained the town for generations, and while the number of active farms has declined, the agricultural landscape of fields and barns remains.

About 1,260 people live in Braintree. The town operates under the selectboard system, and the annual town meeting continues to serve as the primary forum for local governance. In a town where neighbors are spread across hills and valleys, meeting day is one of the few occasions when the whole community comes together in one room.