Chester

Founded in 1761, Chester sits at the junction of the Williams River and several important roads in Windsor County, which made it a natural trading center from its earliest days. The Stone Village, a cluster of distinctive gneiss-stone houses built between 1834 and 1870, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and stands as one of Vermont's most unusual architectural collections. These weren't the homes of the wealthy — they were built by ordinary families using stone quarried right from the hillside.

Chester today has about 3,100 residents and serves as a commercial hub for the surrounding hill towns. The village green, anchored by shops and restaurants, draws visitors traveling Route 103 between Ludlow and the Connecticut River valley. Chester has a long tradition of civic engagement. Its annual Town Meeting brings voters together in March to set the municipal budget and school spending, and the town's active historical society works to preserve the stories and structures that give Chester its distinctive character.