Middlesex

Just five miles north of Montpelier along the Winooski River, Middlesex was chartered in 1763 and organized in 1798. The town occupies a narrow river valley flanked by hills, and for much of its history served as a waypoint on the route between Burlington and the capital. The village of Middlesex sits close to the river, while the rest of the town climbs into wooded uplands.

Wrightsville Reservoir, built as a flood control dam after the devastating 1927 flood, sits partly within town boundaries and provides recreation for the surrounding communities. The town's proximity to Montpelier means many residents commute to the capital for work, but Middlesex maintains its own identity — the Red Hen Baking Company, a nationally recognized artisan bakery, has operated here since 1999.

With about 1,750 residents, Middlesex conducts its civic business through town meeting and a selectboard. It's the kind of town where people move for the land and the quiet, then find themselves drawn into community life through planning commissions and volunteer fire departments.