Rockingham

The village of Bellows Falls, within the town of Rockingham, grew up around one of the most dramatic natural features on the Connecticut River — a narrow gorge where the river drops through a series of falls that once powered mills and now generates hydroelectric power. The Bellows Falls Petroglyph Site, featuring carvings attributed to Indigenous peoples, is one of the oldest known rock art sites in the northeastern United States.

Rockingham was chartered in 1753, making it one of the oldest towns in Vermont. The Rockingham Meeting House, built in 1787 and located on a hilltop above the village, is the oldest public building in Vermont and a National Historic Landmark. Bellows Falls developed as a canal town — the first canal in the United States was built here in 1802 to bypass the falls — and later as a railroad center.

With about 5,480 residents, Rockingham is the most populated town in Windham County after Brattleboro. The village has a walkable downtown with shops, restaurants, and the Bellows Falls Opera House. Town meeting governance continues, connecting the present community to the democratic traditions established when this was the frontier.