Sheffield

Chartered in 1793, Sheffield is a hill town in Caledonia County that sits between the Passumpsic River valley and the high ground along the Lowell Mountains. The town was settled by families from Connecticut and Massachusetts who cleared farms on the upland slopes. Like many of Vermont's hill communities, Sheffield saw its population peak in the mid-1800s before a long, slow decline as families moved west or into valley towns.

Today about 779 people call Sheffield home. The landscape is a mix of working forest, small farms, and open meadows with long views east toward the White Mountains. Sheffield became part of Vermont's energy conversation when a wind farm was constructed on a prominent ridgeline. Town governance follows the traditional selectboard model, with residents gathering each March for town meeting — the kind of direct democracy that defines civic life in rural Caledonia County.