Wallingford

Chartered in 1761, Wallingford sits along Otter Creek in Rutland County, its village center anchored by a handsome green and the surrounding white clapboard buildings. The town was an early center of industry — the Wallingford fork and hoe factory produced agricultural tools that were shipped across New England. True Temper, a major tool manufacturer, had roots in the town's metalworking tradition.

With a population of about 2,309, Wallingford today serves as a small service center along Route 7 between Rutland and Manchester. The town includes the village of South Wallingford and access to the Green Mountain National Forest, including sections of the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail. White Rocks National Recreation Area, with its dramatic cliff face and ice beds, draws hikers year-round. The selectboard governs, and town meeting each March brings residents together for the annual exercise in direct democracy.