Windham

Chartered in 1795, Windham is a small hill town in the county that shares its name. The town sits on high ground between the West River valley and Londonderry, and its early settlers worked the thin, upland soil that limited agricultural productivity. Like many Vermont hill towns, Windham saw its population decline after the mid-nineteenth century as families moved to more productive land in the valleys or headed west.

Today about 389 people live in Windham. The town has no commercial center and no through-traffic to speak of — it is reached by winding hill roads and offers the kind of quiet that is increasingly rare. The landscape is forested hills and open meadows with long views to the surrounding peaks. Town meeting in March is the main civic event of the year, where residents gather in the tradition of Vermont direct democracy to set the budget and make the decisions that sustain this small, self-governing community.