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The Town of Townshend was chartered in 1753 as one of the New Hampshire Land Grants. It was named for Charles Townshend of England who was most notable for his fondness for taxing the colonies. His most famous tax was the tax on tea that helped to push the colonies into declaring independence.

Like all New England communities the early settlers spent their time and lives farming less than ideal soils and terrain. In the late 1700’s manufacturing, retail, and hospitality related concerns began to appear and flourish. The village of West Townshend was by far the center of economic and agricultural activity in the earlier years. Many original farmsteads and other buildings remain scattered around the Townshend countryside today.

Major fires in 1886, 1894, 1896, and 1918 destroyed much of the center of Town so many of those buildings, which include the current Town Hall (built 1921) are relatively recent in relation to the age of the settlement.

Another major change from Townshend’s past appearance is the Townshend Dam that was constructed on the West River between 1959 and 1961 for flood control purposes. The resulting lake flooded much of West Townshend and eliminated many of the prime properties that were important to the earlier economic development of the area. The Townshend Historical Society has published an extraordinary group of historical photos that will help you take a stroll through our changing times.

Today Townshend retains that quiet idyllic appearance of a quaint New England village on the outside but exists as a vibrant, versatile, and thriving little community of which we are all very proud.

Townshend is situated in the upper West River Valley, an easy and very scenic 17 mile drive north from Brattleboro on Vermont Route 30. It is a small town with a population of about 1200 full time residents. That number increases greatly on weekends and during vacation times when a very large number of second home owners and visitors escape the cities to enjoy the quiet and the recreational opportunities available here and in the surrounding communities.

Townshend serves as the hub of activity for the upper West River Valley. Amenities like a full size grocery store, a hospital with full time ambulance service, and gasoline and diesel fuel availability near the Town center are invaluable to residents and visitors alike. For our visitors we offer numerous campgrounds, a variety of bed and breakfast accommodations, a major inn and conference center, and many varied eating establishments where you can purchase anything from pizza to full course dinners.

During the summer you can take advantage of recreational opportunities at the Townshend State Park or the Townshend Dam and Recreation Area. In the autumn the mountains surrounding the West River come alive with color making our Town a beautiful place to just stay, relax, and enjoy the scenery. When the snow falls, Townshend has many snow mobile trails and is only a short distance from the major ski resorts of Mount Snow and Stratton Mountain as well as the cross-country skiing area at Grafton Ponds. Springtime in Vermont means maple sugaring and we are host to a variety of small producers.

If you wish to just relax with a little shopping we can be of service there as well. How about attending an auction on Saturday and then a little antique browsing at a host of small establishments. After that, do a little agricultural sight seeing.  Even our agricultural enterprises vary greatly. If you like horses, sheep, or even bison you can find them here and most farms are happy to accept visitors. We also are host to many fine gift stores and resident craftspeople who invite you to visit their shops.

The Town Common and the Town Hall often host weekend activities that range from larger events like Hospital Fair Days and The Pumpkin Festival to lesser known events like the annual library book sale, an occasional art display, or holiday flea markets. Please see our calendar for the dates and times of these events and plan your trip accordingly. We will be most pleased to have you attend, socialize, and enjoy our hospitality.

Whether you are planning just a short trip for the weekend or an extended stay be sure to look us up and stop in to see what we have to offer. At the very least you will find Townshend a terrific place to unwind in the midst of old New England charm.

Note that the time indicated is the time of the latest reading, not the current time.

Vermont Geography Portal

Other upper West River Valley Town Web sites

Newfane

Jamaica

All photos and artwork on this site are used with permission. Any reproduction of any kind may be an infringement of copyright and prosecutable as such under Federal law. If you wish to contact the copyright holder we would be glad to help you do so.

Contributing photographers:

Mr. Karl Decker

Mr. Joseph Rush

Mr. Rick Hege

Ms. Anita Bean