What You See, is What You Get in Montgomery
Our Main Street is Registered!
Montgomery Center's Main Street is one of Vermont's registered Historic Sites. Most of the houses on it go back to the mid-1880s when this town was the center of the booming lumber trade. If you look at the lead image on our Montgomery Images page (taken in 2006), you will understand the designation.
Montgomery's Natural Setting
The Montgomery region is an extremely rich visual mosaic of diverse landscapes from the sweeping agricultural views of the Lake Champlain islands to the heavily wooded western slopes of the Green mountains. The area is characterized by small villages which hearken back to the early nineteenth century, long before sprawl took over, a time before bigness became the norm.
Our region is an extremely rich visual mosaic of diverse landscapes from the sweeping agricultural views of the Lake Champlain islands to the heavily wooded western slopes of the Green mountains. The area is characterized by small villages which harken back to the early nineteenth century, long before sprawl took over, a time before bigness became the norm. (For a run-down on the activities in the Montgomery area, visit our Activities page. For descriptions of the attractions in our area, see the Attractions page.)
Montgomery's Character is Visually Apparent
One of the most wonderful things about living in Montgomery Center, Vermont, is the wonderful people that live here. From the first time we visited, we were welcomed with open arms, and we feel that the people who live in this small town are the most charming people we have ever met.
Small towns do exist—and Montgomery Center is one of them
We have taken some random pictures of our Main Street (a designated Historic Site) where we are located, and the surrounding countryside to give you an idea of the flavor of this town, and how beautiful it is. Every picture in this section was taken within a 10 minute drive from our front door. After looking at these pictures, you will be able to quickly see why we find this part of the State so wonderful!
About Town
Stores, products, and services to be found in Montgomery. There's wool, organic foods, baked goods, quilts, real estate agents (You never know; you just might get hooked!), artisans, and all kinds of stuff made with maple syrup!
Town of Montgomery: Capsule History
Montgomery was first established as a town in 1780. Unlike areas closer to the northeast coast, there were almost no settlers in the area of northern Vermont until the late 1800s, and in fact, in 1810, the town census included only 35 names. The long winters and heavy snowfalls would have made this area much less a much less desirable place to live than those towns closer to the Maritime climates of the coast. The soil is very rocky, and almost the entire state is covered with hills and mountains, so it would have made it very hard to farm and traverse.
The first settlers were from nearby New England States, primarily Connecticut and Maine. The population increased significantly in 1840 to 1860 with the influx of many French Canadian immigrants. Prior to around 1860, the local residents were farmers and hunters, but with the explosion in the US population after the civil war, northern Vermont became a major provider of lumber and the town of Montgomery and nearby regions supported several large lumber mills. Only with the introduction of plastics, and the exhaustion of the forests did the population begin to decline after 1930. The area has experienced a resurgence starting in the 1970s with the expansion of the tourist trade. Today's population is still under 1,000 people, and everyone seems to know each other by name. (On another page is information about The Phineas Swann.)