About Lincoln

Known primarily for its beautiful natural surroundings, Lincoln is situated at the foot of Mount Abraham and the village center rests on the banks of the New Haven River. Surrounded by forests and fields, the town values its scenic beauty and rural character. Lincoln is about a half-hour drive from major ski areas Mad River Glen and Sugarbush.

Though the majority of the population of 1323 residents lies scattered over 44.4 square miles, the small village center has a landmark church, the Old Hotel, a General Store, a modern library, an exceptional elementary school, a cooperative preschool, and Burnham Hall- which hosts events from elections and town meeting, to concerts and plays. Bristol (pop. 3500) lies six miles away in the valley below. The town of Middlebury (pop. 9000) is about sixteen miles southwest. Middlebury College hosts frequent cultural events and is home to a summer language school that promotes many foreign language events. Burlington, the state’s largest city and home of the University of Vermont, is about an hour north.

Settled originally by Quakers and chartered in 1780, the Town of Lincoln, unlike Mount Abraham, was not named for our sixteenth president, who had not yet been born. Colonel Benjamin Simmons, the holder of the charter, named the town after Major General Benjamin Lincoln, under whom he had served and who had played a vital role in getting the Massachusetts Militia to Bennington, Vermont, to repel the British in 1777.

Much of this information is taken from the town history published by the Lincoln Historical Society.