West Windsor originally was the West Parish of Windsor. On July 6, 1761, Josiah Willard of Winchester, New Hampshire "sued out" a six mile square grant for Windsor from Benning Wentworth, governor of New Hampshire, in the name of King George III of Great Britain. It was seven years later that the second division of house lots was mapped for the entire grant, setting the tone for dividing the township into two parishes.
It was not long before a crude church was built, and a cemetery was established high on a hill by the well-traveled track, which led west through the township. Settlers were "making pitches," buying land, and establishing their subsistence farms. The first central hamlet of the West Parish was the cluster of homes in the bowl of hills just west of the church. So many members of the Shedd family settled there, that the tiny community, with its tannery, potash works, blacksmith, store (complete with library), tavern, and school, has always been known as Sheddsville.
Settlers in the hills carved rough roads to sawmills and gristmills in the soggy valley along Mill Brook. By 1810 a filling and carding mill was using waterpower to process the wool from sheep that were thriving on the rocky hillsides. As mills drew settlers to the valley, and Return Brown built his brick home with seven chimneys near where Potash Brook flows into Mill Brook, the community grew and thrived. By this time, children in the large families had the opportunity to get a basic education, for there were eleven one-room schoolhouses scattered throughout the township.
When Merino sheep were imported into Vermont by Consul-General William Jarvis of Weathersfield, local farmers began to enlarge and improve their flocks. As the more successful farmers bought out smaller farms, many families moved west to land that was more fertile and more easily cultivated.
Over the years there had been underlying friction between the urban East Parish on the river and the agricultural West Parish. Much of the problem had to do with money, roads and caring for the indigent and poor. By an act of the Vermont legislature, the two parishes were legally separated November 4, 1814. Less than a year and a half later they made up their differences and were rejoined on March 1, 1816.
The sheep industry continued to flourish until the middle of the century when there were over 7,000 sheep denuding the once forested hills. Some of the farmers who were concentrating on breeding their sheep for even higher wool quality were selling prize rams not only to shepherds in our own western territories, but also to sheep-men in Australia and South Africa.
Friction continued between the two parishes. In 1848 they were again legally separated. Since that time they have remained two distinct townships. The first census taken after West Windsor was an independent township records the town as having 1,002 inhabitants.
In the late 1800's, as the sheep industry waned, the dairy business began to grow. A cheese factory bought milk from the local farmers. Several varieties of cheese were made and sent by rail to the Boston market. As refrigeration improved and more cows were taking over old sheep pastures, a creamery was established which also shipped milk to Massachusetts. By 1930, at the height of dairying, West Windsor's population had dropped to 512. There were 94 herds of cattle, and a total of 1,148 cows. That same year there were 91 students in the four existing schools.
In 1946, when skiing began to be a popular sport, a rope tow pulled avid skiers up a hill south of Brownsville at the base of Mount Ascutney. From that early start, a substantial family ski area was developed with tows, snowmaking, chair lifts, central lodges, and an ever-increasing number of trails. The operation changed hands a number of times, each time expanding until it had a hotel, fitness center, and many condominiums.
As of the 2000 U. S. Census, there were 1,067 residents in West Windsor. In the central village of Brownsville there is one church, one school, one general store, the town hall, and the West Windsor Historical Society, headquartered in the old grange hall. Though West Windsor is no longer considered an agricultural-farming community, there are many homeowners who have gardens and animals. There are many small businesses and cottage industries throughout the township. Most West Windsor workers commute to work in other towns. Many residents are retired. A number of second homes are owned by people from away. There are quite a few who have horses and have settled in the area because of the many dirt roads.
In 1991 the town took time to locally celebrate in style Vermont's Bicentennial birthday. The yearlong celebration included creating a local Bicentennial Trail in the town forest on Mount Ascutney. The town was in transition to times where not everyone knew their neighbors.
During the early 1990's, the Mount Ascutney Resort went into bankruptcy thanks in great part to changes in federal tax deduction rules. The town and school continued to budget and spend based on a grandfathered Grand List which included all of the resort property which made up a substantial portion of the total Grand List. The town had been assured the taxes, including related interest and penalties due on the resort property would be given the highest priority by the bankruptcy court. The bankruptcy extended over several years and when the court sold the resort property en masse the town only received a portion of the total taxes and penalties due. This left the town deeply in debt and the local banks were not at all anxious to lend the town operating funds in anticipation of taxes. Bold action was taken by the Select Board. The town raised the property tax rate enough to pay off the town's borrowing debt in a single year. The taxes came in, the debt was paid off.
As a result property values over the next few years grew in leaps and bounds and the town rebounded. As the town approached 1995 and the decade beyond, horse farms and high-value second homes continued to be built in many rural areas of the town. The last "milking" farm went out of business. The social impact of nearby Dartmouth College and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital grew larger.
In 1998, the town celebrated in grand fashion its sesquicentennial. The year 2000 was greeted at midnight with tremendous apprehension, even in West Windsor, fearing numerous disasters including a world-wide computer failure. With the fire station manned, and other emergency agencies totally prepared for horrendous events, nothing happened.
The resort has now had a single owner for more than ten years and continues to do well with an expanded ski area, a vibrant convention business, and vacation facilities. The town's decision to "not pave" any additional roads has also made the town stay "rural" and thus making all property even more desirable and valuable. The increase in the grand list allowed over the past decade for acceptable funding for local projects such as restoration of the town hall, and the construction of a new town garage. The village of Brownsville has had many of its buildings beautified and expanded including such buildings as the church and school.
The town continues to support and actively promote the preservation of its rural character. It enjoys a vibrant resort business and has a balance of small construction trades, and numerous other home businesses. The full-time residential population is over 1000 and thus has reached the population the town had prior to the Civil War.
