Canaan is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 896 at the 2020 census. Canaan contains the village of Beecher Falls, located at the confluence of the Connecticut River and Halls Stream. It is part of the Berlin, NH-VT Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Due to Québécois ancestry, 26% of Canaan residents speak French as their primary language, making the town one of New England's "Little Canadas." This is a decrease from 1982, when nearly 44% spoke French as their native language.

Geography

thumb|left|The [[Connecticut River between Canaan and Stewartstown, New Hampshire]]

Canaan is the northeasternmost town in Vermont, bordered by the Canadian province of Quebec to the north and the U.S. state of New Hampshire to the east. It is one of two towns in Vermont to share a border with both another state and Canada, the other such town being Alburgh in the northwestern corner. Canaan has two border crossings with Quebec, each approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) apart. The border crossings are, from west to east, Canaan–Hereford Road Border Crossing, accessed by Vermont Route 141 and Quebec Route 141, and Beecher Falls–East Hereford Border Crossing, accessed by Vermont Route 253 and Quebec Route 253. Canaan is also the only town in Vermont to share a land border with New Hampshire—the town's far northeastern corner touches the southwestern corner of the town of Pittsburg—as the Connecticut River defines the state line from Canaan southward.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.24%, is water.

Demographics

As of the census

The Beecher Falls furniture factory, a division of Ethan Allen, closed its manufacturing unit in August 2009, laying off 238 workers and leaving only the rough mill open. The plant opened in 1895 and was once the largest furniture factory east of Michigan.

  • Norris Garshom Starkweather, architect, resided in Canaan
  • Neil Tillotson, inventor, born in Canaan

See also

  • Alice M. Ward Library

References

  • Town of Canaan official website
  • Canaan schools