[5] The main settlement of Hardwick in the center of the town, formerly an incorporated village, is since 1988 a census-designated place (CDP), with a population of 1,269 at the 2020 census.

[6] During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington ordered construction of the Bayley-Hazen Military Road to provide access into the interior of Vermont.

[7] The town was granted by the Vermont General Assembly on November 7, 1780, then chartered on August 19, 1781, to Danforth Keyes and 66 others, some of whom were from Hardwick, Massachusetts.

Over the years, other industries would include a woolen mill, tinware shop, and carriage factory.

[citation needed] The predominant business following the Civil War was granite quarrying, especially after the Portland & Ogdensburg Railway opened service through the town and facilitated shipment of stone.

[11] In 2011, the office manager of the municipal electric department was accused of embezzling $1.6 million over a period of 12 years.

[15] Hardwick is drained by the Lamoille River and its tributaries, flowing west to Lake Champlain.

The highest point in Hardwick is the summit of Jeudevine Mountain in the northern corner of the town, at 1,831 feet (558 m) above sea level.

Several agribusinesses active in and around Hardwick,[17] employing techniques of sustainable agriculture,[18] have added an estimated 75-100 jobs to the area (through 2008).

[24] The Vermont State Legislature passed a bill near the end of its 2013 calendar exempting Caspian Lake Public Beach from state taxes, a bill which "appears to solve recent questions between Greensboro and Hardwick regarding taxation of the Public Beach.

[26][27][28] While the contest did not receive enough entries, a buyer was found from among the entrants and ownership changed in February 2017.

Smalls has a background in business and bought the paper with his wife, putting his retirement plans on hold.