Abercorn, Quebec, is a quaint village nestled in the Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Québec, Canada. With a population of 334 as per the Canada 2016 Census, Abercorn is a charming community surrounded by the larger township of Sutton to the north and east, Frelighsburg to the west, and the town of Richford, Vermont in the United States to the south.
Originally known as Sheppard's Mills in honor of Thomas Sheppard, one of the first inhabitants in 1879, the origin of the name Abercorn remains a mystery. It is believed that the name Abercorn is related to the title held by James Hamilton (1811-1885), Duke of Abercorn. This title is linked to a Scottish village located east of Edinburgh.
The history of Abercorn, Quebec, dates back to 1792 when Thomas Spencer built the first log cabin near the area. The village was initially called Sheppard's Mills, named after Thomas Shepard, a New Hampshire loyalist who constructed the area's first grain and saw mill. Originally a part of Sutton, Abercorn was established as a township in 1929.
Abercorn, Quebec, is situated on the northern edge of the Green Mountains in the Sutton Valley. It is flanked to the west by the Pinnacle and to the east by the Sutton Mountain range. The Sutton river runs through the valley, as does Route 139 and the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway. Located about 105 km from Montréal via Autoroute 10 and near the ski hills of Mount Sutton, Bromont, Jay Peak, Vermont, and Mont Owl's Head, Abercorn is a popular day trip and vacation spot for Montrealers.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Abercorn had a population of 341 living in 180 of its 240 total private dwellings, a change of 2.1% from its 2016 population of 334. With a land area of 26.72 km2 (10.32 sq mi), it had a population density of 12.8/km2 (33.1/sq mi) in 2021. The mother tongue of the majority of the population as of 2016 was French.
