Chester, Vermont Explained

Official Name:Chester, Vermont
Settlement Type:Town
Mapsize:260px
Pushpin Map:USA
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the United States
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Vermont
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Windsor
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Total Km2:144.9
Area Land Km2:144.2
Area Water Km2:0.7
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:3005
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Elevation M:251
Elevation Ft:823
Coordinates:43.2881°N -72.615°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP codes
Postal Code:05143-05144
Area Code:802
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:50-13675[1]
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:1462070[2]

Chester is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,005 at the 2020 census.[3]

History

The town was originally chartered by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth as Flamstead in 1754.[4] The terms of the charter were not met and the town was re-chartered as New Flamstead in 1761.[5] In 1766, a patent was issued by New York that changed the name of the town to Chester, after George Augustus Frederick, the Earl of Chester and the eldest son of King George III.[6] [7] Later, the governing authority of Chester reverted to the 1761 charter by an act of the Vermont legislature, although it left the name "Chester" in place. 2011 was thus the 250th anniversary of the town.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 144.9sqkm, of which 144.2sqkm is land and 0.7sqkm, or 0.46%, is water.[8]

A prominent geological feature of the town is the Williams River, a tributary of the Connecticut River, whose three branches come together as a central river and run through Chester.[9] Residents use it extensively for recreation; especially fishing and swimming. The banks, covered bridges, waters and nearby homes suffered major damage during Hurricane Irene in 2011.[10] The flooding was caused by Irene's rains coupled with the basin having poor drainage in the rugged, hilly land with steep slopes.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, 3,154 people resided in Chester, with 1,793 housing units.[11] In 2010, Chester had 510 residents 14 years old and younger; 205 15 to 19; 277 20 to 29; 298 ages 30 to 39; and 418 ages 40 to 49. Our 0-49 age group makes up 53.2% of the Chester population. Of the entire population, 17.6% is 50 to 59 years old, 13.1% is 60 to 69; 7.6% is between 70 and 79 and 5.2% is 80 and older.

As in 2000, the majority of town residents in 2010 are female (1,638 to 1,516 male today compared to 1,574 to 1,470 10 years ago). In 2010, 1,262 of the women and 1,117 of the men are older than 19.

Chester is 97.5% white (down slightly from 98.8%) while Vermont as a whole is 95.3% white. Chester's non-Caucasian population, however, has more than doubled, from 38 residents in 2000 to 78 in 2010.

The Native America/Alaskan population has risen from 3 in 2000 to 16 in 2010, while Chester's Asian population has risen from 7 to 15 and its Hispanic populace grew from 21 in 2000 to 35 in 2010. In the meantime, the number of African-American residents dropped from 10 in 2000 to 7 in 2010. And the number of residents claiming more than one race more than doubled, from 17 in 2000 to 37 in 2010.

As of the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the town was $39,417, and the median income for a family was $47,083. Males had a median income of $32,744 versus $26,114 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,661. About 3.8% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Chester is served by Vermont routes 10, 11, 35 and 103. Although Interstate 91 does not pass through the town, Chester is served by exit 6 in nearby Rockingham.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

Chester hosts The Chester Fall Festival on the Green in September,[12] [13] and the Winter Carnival in February.[14]

Tourism

Chester is famous for its Stone Village Historic District and Chester Village Historic District. Both districts are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.[15] The Stone Village section is located along Vermont Route 103 in North Chester, across the Williams River from Chester Center. It is known for the many houses made of local granite. The Chester Factory Village has homes that were built between 1750 and 1924, and includes Victorian, Colonial Revival and Federal style architecture. Both areas are popular tourist destinations.[16]

Registered historic sites:

Media

The Chester Telegraph, an online newspaper, is based in Chester, and was founded in 2011. It grew out of the website www.chestervermont.org, which was funded by USDA Rural Development. The Telegraph focuses on local news in Chester and the surrounding towns of Andover, Grafton, Londonderry, and Weston.[17] [18]

Notable people

Dollar General proposal

In 2011 and 2012, Chester residents gained notoriety for their fight against a proposed Dollar General store. The Chester Telegraph covered the issue, which was also picked up statewide by Vermont Public Radio and outside Vermont by The New York Times.[39] In February 2014, the Vermont Environmental Court ruled that a Dollar General could be built in Chester.[40] [41]

In popular culture

External links


Notes and References

  1. Web site: American FactFinder . https://archive.today/20200212221153/http://factfinder.census.gov/main.html . dead . February 12, 2020 . . January 31, 2008 .
  2. Web site: US Board on Geographic Names. January 31, 2008. United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007.
  3. Web site: Census - Geography Profile: Chester town, Windsor County, Vermont. December 29, 2021.
  4. Web site: History of Chester. Chester.gov. March 3, 2014.
  5. Book: Aldrich, Lewis Cass and Holmes, Frank R.. History of Windsor County, Vermont. 1891. D. Mason & Company. 33. chester vt re-chartered as New Flamstead..
  6. Web site: Profile for Chester, Vermont, VT. ePodunk. March 3, 2014.
  7. Web site: There Goes the Neighborhood: A Walking Tour of Chester and Historic Stone Village. Your Place in Vermont. March 3, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140804130116/https://www.yourplaceinvermont.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/There-Goes-the-Neighborhood.pdf. August 4, 2014. dead.
  8. Web site: Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Chester town, Windsor County, Vermont . https://archive.today/20200212221153/http://factfinder.census.gov/main.html . dead . February 12, 2020 . U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder . July 30, 2012 .
  9. Web site: The Williams River and its Watershed. Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. October 2014. November 23, 2019.
  10. Web site: Five Years After Hurricane Irene, Vermont Still Striving for Resilience. PIERRE-LOUIS. Kendra.
  11. Web site: Chester in 2010: A Snapshot - The Chester Telegraph. The Chester Telegraph.
  12. Web site: A list of Vermont Fall Foliage Events Festivals for the 2013 Season. Foliage Vermont. March 3, 2014.
  13. Web site: Chester Fall Festival. Chester Fall Festival . March 3, 2014.
  14. Web site: Chester, Vermont Winter Carnival 2014. Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce. March 3, 2014.
  15. Web site: VERMONT - Windsor County - Historic Districts. National Register of Historic Places. March 3, 2014.
  16. Web site: About Chester. Chester Vermont. March 3, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140302072150/http://www.chestervermont.org/about-chester. March 2, 2014. dead.
  17. Web site: About The Telegraph. The Chester Telegraph. March 3, 2014.
  18. Web site: Chester Vermont. The Chester Telegraph. March 3, 2014.
  19. News: Citro . Joseph . The man who played detective . 19 June 2024 . The Rutland Herald . May 25, 2002.
  20. Web site: Reverend Edwin Hyde Alden Biography . Definitive Guide: Laura Ingalls Wilder & the Little House Books . January 3, 2021.
  21. Encyclopedia: BALDWIN, Melvin Riley, (1838 - 1901). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. February 23, 2014.
  22. Encyclopedia: BEAMAN, Fernando Cortez, (1814 - 1882) . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . February 23, 2014.
  23. News: Former Iraq administrator Bremer now a painter . CNN . March 5, 2009 . May 11, 2011 . January 5, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120105145526/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/05/former-iraq-administrator-bremer-now-a-painter/ . dead .
  24. Book: Hall, Benjamin Homer . 1865 . History of Eastern Vermont . II . Albany, NY . J. Munsell . 638–639 . Google Books.
  25. News: Schudel . Matt . September 10, 2016 . John R. Coleman, college president who walked in others' shoes, dies at 95 . . Washington, DC.
  26. Web site: Donald J. Cram - Facts. Nobelprprize.org. March 3, 2014.
  27. Web site: Anna Dewdney . . September 6, 2016.
  28. News: Kennedy . Robert C. . 2001 . On This Day: December 1, 1883; A Thanksgiving Croker . . New York, NY.
  29. Book: Keller, Scott. Marine Pride: A Salute to America's Elite Fighting Force. 2004. Citadel Press. 217. registration.
  30. Book: Patterson, James A.. James Robinson Graves: Staking the Boundaries of Baptist Identity. 2012. B&H Publishing Group. 7. 9781433671661 .
  31. Book: Andreas, Alfred Theodore . 1886 . History of Chicago . II . Chicago, IL . A. T. Andreas Company . 414 . Google Books.
  32. News: January 4, 1956 . A. W. Harvey, Chester, Dead . . Rutland, VT . 2 . Newspapers.com.
  33. News: December 21, 1869 . The Late Hugh H. Henry . . Burlington, VT . 3 . . .
  34. Book: Hayes, Lyman Simpson . 1907 . History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont . Bellows Falls, VT . Town of Rockingham, Vermont . 157 . Google Books.
  35. Web site: Thomas Baldwin Marsh, 1799-1866 . Marsh . Thomas B. . 1857 . Book of Abraham Project . Brigham Young University . Provo, UT . December 24, 2020.
  36. Book: Otheman, Edward . 1845 . Memoir and Writings of Mrs. Hannah Maynard Pickard . Boston, MA . David H. Ela . 13 . Google Books.
  37. Book: Adams, Charles Collard . 1908 . Middletown Upper Houses . New York, NY . The Grafton Press . 250 . 9780598994349 . Google Books.
  38. Book: Ellis, William Arba . 1898 . Norwich University: Her History, Her Graduates, Her Roll of Honor . Concord, NH . The Rumford Press . 390 . Google Books.
  39. Web site: Vermont Towns Have an Image, and They Say Dollar Stores Aren't Part of It . The New York Times. March 3, 2014.
  40. Web site: Environmental Court OK's Dollar General with conditions. The Chester Telegraph. March 3, 2014.
  41. Web site: DRB upholds Dollar General OK, clarifies findings. The Chester Telegraph. March 3, 2014.

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