Middlebury, Vermont Explained

Official Name:Middlebury
Settlement Type:Town
Mapsize:260px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Vermont
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Addison
Parts Type:Communities
Parts:Middlebury
East Middlebury
Farmingdale
Established Title:Chartered
Established Date:1761
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Total Km2:101.6
Area Land Km2:100.6
Area Water Km2:1.0
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:9152
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Elevation M:130
Elevation Ft:427
Coordinates:44.0019°N -73.1456°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP Code
Postal Code:05753
Area Code:802
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:50-44350[1]
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:1462146[2]

Middlebury is the shire town[3] (county seat)[4] of Addison County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,152.[5] Middlebury is home to Middlebury College and the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History.

History

One of the New Hampshire Grants, Middlebury was chartered by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth on November 2, 1761. The name "Middlebury" came from its location between the towns of Salisbury and New Haven.[6] It was awarded to John Evarts and 62 others. The French and Indian Wars ended in 1763; the first settlers arrived in 1766. John Chipman was the first to clear his land, Lot Seven.[7] During the Revolutionary War, much of the town was burned in Carleton's Raid on November 6, 1778. After the war concluded in 1783, settlers returned to rebuild homes, clear forests and establish farms. The principal crops were grains and hay.

Landowners vied for the lucrative honor of having the village center grow on their properties. A survey dispute with Salisbury led to the forfeiture of Gamaliel Painter's farm to that town, and his transition from farming to developing Middlebury Village near his and Abisha Washburn's mill, together with other mills that surrounded the Otter Creek falls. Industries would include a cotton factory, sawmill, gristmill, pail factory, paper mill, woolen factory, iron foundry, and marble quarry. The Rutland & Burlington Railroad first arrived on September 1, 1849. Around 1830, Middlebury was the second-largest town in Vermont.

Middlebury College, one of the United States' elite liberal arts colleges, was founded in 1800. It is a member of the NESCAC. In the summer, the town plays host to the annual Middlebury College Language Schools, as well as the college's Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the oldest surviving conference of its kind in the nation.

On January 2, 1838, a group of Patriote refugees from the Lower Canada Rebellion met in Middlebury to plan their future course of action. It was attended by two major Patriote leaders, Louis-Joseph Papineau and Robert Nelson, but they were not able to agree on a unified plan.[8]

On October 22, 2007, central Middlebury was evacuated for a short time because of a train derailment; the Middlebury Union Middle School served as the evacuation headquarters.

Today, as the largest town by population in Addison County, Middlebury serves as the commercial and business center for the region. Downtown hosts a three-screen movie theater, the post office, and two historic inns, as well as many shops and restaurants. There is considerable development along U.S. Route 7 heading south of town, including two supermarkets, two drugstores, most of the town's gas stations, and several fast-food spots. Of note is Middlebury's A&W, Vermont's only remaining car-hop restaurant and a popular spot with both locals and Middlebury College students.

Geography

Middlebury is located near the center of Addison County in western Vermont. The town is drained by Otter Creek, which flows from south to north along the western edge of the town, with the falls at the center of the village. The Middlebury River flows west to Otter Creek out of the mountains. Chipman Hill, a hill of glacial till, rises above the village just to the northeast. Foothills of the Green Mountains border the town to the east, with the Champlain Valley to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 101.6sqkm, of which 100.6sqkm is land and 1sqkm, or 1.00%, is water.[9]

Middlebury is crossed by U.S. Route 7, Vermont Route 23, Vermont Route 30, Vermont Route 116, and Vermont Route 125. It is bordered by the towns of New Haven and Bristol to the north, Ripton to the east, Cornwall and Weybridge to the west, and Salisbury to the south. A new bridge over Otter Creek connecting Cross Street to Bakery Lane opened in November 2010 to serve as a shortcut and alleviate traffic through downtown.[10] The village of East Middlebury is located in the southern part of the town, east of U.S. Route 7.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Middlebury has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[11]

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,494 people, 2,860 households, and 1,642 families residing in the town. The population density was 209.7 people per square mile (80.9/km2). There were 2,805 housing units at an average density of 71.9 per square mile (27.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 90.3% White, 4.3% Asian, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 3.0% from two or more races, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.66% from other races, 0.2% Native American and 0.02% Pacific Islander.[12]

There were 2,657 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were couples living together and joined in either marriage or civil union, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.5% under the age of 18, 31.4% from 18 to 24, 18.6% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,723, and the median income for a family was $46,691. Males had a median income of $32,645 versus $25,994 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,926. About 5.3% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those aged 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Points of interest

Education

Public

Private

Higher education

Infrastructure

Medical care

Middlebury and the surrounding area are served by Porter Medical Center.[18]

Transportation

Air

Middlebury State Airport, located east of the town, is for private aviation.

Bus

Bus service is provided by Tri Valley Transit. Premier Coach provides an intercity bus line in a joint venture effort with Greyhound via Vermont Translines.[19] [20]

Highway

Rail

Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express serves the city's station, connecting it to Burlington to the north and New York City to the south. Service began in the city in July 2022.[21]

Until 1953, the Rutland Railroad ran passenger service on the Green Mountain Flyer (New York City - Montreal) and the overnight Mount Royal, making stops in the city.[22]

Notable people

In popular culture

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  2. Web site: US Board on Geographic Names. January 31, 2008. United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007.
  3. http://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/fullsection.cfm?Title=24&Chapter=001&Section=00002 Title 24, Part I, Chapter 1, §2
  4. Web site: Find a County. June 7, 2011. National Association of Counties.
  5. Web site: Census - Table Results - Middlebury town, Addison County, Vermont. U.S. Census Bureau. October 28, 2021.
  6. Web site: Profile for Middlebury, Vermont, VT. ePodunk. June 24, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150224073629/http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=25172. February 24, 2015. dead.
  7. Web site: Glenn M. Andres. A Walking History of Middlebury.
  8. Fernand Ouellet, "Papineau, Louis-Joseph", Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. X (1871–1880), University of Toronto / Université Laval.
  9. Web site: Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Middlebury town, Addison County, Vermont. https://archive.today/20200212162044/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US5000144350. dead. February 12, 2020. U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. August 29, 2013.
  10. Web site: Middlebury Celebrates New Bridge.
  11. Web site: Middlebury, Vermont Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase). Weatherbase.
  12. Web site: Middlebury town, Addison County, Vermont. United States Census Bureau. June 11, 2016.
  13. Web site: Home. July 24, 2021. Ilsley Public Library. en-US.
  14. Web site: The Trail Around Middlebury & North Country National Scenic Trail. Middlebury Area Land Trust. March 25, 2015.
  15. Web site: Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center Middlebury, VT. July 24, 2021. Newsite. en.
  16. Web site: Bridge School Middlebury, Vermont. July 24, 2021. Bridge School. en-US.
  17. http://www.saintmarysvt.org/ St. Mary's Catholic Elementary School
  18. http://www.portermedical.org/ Porter Medical Center, Middlebury, VT
  19. http://www.mychamplainvalley.com/story/d/story/new-vermont-bus-service-coming-soon/25356/WV93OVRBoUK9ju_ZcYIpEg New Vermont Bus Service Coming Soon
  20. https://www.vttranslines.com/content/schedules/schedules.asp Bus Service VT NH NY
  21. Web site: Back on track: Vermonters celebrate the return of passenger rail service to Burlington. VTDIGGER. Shaun Robinson. July 29, 2022. July 31, 2022.
  22. American Rails, "Mount Royal," https://www.american-rails.com/mt-ryl.html
  23. Book: Educational aid society. American College and Private School Directory, Volume 8. 1915. Educational aid society. 64. June 25, 2014.
  24. Web site: Middlebury, Vermont. City-Data.com . June 25, 2014.
  25. “Lea Davison.” Team USA, https://web.archive.org/web/20150103042604/http://www.teamusa.org/usa-cycling/athletes/Lea-Davison. Accessed April 24, 2018.
  26. Book: Swift, Samuel . 1859 . History of the Town of Middlebury . Middlebury, VT . A. H. Copeland . 278–279 . .
  27. News: Norton . Kit . November 6, 2018 . Democrat Ruth Hardy claims open Addison Senate seat . VT Digger . Montpelier, VT . .
  28. News: United Press International . July 8, 1968 . Peter Hincks, State Treasurer, Dies at 85 . Bennington Banner . Bennington, VT . 14 . subscription .
  29. Web site: Biographical Sketch, Charles Linsley . Ellingson . Barbara . 1997. Charles and Emmeline Linsley Papers, 1827-1892 . Vermont Historical Society . Montpelier, VT . July 3, 2018 . 1 . .
  30. Web site: Representative Jarrod Sammis . May 11, 2023 . Vermont General Assembly.
  31. Book: Marquis, Albert N. . 1938 . Who's Who in New England . 3 . Chicago, IL . A. N. Marquis Company . 1222 . .
  32. Web site: Albers. Jan. Museum Offers a Look into the Life of local Jewel, Jessica Swift. Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History. November 18, 2015.
  33. Web site: Middlebury, Vermont. City-Data.com . June 25, 2014.
  34. Web site: Steve Vaillancourt for State House District 60. www.pollvault.com.
  35. Book: Jefferson, Thomas . Oberg . Barbara B. . 2013 . The Papers of Thomas Jefferson . 40 . Princeton, NJ . Princeton University Press . 31–32 . 978-0-691-16037-5 . . .
  36. Web site: A Penchant for Bartering Lands Car Dealership on TV. Flowers. John. Addison County Independent. August 30, 2012. December 14, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714150300/http://www.addisonindependent.com/201208penchant-bartering-lands-car-dealership-tv. July 14, 2014. dead.

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