Randolph, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Randolph is a town
in Orange County, Vermont
, United States
. The population was 4,853 at the 2000 census, making Randolph the largest town in Orange County. The town is a commercial center for many of the smaller, rural farming communities that surround it.
When the area was originally settled there were three villages—Randolph Center, East Randolph and West Randolph. What is now the central village of the current town had previously been the village of West Randolph.
settlers could not locate the original grantees, whose patents were issued by New York. It was chartered on June 29, 1781 to Aaron Storrs and 70 others, and was originally named "Middlesex."
The town was first settled circa
1778. To encourage recognition of the state by the United States, the town was renamed in honor of Edmund Randolph
.
With productive soil for cultivation
, farming became an intensive industry. By 1830, when the population reached 2,743, between twelve and thirteen thousand sheep grazed
its pasture
s. Randolph was noted for its good butter
, cheese
and mutton.
Two branches of the White River
provided water power for watermill
s. By 1859, the town had three gristmill
s, one oil mill, and one carding
mill. In 1848, the Vermont Central Railroad opened service through the town. Randolph's prosperity during the Victorian era
endowed it with some fine architecture
, including the Second Empire Randolph Railroad Depot and Renaissance Revival Kimball Public Library.
In 1921, Randolph was the setting for, and provided some of the cast of, a silent movie
called The Offenders
. In 1922 the same was true for the film Insinuation.
Today, Randolph is a thriving meeting-spot and shopping center for the surrounding area. The town is home to attractions such as the Porter Music Box Museum and the Chandler Music Hall. Also located in Randolph are the Gifford Medical Center, a hospital; the main office of the regional Randolph National Bank; and Randolph Union High School, which also serves students from the neighboring towns of Braintree and Brookfield. Downtown Randolph hosts the Amtrak station, shops, restaurants, a movie theater, and several gas stations.
, the town has a total area of 47.9 square miles (124.1 km2), of which 47.9 square miles (124.0 km2) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.08%) is water. Randolph is drained by the second and third branches of the White River
.
of 2000, there were 4,853 people, 1,769 households, and 1,144 families residing in the town. The population density
was 101.4 people per square mile (39.2/km2). There were 1,905 housing units at an average density of 39.8 per square mile (15.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.77% White, 0.21% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.02% from other races
, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.
There were 1,769 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were couples living together and joined in either marriage
or civil union
, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,283, and the median income for a family was $50,756. Males had a median income of $31,353 versus $25,160 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,591. About 5.3% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
passes through Randolph and has one exit near the center of town. Paralleling the Interstate are Vermont Route 12
, which passes through downtown Randolph and the western half of town, and Vermont Route 14
, which passes through the eastern half of town. East-west Vermont Route 66
, which is located entirely within Randolph, connects all three of those north-south routes. Vermont Route 12A splits from Vermont Route 12 just north of downtown Randolph and heads to the northwest to enter Braintree.
Amtrak
, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service to Randolph, operating its Vermonter
between Washington, DC and St. Albans, VT.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Orange County, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,853 at the 2000 census, making Randolph the largest town in Orange County. The town is a commercial center for many of the smaller, rural farming communities that surround it.
When the area was originally settled there were three villages—Randolph Center, East Randolph and West Randolph. What is now the central village of the current town had previously been the village of West Randolph.
History
Vermont granted the town on November 2, 1780, when the New HampshireNew Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
settlers could not locate the original grantees, whose patents were issued by New York. It was chartered on June 29, 1781 to Aaron Storrs and 70 others, and was originally named "Middlesex."
The town was first settled circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1778. To encourage recognition of the state by the United States, the town was renamed in honor of Edmund Randolph
Edmund Randolph
Edmund Jennings Randolph was an American attorney, the seventh Governor of Virginia, the second Secretary of State, and the first United States Attorney General.-Biography:...
.
With productive soil for cultivation
Tillage
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of the soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human-powered tilling methods using hand tools include shovelling, picking, mattock work, hoeing, and raking...
, farming became an intensive industry. By 1830, when the population reached 2,743, between twelve and thirteen thousand sheep grazed
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
its pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
s. Randolph was noted for its good butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
, cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
and mutton.
Two branches of the White River
White River (Vermont)
The White River is a river in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River.The White River rises at Skylight Pond south of Bread Loaf Mountain near the crest of the Green Mountains. The river flows east to the town of Granville, where it receives the outflow from the...
provided water power for watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s. By 1859, the town had three gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s, one oil mill, and one carding
Carding
Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. The word is derived from the Latin carduus meaning teasel, as dried vegetable teasels were first used to comb the raw wool...
mill. In 1848, the Vermont Central Railroad opened service through the town. Randolph's prosperity during the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
endowed it with some fine architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, including the Second Empire Randolph Railroad Depot and Renaissance Revival Kimball Public Library.
In 1921, Randolph was the setting for, and provided some of the cast of, a silent movie
Silent Movie
Silent Movie is a 1976 satirical comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976...
called The Offenders
The Offenders
The Offenders is a melodrama filmed in the town of Randolph, Vermont, in 1921 directed by Fenwick L. Holmes. The plot is that a woman has been accused of murder, and the witness is the Village Idiot. Various locals were used as extras...
. In 1922 the same was true for the film Insinuation.
Today, Randolph is a thriving meeting-spot and shopping center for the surrounding area. The town is home to attractions such as the Porter Music Box Museum and the Chandler Music Hall. Also located in Randolph are the Gifford Medical Center, a hospital; the main office of the regional Randolph National Bank; and Randolph Union High School, which also serves students from the neighboring towns of Braintree and Brookfield. Downtown Randolph hosts the Amtrak station, shops, restaurants, a movie theater, and several gas stations.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 47.9 square miles (124.1 km2), of which 47.9 square miles (124.0 km2) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.08%) is water. Randolph is drained by the second and third branches of the White River
White River (Vermont)
The White River is a river in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River.The White River rises at Skylight Pond south of Bread Loaf Mountain near the crest of the Green Mountains. The river flows east to the town of Granville, where it receives the outflow from the...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,853 people, 1,769 households, and 1,144 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 101.4 people per square mile (39.2/km2). There were 1,905 housing units at an average density of 39.8 per square mile (15.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.77% White, 0.21% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.02% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.
There were 1,769 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were couples living together and joined in either marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
or civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,283, and the median income for a family was $50,756. Males had a median income of $31,353 versus $25,160 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $20,591. About 5.3% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Randolph is served by five state-maintained routes. Interstate 89Interstate 89
Interstate 89 is an interstate highway in the New England region of the United States travelling between Bow, New Hampshire and Highgate Springs, Vermont. As with all odd-numbered primary interstates, I-89 is signed as a north–south highway...
passes through Randolph and has one exit near the center of town. Paralleling the Interstate are Vermont Route 12
Vermont Route 12
Vermont Route 12 is a north-south state highway in Vermont that runs from Weathersfield to Morrisville.-Route description:Route 12 begins at the New Hampshire state line on the Connecticut River in the town of Weathersfield. It continues north along the west bank of the Connecticut River,...
, which passes through downtown Randolph and the western half of town, and Vermont Route 14
Vermont Route 14
Vermont Route 14 is a north–south state highway in northeastern Vermont, United States. It is long and extends from U.S. Route 4 and U.S. Route 5 in White River Junction to Vermont Route 100 in Newport. Between White River Junction and the city of Barre, the route parallels Interstate 89. Vermont...
, which passes through the eastern half of town. East-west Vermont Route 66
Vermont Route 66
Vermont Route 66 is a short state highway located entirely within the town of Randolph in Orange County, Vermont, United States. It serves as a connection between the center and east side of the town....
, which is located entirely within Randolph, connects all three of those north-south routes. Vermont Route 12A splits from Vermont Route 12 just north of downtown Randolph and heads to the northwest to enter Braintree.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service to Randolph, operating its Vermonter
Vermonter
Amtrak's Vermonter is a 611-mile passenger train service between St. Albans , New York City and Washington, D.C. One trip runs in each direction per day....
between Washington, DC and St. Albans, VT.
Radio
- WCVR - 1320 AM (Real Country 1320 - country)
- WVXR - 102.1 FM (VPR Classical)
- WVTCWVTCWVTC is the radio station of Vermont Technical College, operating on the 90.7 FM frequency with an effective power of 300 watts. The station is located in Morey Hall on the Vermont Technical College Randolph Center, Vermont campus...
- 90.7 FM (Vermont Tech Radio - various music)
Sites of interest
- Braley Covered Bridge
- Gifford Covered Bridge
- Kingsbury Covered Bridge
- Randolph Historical Society Museum
Notable people
- Jedediah BerryJedediah BerryJedediah Berry is an American writer. He is the author of a novel, The Manual of Detection .-Background and education:Berry was born in Randolph, Vermont, and spent his childhood in Catskill, New York. He attended Bard College, and earned a graduate degree from the MFA Program for Poets & Writers...
, author. - William HebardWilliam HebardWilliam Hebard was a United States Representative from Vermont. He was born in Windham, Connecticut. He attended the common schools and the Orange County Grammar School in Randolph, Vermont. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1827 and commenced practice in East Randolph, Vermont...
, congressman. - Justin MorganJustin MorganJustin Morgan was a U.S. horse breeder and composer.He was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and by 1788 had settled in Vermont. In addition to being a horse breeder and farmer, he was a teacher of singing; in that capacity he traveled considerably throughout the northeastern states...
, horse breeder and composer. - Buster OlneyBuster OlneyRobert Stanbury "Buster" Olney III is a columnist for ESPN: The Magazine, ESPN.com, and covered the New York Giants and New York Yankees for The New York Times. He is also a regular analyst for the ESPN's Baseball Tonight...
, columnist for ESPN The MagazineESPN The MagazineESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
. - Ezra ThayreEzra ThayreEzra Thayre was an early convert and leader in the Latter Day Saint movement.-Conversion to Mormonism:...
, religious leader.
External links
- Kimball Public Library
- Virtual Vermont -- Randolph, Vermont
- Randolph Herald - local newspaper