Vergennes, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Vergennes is a city located in the northwest quadrant of Addison County
, Vermont
, in the United States. Bordered by the towns of Ferrisburgh
, Panton
and Waltham
, as of the 2000 census the city population was 2,741. It is the smallest of Vermont's nine cities in terms of population (though the city of Winooski
covers a smaller area). It was the first city chartered in the state.
, Panton
and Ferrisburg where they intersected at the Otter Creek Falls were drawn off to create Vergennes. It is the smallest city (by population) in Vermont.
The city is named for Charles Gravier, Comte
de Vergennes. Reluctant to openly do anything that might involve her in another war with England, France agreed to aid the colonists in their revolution
behind the scenes, due mainly to the efforts of Benjamin Franklin
. As directed by Louis XVI, Gravier established a dummy company through which the Americans received nearly 80% of their military supplies. It was also Gravier who negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris
, which formally brought the Revolutionary War to a close.
Here, Thomas Macdonough
built and armed the fleet that would defeat the British on Lake Champlain during the War of 1812
. The Monkton Iron Company (which was at the time the largest iron works in the colonies) manufactured the fittings for Macdonough's fleet, as well as most of the cannon shot used by the army in the north. The ore used was mined in nearby Monkton
.
The motive for a city form of municipal government is said to have been to provide a vision for building the area as an industrial center. The Otter Creek Falls and close access to the Lake Champlain
waterway was thought to be a fertile place for commercial growth.
Industry boomed in the late nineteenth century, in particular, shipping connected to the Champlain Canal and wood-finishing related to lumber imported from Canada
. As railways supplanted the canal system, manufacturing declined. A railroad spur from Ferrisburgh to the base of the falls proved a failure, with grades too steep for practical operations.
Commercial decline continued in the twentieth century, narrowing down to a few surviving companies; as the twenty-first opened, a group of civic boosters and merchants improved the downtown area along Main Street. The resultant 'boutique Vergennes', catering to tourists and transients, is hampered by centralization of land ownership and resultant escalation of commercial rents.
, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2), of which 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km2) (4.00%) is water.
The city's borders form a rectangle, nearly a square. Otter Creek flows north through the town. In the middle of town is a 37-foot waterfall, with a large basin which occasionally floods.
of 2000, there were 2,741 people, 979 households, and 632 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,141.1 people per square mile (441.0/km2). There were 1,032 housing units at an average density of 429.6 per square mile (166.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.43% White, 2.01% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races
, and 2.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.92% of the population.
There were 979 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples
living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
for the city was $15,465. About 8.1% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.
, Champlain Valley Christian School, and Northlands Job Corps
Center, the former Weeks School, which served as an orphanage and juvenile delinquent home until the late 1970s, in the same facility.
Vergennes Union High School also offers an alternative public program, the Walden Project, available to area students.
Addison County, Vermont
Addison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. In 2010, the population was 36,821. Its shire town is Middlebury.-Geography:...
, 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...
, in the United States. Bordered by the towns of Ferrisburgh
Ferrisburgh, Vermont
Ferrisburgh is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. It was founded June 24, 1762. The population was 2,657 at the 2000 census. The northern part of the town is referred to as North Ferrisburgh, with both sometimes spelled Ferrisburg....
, Panton
Panton, Vermont
Panton is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 677 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.0 square miles , of which 15.5 square miles is land and 6.6 square miles is water...
and Waltham
Waltham, Vermont
Waltham is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 479 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.9 square miles , of which 8.7 square miles is land and 0.2 square mile is...
, as of the 2000 census the city population was 2,741. It is the smallest of Vermont's nine cities in terms of population (though the city of Winooski
Winooski, Vermont
Winooski is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, in the United States. Located at the mouth of the Winooski River, as of the 2010 census the city population was 7,267...
covers a smaller area). It was the first city chartered in the state.
History
Vergennes, first settled in 1766 by Donald MacIntosh, was established in 1788, the only one of Vermont's cities not to have been first chartered as a town or independent village. Instead, portions of the pre-existing towns of New HavenNew Haven, Vermont
New Haven is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,666 at the 2000 census. New Haven contains the village of Belden as well as Brooksville, New Haven Junction and New Haven Mills.-Geography:...
, Panton
Panton, Vermont
Panton is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 677 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.0 square miles , of which 15.5 square miles is land and 6.6 square miles is water...
and Ferrisburg where they intersected at the Otter Creek Falls were drawn off to create Vergennes. It is the smallest city (by population) in Vermont.
The city is named for Charles Gravier, Comte
Comte
Comte is a title of Catalan, Occitan and French nobility. In the English language, the title is equivalent to count, a rank in several European nobilities. The corresponding rank in England is earl...
de Vergennes. Reluctant to openly do anything that might involve her in another war with England, France agreed to aid the colonists in their revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
behind the scenes, due mainly to the efforts of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
. As directed by Louis XVI, Gravier established a dummy company through which the Americans received nearly 80% of their military supplies. It was also Gravier who negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
, which formally brought the Revolutionary War to a close.
Here, Thomas Macdonough
Thomas MacDonough
Thomas Macdonough was an early-19th-century American naval officer noted for his roles in the first Barbary War, and the War of 1812. He was the son of a revolutionary officer, Thomas Sr. who lived close to Middleton, Delaware. Being the sixth child born, he came from a large family of ten...
built and armed the fleet that would defeat the British on Lake Champlain during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. The Monkton Iron Company (which was at the time the largest iron works in the colonies) manufactured the fittings for Macdonough's fleet, as well as most of the cannon shot used by the army in the north. The ore used was mined in nearby Monkton
Monkton, Vermont
Monkton is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,759 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Monkton is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.2 square miles , of which 36.0 square miles is land and...
.
The motive for a city form of municipal government is said to have been to provide a vision for building the area as an industrial center. The Otter Creek Falls and close access to the Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
waterway was thought to be a fertile place for commercial growth.
Industry boomed in the late nineteenth century, in particular, shipping connected to the Champlain Canal and wood-finishing related to lumber imported from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. As railways supplanted the canal system, manufacturing declined. A railroad spur from Ferrisburgh to the base of the falls proved a failure, with grades too steep for practical operations.
Commercial decline continued in the twentieth century, narrowing down to a few surviving companies; as the twenty-first opened, a group of civic boosters and merchants improved the downtown area along Main Street. The resultant 'boutique Vergennes', catering to tourists and transients, is hampered by centralization of land ownership and resultant escalation of commercial rents.
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 city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2), of which 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km2) (4.00%) is water.
The city's borders form a rectangle, nearly a square. Otter Creek flows north through the town. In the middle of town is a 37-foot waterfall, with a large basin which occasionally floods.
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 2,741 people, 979 households, and 632 families residing in the city. 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 1,141.1 people per square mile (441.0/km2). There were 1,032 housing units at an average density of 429.6 per square mile (166.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.43% White, 2.01% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.06% 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 2.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.92% of the population.
There were 979 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples
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...
living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
Personal income
The median income for a household in the city was $37,763, and the median income for a family was $48,155. Males had a median income of $33,669 versus $20,527 for females. The per capita incomePer 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 city was $15,465. About 8.1% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
Vergennes has four schools: Vergennes Union Elementary School, Vergennes Union High SchoolVergennes Union High School
Vergennes Union High School is a high school/junior high school of about 700 students in Vergennes, Vermont, United States. The school serves the city of Vergennes, as well as the towns of Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton, and Waltham...
, Champlain Valley Christian School, and Northlands Job Corps
Job Corps
Job Corps is a program administered by the United States Department of Labor that offers free-of-charge education and vocational training to youth ages 16 to 24.-Mission and purpose:...
Center, the former Weeks School, which served as an orphanage and juvenile delinquent home until the late 1970s, in the same facility.
Vergennes Union High School also offers an alternative public program, the Walden Project, available to area students.
Culture
The city features the Vergennes Opera House, which has weekly events involving the community and special guests, bands, singers, politicians and theater groups. The city has a library, the Bixby Memorial Free Library.Notable people
- Joseph K. EdgertonJoseph K. EdgertonJoseph Ketchum Edgerton was a U.S. Representative from Indiana, brother of Alfred Peck Edgerton.Born in Vergennes, Vermont, Edgerton attended the public schools of Clinton County, New York....
, congressman from Indiana. - Margaret FoleyMargaret Foley-Early years:Born in 1820, Margaret was a self-taught sculptor, whittling and carving in the rural city of Vergennes, Vermont.As most young woman did back in the mid-19th century in New England, Miss Foley traveled to Lowell, MA to work in the textile mills as a mill girl...
, sculptor. - Ethan A. HitchcockEthan A. Hitchcock (general)Ethan Allen Hitchcock was a career United States Army officer and author who had War Department assignments in Washington, D.C., during the American Civil War, in which he served as a major general.-Early life:...
, Army officer and author. - Henry PorterHenry Porter (baseball)Walter Henry Porter was an American Major League Baseball player born in Vergennes, Vermont who pitched for three different teams during his six year career.-Career:...
, Major League Baseball player. - Frederick E. WoodbridgeFrederick E. WoodbridgeFrederick Enoch Woodbridge was a nineteenth century politician and lawyer from Vermont.-Biography:Born in Vergennes, Vermont, Woodbridge graduated from the University of Vermont in 1840, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1843, commencing practice in Vergennes...
, congressman and mayor of Vergennes.