BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT

'Brattleboro' is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 12,005 at the 2000 census. Brattleboro was chartered on December 26, 1753, and is located in the southeast corner of Vermont. The town is situated along the Connecticut River, at the mouth of the West River.^[1] It is the headquarters of the Holstein Association.

Contents

Geography

Topography

Development

History

Demographics

Government

Shopping and dining

Transportation

Culture

Literary

Trivia

Notable current and historical residents

External links

References

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 84.0 km² (32.5 mi²). 82.9 km² (32.0 mi²) of it is land and 1.2 km² (0.5 mi²) of it (1.42%) is water. Brattleboro is located at .

Topography

The town largely rests in what is known as the Connecticut River Valley. Along the eastern edge is the Connecticut River. An extensive network of hills and mountains surrounds the town in all directions.

Development

The town's most densely populated area is downtown at the very bottom of the valley. Because of the area's very hilly terrain, and relatively little flat land, many buildings are on steep grades, quite close together. This topography has helped to create an urban atmosphere.

Since the 1950s, suburban development occurred outside of the traditional downtown and in the west, south, and north of the township. The southern section of the town is predominantly one or two family houses with a mix of triple deckers. Commercial and industrial operations play a relatively minor role in this section of town, with heavy concentration on the U.S. Route 5/Canal Street artery that cuts through the area. The town's high school and the Regional Career Center are also located in this section.

The western section of town, which formally became a village in 2005, is also mostly residential, with the state's largest mobile home park and a few large planned developments.
The northern section of Brattleboro developed in the 1960s and 1970s. The area has almost no residential development and is dominated by large commercial and industrial establishments along Putney Road. There are roughly seven major hotels within a short distance of each other, including Hampton Inn, Quality Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Super 8, Motel 6, America's Best Inn (formerly Days Inn) and a number of local hotel/motel establishments. C&S Wholesale Grocers made its headquarters in this section until moving to Keene, New Hampshire in (year needed); because of close proximity to Interstate 91, C&S has kept a major portion of its shipping operations in Brattleboro.
The outskirts of Brattleboro have a decidedly rural feel, with very little housing development and boasting the last few farms left in Brattleboro after the collapse of the dairy industry in the 1970s. At its peak Brattleboro had over 170 farms. There are now only nine left.

History

Brattleboro originated with the founding of Fort Dummer in 1724. It was chartered in 1753.
Brattleboro was the home of Rudyard Kipling's wife. Kipling himself lived for a time in the town.
In 1950 Brattleboro had a population of 11,522.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 12,005 people, 5,364 households, and 2,880 families residing in the town. The population density was 144.9/km² (375.3/mi²). There were 5,686 housing units at an average density of 68.6/km² (177.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.06% White, 1.13% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 2.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population.
There were 5,364 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were couples living together and joined in either marriage or civil union, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.3% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,997, and the median income for a family was $44,267. Males had a median income of $31,001 versus $25,329 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,554. About 9.2% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
The ethnic population (non-white and single race, with Hispanic included) comprises 3.4% of the population, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. While this percentage is by comparison small to that of any major U.S. city, it is considered high for a traditionally white state and puts Brattleboro second to Vermont's largest city Burlington in this respect. This large ethnic influence has given Brattleboro the most diverse establishments and institutions of any city in the state.

Government

Brattleboro's citizens are represented by a Select Board and Town Manager. Five members are elected to fill three one year seats and two three year seats. The Select Board, in cooperation with the Town Manager, are in charge of addressing all general public issues brought to them, concerning the town. What makes the Town Manager form of government unique is that, unlike a mayor who is elected for a term, the Town Manager is appointed by the Selectboard. ^[2]
The town has three districts and representatives from those districts get together on Town Meeting Day to discuss and vote on issues.
The town is home to the ''Brattleboro Reformer'', a daily newspaper with a circulation of approximately 11,000.

Shopping and dining

Vermont is a popular weekend getaway among wealthy New York and Connecticut tourists. Brattleboro, being the first major town over the Vermont border on Interstate 91, offers a mix of a rural atmosphere and urban amenities such as a large number of hotels. Celebrities who have visited Brattleboro include Bill Cosby, Johnny Depp, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams and Nicole Kidman.
Notable restaurants include Capers, Peter Havens, 39 Main, Max's, T.J. Buckley's, Windham Wines, and the Metropolis Wine bar.
A local, affordable favorite is the Chelsea Royal Diner, where locals can get a "two-dolla-holla," a $2 breakfast special early in the morning. Also noteworthy is Top Of The Hill Grill, offering a wide array of grill-centric menu items such as pulled pork, ribs, and more interesting combinations (ie, a burger with grilled onions and peppers, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing). Another restaurant, the Marina, has a beautiful view of the West River and the Retreat Meadows.
Brattleboro is a host to a number of art galleries and stores including Vermont Artisan Design, the largest store of original artworks in the area.
The Brattleboro Food Cooperative, a natural foods store and deli holds the claim of being the state's first certified organic retailer. In 2007 Brattleboro passed the Fair Trade town resolution, clearing the way to become the SECOND Fair Trade town in the nation, joining Media, Pennsylvania.
The Common Ground Restaurant was established in 1971 and became a worker-owned collective in 1977. It is one of the first collectively run restaurants in the country. It exists today due to the effort and dedication of hundreds of past workers, owners, musicians, friends, and customers. They are committed to the support of regional, organic agriculture and local cottage industries.

Transportation

;Rail
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, operates its Vermonter daily through Brattleboro, between Washington, D.C. and St. Albans, Vermont.
;Bus
The Brattleboro BeeLine operates throughout the town between 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m and is comprised of the Red Line and Blue Line buses which work in conjunction with each other to move residents throughout the 'T' shaped layout of town. Bus services also run daily between Brattleboro and Bellows Falls and between Brattleboro and Whitingham.
In addition, Brattleboro is serviced daily by the national bus service Grey Hound which operates out of its terminal just south of the Exit 3 interchange.
;Highway
Brattleboro is serviced by two major routes and one Interstate route. Vermont State Route 9 begins at the New York/Vermont border just West of Bennington, Vermont and travels east to Brattleboro where it continues to the heart of downtown then travels slightly to the north and turn into New Hampshire State Route 9 at the Vermont/New Hampshire border. Route 9's local names are as follows (from beginning to end in Brattleboro) Molly Stark Trail, Western Avenue, High Street, Main Street, Putney Road.
U.S. Route 5 enters Brattleboro at its border with Guilford, Vermont and runs northerly, through downtown, and eventually exits Brattleboro at its border with Putney, Vermont. Route 5's local names are as follows (from beginning to end in Brattleboro) Canal Street, Main Street, Putney Road.
Interstate 91, originating in Connecticut and ending at the Canadian border, runs through the middle of the town in a north/south direction. The interstate was built in this area starting in the early 1960's and because of the town's layout it was built in a semi-circumfrential manner. Interchange 1 services the southern section of town, Interchange 2 services the western section of town with convenient connection to local ski areas via State Route 9 and lastly, Interchange 3 services the northern section of town with connection to New Hampshire.

Culture

Brattleboro has a thriving arts community. The town is listed in John Villani’s book ''The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America'', in which it ranks number nine among towns with a population of 30,000 or under.
The first Friday of every month an event called Gallery Walk[1] takes place in which galleries, artists, and arts organizations open their doors to the public to show new work or hold performances. Included in the organizations that participate are: Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery, In-Sight Photography Project, River Gallery School, and Windham Art Gallery.
Other notable arts organizations in Brattleboro include: Brattleboro Music Center, Vermont Theatre Company, New England Youth Theater, and Nimble Arts Trapeze & Circus School.
Annual events in Brattleboro include:

★ "Brattleboro Fest" Wingnut/Anarchist/Folk-Punk Music Festival in mid June.

★ Brattleboro Animation Festival on the first Friday in July

★ Brattleboro Literary Festival in September

★ Easter Egg Hunt in April (for Brattleboro residents only)

★ Harris Hill Ski Jumping Competition in February

★ Maple Open House Weekend in March

★ River Gallery School Benefit Auction in March

★ Strolling of the Heifers in June

★ Taste of the Town in May

★ Vermont Theatre Company's Shakespeare-in-the-Park in June-July

★ Winter Carnival in February

★ Women's Film Festival in March

★ World Solstice Celebration in December
Dates are subject to change from year to year.

Literary

Brattleboro is the setting for much of H. P. Lovecraft's story "The Whisperer in Darkness".
The first American edition of ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' was printed in Brattleboro.
Brattleboro is mentioned repeatedly in David Foster Wallace's novel ''Infinite Jest''. From page 901: “C.T. was the infant son she’d brought to the new union, his father a ne’er-do-well killed in a freak accident playing competitive darts in a Brattleboro tavern just as they were trying to adjust the obstetric stirrups for the achondroplastic Mrs. Tavis’s labor and delivery.”
Brattleboro's first bookstore opened in 1795.
The first bible to be printed in Vermont was printed in Brattleboro, in 1812.
Brattleboro was home to revolutionary era playwright Royall Tyler.
The Annual Brattleboro Literary Festival has been held every fall since 2001.
The popular Joe Gunther mystery series written by Archer Mayor is largely set in Brattleboro.
"A Peasant of West Brattleboro" (1987) by David Chase is a collection of his columns from the Brattleboro Reformer.

Trivia

The Brattleboro postmaster issued the first postal stamps in the United States in 1846.
Brattleboro was the home of the first person ever to receive a Social Security Benefit Check. It was issued on January 31, 1940 to Ida Fuller. Her check number was 00-000-001 and it was for $22.54. ^[3]
Public nudity, although not always welcomed by the denizens of the town, was not forbidden by any Vermont statute or Brattleboro ordinance until July 17, 2007. The town has drawn national attention when nudists make a visit to take advantage of the situation. ^{[4] [5]} On July 17, 2007, Brattleboro town officials passed an emergency rule by a 3–2 margin, temporarily "banning nudity on the main roads and within 250 feet of any school or place of worship, among other places" due to a number of complaints. ^[6][7]
On 22 August 2007, the Brattleboro Selectboard decided not to make the ban on nudity permanent, which means that when the temporary statute runs out in September, nudity will once again be allowed in the town.^[8]

Notable current and historical residents

★ Will Ackerman, music producer, guitarist

★ William Bullock Clark, geologist

★ Chris Duffy, baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates

★ Ida May Fuller, first recipient of a monthly benefit Social Security check

★ Frederick Holbrook, governor

★ Richard Morris Hunt, architect

★ William Morris Hunt, painter

★ Joanna Noëlle Levesque, also known as "JoJo", an American singer and actor, born in Brattleboro

★ Wolf Kahn, painter

★ Rudyard Kipling, author

★ Bill Koch, first world-class cross-country skier from the United States

★ William Rutherford Mead, architect, member of McKim, Mead, and White

★ Karen Hesse, Newbery Medal winning childrens author

External links

★ Public Service Announcement Site

★ Brattleboro Vermont Town Web Site

★ Brattleboro Area Chamber Of Commerce

★ Building A Better Brattleboro

★ iBrattleboro.com (Brattleboro's citizen journalism site)

★ Brattleboro Reformer (Local newspaper)

★ Brattleboro Union High School

★ Brattleboro Area Middle School

★ Brattleboro Museum & Art Center

★ Law of nature... in Brattleboro ''The Boston Globe'', August 23, 2006

★ New England Youth Theatre (Located on Flat St. in Brattleboro)

★ Historic Photographs of Brattleboro

★

★ River Gallery School

★ Brattleboro Weather Forecast

References

1. DeLorme (1996). ''Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-016-9
2. Town Charter Brattleboro Town Charter
3. The First Social Security Beneficiary Social Security Online
4. Spring Thaw Brings Out Nudity in Small Vermont Town Associated Press
5. Daily Telegraph(U.K. p15 newspaper 16th July 2007)
6. Vermont town bans public nudity after brash displays Reuters
7. Cover up: Anti-nudity rule passess BOB AUDETTE
8. Go Ahead, Drop Those Drawers Associated Press