VERGENNES, VERMONT

'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.

Contents

Geography

History

Demographics

Schools

Culture

Notable residents

External links

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.5 km² (2.5 mi²). 6.2 km² (2.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (4.00%) is water. By area, it is the smallest incorporated place in Vermont.
The city's borders form a rectangle, nearly a square. The Otter Creek river travels north through the town. In the middle of town is a tall falls, at 37 feet, with a large, infrequently flooding basin.

History

The City of Vergennes was established in 1788. It is one of the oldest established cities in the United States, and is the smallest. The motive of 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.
Vergennes was the original but short-lived location of the state's capital. The city's chance of expansion ended about the same time relations with Britain turned to war. Commodore Thomas MacDonough made the Otter Creek falls basin the location of his naval base. From there he built ships which later won the battle at Plattsburgh Bay.
Industry boomed in the late-nineteenth century, in particular a shipping industry connected to the Champlain Canal and wood-finishing related to lumber imported from Canada. As railways supplanted the canal system, manufacturing declined. An ill-fated 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 shined up the downtown area along Main street. The resultant botique Vergennes, catering to tourists and transients, stutters along, having recently been hampered by centralization of land ownership and resultant escalation of commercial rents.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 2,741 people, 979 households, and 632 families residing in the city. The population density was 441.0/km² (1,141.1/mi²). There were 1,032 housing units at an average density of 166.0/km² (429.6/mi²). 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.
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 income 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 School, Champlain Valley Christian School, and Northlands Job Corps Center, which has no affilation with the former Weeks School [formerly an orphanage and juvenille delinquent home until the late 1970's.]
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.

Notable residents

★ Ethan A. Hitchcock, U.S. Army officer and author.

★ Frederick E. Woodbridge, Mayor of Vergennes and U.S. Representative

★ Jasper J. Smith, Famous chef, helicopter pilot, police man

External links

★ Vergennes Vermont Official Town Website

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