Brownington, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Brownington is a town
in Orleans County
, Vermont
, United States
. The population was 885 as of the 2000 census.
, the town has a total area of 28.4 square miles (73.6 km2), of which 28.3 square miles (73.2 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.4 km2) (0.49%) is water.
Brownington has three unincorporated villages: Brownington, Brownington Center, and Evansville.
The lie of the town is moderate but uneven. The central part of town is somewhat elevated. The Willoughby River flows through the southern part of town. Small streams are found throughout. Brownington Pond is in the north, partly in Derby
. Rocks are mostly of the calciferous mica schist, except in the southeastern part, where they are granite. A narrow vein of hornblende
schist extends through the central part, from north to south.
In 2008, the town received its fire department services from the adjacent village of Orleans
in the town of Barton.
). The local school educates students K-6. Brownington pays the OCSU to educate grades 6-12 out of its budget.
Until 1816, court convened here, alternating with Craftsbury
, both shire towns of the county, after which the legislature changed the county seat to Irasburg
.
Alexander Twilight
built Athenian Hall, now called the Old Stone House as a dormitory for a boarding academy in 1836. It is a museum today.
Part of the museum complex is The Samuel Read Hall
House, located on the Hinman Settler Road
. This Federal-style building was completed in 1831 and for about twenty years was the home of Hall, a pioneer in the field of American education.
of 2000, there were 885 people, 337 households, and 239 families residing in the town. The population density
was 31.3 people per square mile (12.1/km2). There were 450 housing units at an average density of 15.9 per square mile (6.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.06% White, 0.45% African American, 1.24% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.34% from other races
, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.
There were 337 households out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 103.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,667, and the median income for a family was $37,721. Males had a median income of $26,210 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $14,004. About 10.8% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 25.3% of those age 65 or over.
Vermont municipality
A Vermont municipality is a particular type of New England municipality. It is the basic unit of local government.-Background:Vermont contains 246 incorporated towns and cities. Nine are cities and 237 are towns. Collectively, these 246 municipalities cover the vast majority of, but not all of,...
in Orleans County
Orleans County, Vermont
Orleans County is one of the four northernmost counties in the U.S. state of Vermont. It borders Canada. In 2010, the population was 27,231. Its county seat is Newport. As in the rest of New England, few governmental powers have been granted to the 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 885 as of the 2000 census.
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 28.4 square miles (73.6 km2), of which 28.3 square miles (73.2 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.4 km2) (0.49%) is water.
Brownington has three unincorporated villages: Brownington, Brownington Center, and Evansville.
The lie of the town is moderate but uneven. The central part of town is somewhat elevated. The Willoughby River flows through the southern part of town. Small streams are found throughout. Brownington Pond is in the north, partly in Derby
Derby, Vermont
Derby is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,604 at the 2000 census. The town contains four unincorporated villages: Beebe Plain, Clyde Pond, Lake Salem and North Derby; and two incorporated villages: Derby Center and Derby Line...
. Rocks are mostly of the calciferous mica schist, except in the southeastern part, where they are granite. A narrow vein of hornblende
Hornblende
Hornblende is a complex inosilicate series of minerals .It is not a recognized mineral in its own right, but the name is used as a general or field term, to refer to a dark amphibole....
schist extends through the central part, from north to south.
Town
- Selectman - Michael Glodgett
- Town Clerk - Cheryl Perry
- Tax Collector - Cheryl Perry
- Auditor - Joanne Martin
- Member, Planning Board - Roger Samuel
- Second Constable - Renee Falconer
- General Fund Budget - $114,944
- Highway Budget - $352,572
In 2008, the town received its fire department services from the adjacent village of Orleans
Orleans, Vermont
Orleans is a village in the northwestern corner of Barton, Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 826 at the 2000 census, making it the largest village in Orleans County.-Government:...
in the town of Barton.
School District
The local school is part of the OSCU (Orleans Central Supervisory UnionOrleans Central Supervisory Union
The Orleans Central Supervisory Union is a school district responsible for the education of students in the Vermont towns of Albany, Barton, Brownington, Glover, Irasburg, Orleans, and Westmore. This requires maintaining one elementary schools in each of the towns mentioned, plus the Lake Region...
). The local school educates students K-6. Brownington pays the OCSU to educate grades 6-12 out of its budget.
- School Director - Larry Chase
- School Director (2007–2010) - Callie Field
- Principal - JoAnn Vana
- Student:Teacher ratio - 12:1 (State average 10:1)
- Budget - $1,915,545
History
The town was named after the family Brown. Two chief grantees of Brownington were Daniel and Timothy Brown. There were six other male Browns and one woman, Sarah.Until 1816, court convened here, alternating with Craftsbury
Craftsbury, Vermont
Craftsbury is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,136 at the 2000 census. The town includes the four unincorporated villages of Craftsbury Common, Mill Village, North Craftsbury and East Craftsbury.-Town:...
, both shire towns of the county, after which the legislature changed the county seat to Irasburg
Irasburg, Vermont
Irasburg is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,077 at the 2000 census.-Town:* Moderator - David Turner* Selectman - Randy Wells, Roger Gagnon * Town Clerk - Barbara Lawson* Town Treasurer - Barbara Lawson...
.
Alexander Twilight
Alexander Twilight
Alexander Lucius Twilight , born free in Vermont, was the first black person known to have earned a bachelor's degree from an American college or university upon graduating Middlebury College in 1823. An educator, minister and politician, he was licensed as a Congregational preacher, and worked in...
built Athenian Hall, now called the Old Stone House as a dormitory for a boarding academy in 1836. It is a museum today.
Part of the museum complex is The Samuel Read Hall
Samuel Read Hall
Samuel Read Hall was an American educator.He was born in Croydon, New Hampshire, the son of a clergyman. When he was only three years old, his family moved to Guildhall, Vermont. Samuel was home schooled and never attended a college. In 1814 be was employed as a teacher in Rumford, Maine...
House, located on the Hinman Settler Road
Hinman Settler Road
The Hinman Settler Road was constructed by former Revolutionary War veteran Timothy Hinman from 1791-1795 in Orleans County, Vermont. Hinman's intent was to help develop the land he owned in Derby....
. This Federal-style building was completed in 1831 and for about twenty years was the home of Hall, a pioneer in the field of American education.
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 885 people, 337 households, and 239 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 31.3 people per square mile (12.1/km2). There were 450 housing units at an average density of 15.9 per square mile (6.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.06% White, 0.45% African American, 1.24% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.34% 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 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.
There were 337 households out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% 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, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 103.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,667, and the median income for a family was $37,721. Males had a median income of $26,210 versus $21,250 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 $14,004. About 10.8% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 25.3% of those age 65 or over.
Cultural events
- "Old Stonehouse Day" in August when the Brownington Village Historic DistrictBrownington Village Historic DistrictThe Brownington Village Historic District is a historic site in Brownington, Vermont, United States. It is located near the intersection of Hinman and Brownington Center Roads. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1973...
is open to the public free of charge - Abenaki Clan of the Hawk:
- Annual Native American Crafts Fair since 1998.
- Annual International Pow Wow. Has been held since 1991.
- One of forty 'places to visit' on Vermont's Northeast Kingdom Geotourism MapGuide
Notable people
- Portus BaxterPortus BaxterPortus Baxter was a banker, farmer, and politician from Vermont, United States.-Early life:Baxter was born in Brownington, Vermont, the son of William and Lydia Baxter. After attending local schools, he completed his education at Norwich Military Academy and the University of Vermont in Burlington...
, congressman. - James Woodward StrongJames Strong (college president)Dr. James Woodward Strong, theologian and scholar, was the first president of Carleton College. Despite lifelong illness and injury, Strong was a highly active man throughout his life, juggling multiple professional and personal occupations....
college president, brother of William Strong. - William Barstow Strong, president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayThe Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
, brother of James Strong. - Alexander TwilightAlexander TwilightAlexander Lucius Twilight , born free in Vermont, was the first black person known to have earned a bachelor's degree from an American college or university upon graduating Middlebury College in 1823. An educator, minister and politician, he was licensed as a Congregational preacher, and worked in...
, first African American to serve in a state legislature and to receive a degree from an American University.
External links
- Old Stone House Museum A notable building in the Brownington Village Historic DistrictBrownington Village Historic DistrictThe Brownington Village Historic District is a historic site in Brownington, Vermont, United States. It is located near the intersection of Hinman and Brownington Center Roads. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1973...
.