Craftsbury, Vermont
Encyclopedia
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.
by two Senators and two Representatives, all elected for two year terms.
For the purposes of representation in the House Craftsbury is part of the Orleans-Caledonia 1 district, which includes the towns of Barton, Glover, Sheffield, Wheelock, Albany Greensboro and Craftsbury. For 2009 and 2010 the representatives from this district were John Morley (a Republican) and John Rogers (a Democrat)
System, which includes the historic Craftsbury Academy.
North Craftsbury was settled by the earliest pioneers, and was for many years the center of business and trade, not only for Craftsbury, but for Eden, Lowell, Albany, and portions of the neighboring towns. Continuing trouble with American Indian
s led to the successive founding of Craftsbury village (in a valley), East Craftsbury (on higher ground) and Craftsbury Common (on a hilltop).
The militia was drilled here on the common while such training took place. All the public and religious meetings were held here. Along with Brownington, Craftsbury was a co-county seat until 1815 when it switched to Irasburg. Orleans county courts were held alternately at Craftsbury and Brownington.
, the town has a total area of 39.7 square miles (102.9 km2), of which 39.3 square miles (101.7 km2) is land and 0.4 square mile (1.1 km2) (1.11%) is water.
Craftsbury is on a plateau on the Catamount Trail
.
There are many hills and valleys. The soil varies from alluvial meadows to clay and gravel. There are more numerous grades and varieties of soil than is usual.
There are five ponds or lakes.
Lake Elligo (also known as Eligo Pond) is partially in Greensboro
. It is about two miles long and half a mile wide. Unusually, it has two outlets: one flows to the north and the other to the south. The northern outlet is one of the head branches of Black River. The southern flows through Little Elligo Pond and on to the Lamoille River
in Hardwick
. The eastern shore rises to cliffs. The western shore rises gradually. Near the center of the pond are two small islands. The lake was formerly a hunting-ground of the St. Francis Indians, who named it Elligo Scoloon.
The others are Great Hosmer Pond, lying partly in Albany, Little Hosmer Pond, and two other small ponds. The Black River is the main river in town. It was called Elligo-sigo by the natives. Its current is slow. The drop from its source to Lake Memphremagog
, including the falls at Irasburg
and Coventry
, is 190 feet. Wild branch, a tributary of the Lamoille
, rises in Eden
and flows through the western part of the town. The valley of the Black river in Craftsbury is a muck bed averaging a quarter of a mile in width.
in the east part of town. This alternates with gneiss
and mica slate. In the central portions of town, the previous rocks are replaced by dark argellaceous slate. This alternates with silicious limestone
.
The rocks on the west side of the Black River also vary. Strata of mica slate, argellaceous, and chlorite slates, and limestones, alternate. An extensive deposit of gray granite is near Craftsbury village. It is broken on the surface. This rock is filled with nodules of black mica and quartz, in concentric layers. These are about one inch in diameter.
In much of the area, the biotite orbicules
are so numerous that a hundred may be counted within a circle two feet in diameter. In some parts of the ledge these nodules are flattened, as if subjected to an immense vertical pressure when the mass was in a semi-fluid state. In the nineteenth century these rocks were once believed to be unique from any other found in America or Europe. Today, it is known that they resemble those found in Bethel
granite.
of 2000, there were 1,136 people, 427 households, and 301 families residing in the town. The population density
was 28.9 inhabitants per square mile (11.2/km2). There were 572 housing units at an average density of 14.6 per square mile (5.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.74% White, 0.35% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.44% Asian, and 2.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 427 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were couples living together and joined in either marriage
or civil union
, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,453, and the median income for a family was $41,000. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $24,375 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $17,185. About 11.2% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.
Town population reached its peak in 1860 with 1,413 people. It reached a low of 632 in 1970
.
shot the scenery for his 1955 movie The Trouble with Harry
in Craftsbury. Ostensibly, the movie takes place entirely in town. Exteriors of the parsonage beside the East Craftsbury Presbyterian Church are used as well as exterior shots of Craftsbury Common. Assuming that the town would be in full foliage the company, showed up for outdoor shots on September 27, 1954. To the filmmakers' shock, there was hardly any foliage left; to achieve a full effect, leaves were glued to the trees.
The 1976 IMAX
film To Fly!
a history of human flight, directed by Jim Freeman and Greg MacGillivray
and produced for the Smithsonian Institution's
National Air and Space Museum
opens with a hot air balloon passing over the Wee House and the United Church of Craftsbury on the Common.
In 1981, the first annual Craftsbury (winter) Marathon was held. In 2008, 646 skiers from 20 states and 3 provinces attended along with 295 tourists.
The Craftsbury sculling center is one of the most renowned sculling programs in the United States, based on Little and Big Hosmer lake.
which passes near the villages of Craftsbury and Craftsbury Common.
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 1,136 at the 2000 census. The town includes the four unincorporated villages of Craftsbury Common, Mill Village, North Craftsbury and East Craftsbury.
Town
- Moderator - Anne Wilson
- Selectman - Bruce Urie
- Town Clerk - Yvette Brown
- Agent - Tom Wells
- Treasurer - Yvette Brown
- Collector of Taxes - Yvette Brown
- Auditor - Lisa Santamore
- Lister - Tom Wells
- Lister - William Ryan
- Grand Juror - Tom Hadden
- Cemetery Commissioner - Faye Waterhouse
- Trustee of Public Funds - Rita Davis
- Trustee of WWII Memorial Fund - Clyde Simmons Jr.
- Supervisor, Lamoille Solid Waste District - Adrian Owens
- Budget - $618,314
State Representatives
Craftsbury is represented in the Vermont General AssemblyVermont General Assembly
The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself...
by two Senators and two Representatives, all elected for two year terms.
For the purposes of representation in the House Craftsbury is part of the Orleans-Caledonia 1 district, which includes the towns of Barton, Glover, Sheffield, Wheelock, Albany Greensboro and Craftsbury. For 2009 and 2010 the representatives from this district were John Morley (a Republican) and John Rogers (a Democrat)
Public schools
Craftsbury runs the Craftsbury SchoolsCraftsbury Schools
Craftsbury Schools is the public school system serving students from the town of Craftsbury, Vermont, a town on the southern tip of Orleans County. The school includes grades kindergarten through twelve, along with a number of tuition students from neighboring towns in grades seven through twelve...
System, which includes the historic Craftsbury Academy.
- Superintendent - JoAn Canning
- Principal - Merri Greenia
- Budget - $2,932,930
History
The state granted the town to Ebenezer Crafts, Timothy Newell, and sixty-two associates, on November 6, 1780. They named it Minden. It was changed to Craftsbury, in honor of Ebenezer Crafts, on October 27, 1790. Crafts was the first settler in the county.North Craftsbury was settled by the earliest pioneers, and was for many years the center of business and trade, not only for Craftsbury, but for Eden, Lowell, Albany, and portions of the neighboring towns. Continuing trouble with American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
s led to the successive founding of Craftsbury village (in a valley), East Craftsbury (on higher ground) and Craftsbury Common (on a hilltop).
The militia was drilled here on the common while such training took place. All the public and religious meetings were held here. Along with Brownington, Craftsbury was a co-county seat until 1815 when it switched to Irasburg. Orleans county courts were held alternately at Craftsbury and Brownington.
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 39.7 square miles (102.9 km2), of which 39.3 square miles (101.7 km2) is land and 0.4 square mile (1.1 km2) (1.11%) is water.
Catamount Trail
The Catamount Trail is a Nordic ski trail that spans the length of Vermont, extending more than from the border with Massachusetts from Readsboro, Vermont to the Canadian border North Troy, Vermont....
.
There are many hills and valleys. The soil varies from alluvial meadows to clay and gravel. There are more numerous grades and varieties of soil than is usual.
There are five ponds or lakes.
Lake Elligo (also known as Eligo Pond) is partially in Greensboro
Greensboro, Vermont
Greensboro is the southernmost town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 770 at the 2000 census. The town includes the places of Campbells Corners, East Greensboro, Gebbie Corner, Greensboro Four Corners, Greensboro Bend, The Four Corners, Tolmans Corner, and Burlington...
. It is about two miles long and half a mile wide. Unusually, it has two outlets: one flows to the north and the other to the south. The northern outlet is one of the head branches of Black River. The southern flows through Little Elligo Pond and on to the Lamoille River
Lamoille River
The Lamoille River is a river which runs through northern Vermont and drains into Lake Champlain. It is about in length, and has a drainage area of around . The river generally flows southwest, and then northwest, from the water divide of the Green Mountains, and is the namesake of Lamoille...
in Hardwick
Hardwick, Vermont
Hardwick is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,174 at the 2000 census.It contains the incorporated village of Hardwick and the unincorporated villages of East Hardwick and Mackville...
. The eastern shore rises to cliffs. The western shore rises gradually. Near the center of the pond are two small islands. The lake was formerly a hunting-ground of the St. Francis Indians, who named it Elligo Scoloon.
The others are Great Hosmer Pond, lying partly in Albany, Little Hosmer Pond, and two other small ponds. The Black River is the main river in town. It was called Elligo-sigo by the natives. Its current is slow. The drop from its source to Lake Memphremagog
Lake Memphremagog
Lake Memphremagog is a fresh water glacial lake located between Newport, Vermont, United States and Magog, Quebec, Canada. The lake is long with 73 percent of the lake's surface area in Quebec, where it drains into the Magog River. However, three-quarters of its watershed, , is in Vermont. The...
, including the falls at 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...
and Coventry
Coventry, Vermont
Coventry is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,014 at the 2000 census.-Local government:A waste system company paid the town about $800,000 in "tipping fees" in 2009. This allows the town property tax rate to be zero...
, is 190 feet. Wild branch, a tributary of the Lamoille
Lamoille River
The Lamoille River is a river which runs through northern Vermont and drains into Lake Champlain. It is about in length, and has a drainage area of around . The river generally flows southwest, and then northwest, from the water divide of the Green Mountains, and is the namesake of Lamoille...
, rises in Eden
Eden, Vermont
Eden is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,152 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 64.3 square miles , of which 63.6 square miles is land and 0.7 square mile is water...
and flows through the western part of the town. The valley of the Black river in Craftsbury is a muck bed averaging a quarter of a mile in width.
Geology
Geologically, the town varies in its structure to an unusual degree. There is graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
in the east part of town. This alternates with gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
and mica slate. In the central portions of town, the previous rocks are replaced by dark argellaceous slate. This alternates with silicious limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
.
The rocks on the west side of the Black River also vary. Strata of mica slate, argellaceous, and chlorite slates, and limestones, alternate. An extensive deposit of gray granite is near Craftsbury village. It is broken on the surface. This rock is filled with nodules of black mica and quartz, in concentric layers. These are about one inch in diameter.
In much of the area, the biotite orbicules
Biotite
Biotite is a common phyllosilicate mineral within the mica group, with the approximate chemical formula . More generally, it refers to the dark mica series, primarily a solid-solution series between the iron-endmember annite, and the magnesium-endmember phlogopite; more aluminous endmembers...
are so numerous that a hundred may be counted within a circle two feet in diameter. In some parts of the ledge these nodules are flattened, as if subjected to an immense vertical pressure when the mass was in a semi-fluid state. In the nineteenth century these rocks were once believed to be unique from any other found in America or Europe. Today, it is known that they resemble those found in Bethel
Bethel, Vermont
Bethel is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,968 at the 2000 census. The town includes the locations of Bethel-Gilead, East Bethel, Lilliesville, Lympus , and West Bethel...
granite.
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 1,136 people, 427 households, and 301 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 28.9 inhabitants per square mile (11.2/km2). There were 572 housing units at an average density of 14.6 per square mile (5.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.74% White, 0.35% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.44% Asian, and 2.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 427 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% 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,...
, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,453, and the median income for a family was $41,000. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $24,375 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 $17,185. About 11.2% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.
Town population reached its peak in 1860 with 1,413 people. It reached a low of 632 in 1970
Historical U.S. Census totals for Orleans County, Vermont
This article shows U.S. Census totals for Orleans County, Vermont, broken down by municipality, from 1900 to 2000. The county population reached a 20th century low in 1960, 20,143, and has increased its population ever since....
.
Notable people
- Edwin Eugene BagleyEdwin Eugene BagleyEdwin Eugene Bagley was born in Craftsbury, Vermont on May 29, 1857 and died in Keene, New Hampshire on January 29, 1922. He is famous for composing the National Emblem....
, composer. - Samuel C. CraftsSamuel C. CraftsSamuel Chandler Crafts was a United States Representative, Senator and the 12th Governor of Vermont.Born in Woodstock, Connecticut, he graduated from Harvard College in 1790 and moved in 1791 to Vermont with his father, who founded the town of Craftsbury...
, Vermont governor, U.S. Congressman, and U.S. senator and son of the town's founder - Horace F. GrahamHorace F. GrahamHorace French Graham was an American politician who served as the 56th Governor of the U.S. state of Vermont from 1917 to 1919.-Early life:...
, Governor of Vermont 1917-1919 - Bill "The Spaceman" LeeBill Lee (left-handed pitcher)William Francis Lee III , nicknamed "Spaceman", is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox from - and the Montreal Expos from -...
, pitcher for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1969–1978) and Montreal ExposMontreal ExposThe Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
(1979–1982).
Craftsbury in film
Alfred HitchcockAlfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
shot the scenery for his 1955 movie The Trouble with Harry
The Trouble with Harry
The Trouble With Harry is a 1955 American black comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, based on the novel of the same name by Jack Trevor Story. It was released in the United States on October 3, 1955 then rereleased once the distribution rights were acquired by Universal Pictures in 1984...
in Craftsbury. Ostensibly, the movie takes place entirely in town. Exteriors of the parsonage beside the East Craftsbury Presbyterian Church are used as well as exterior shots of Craftsbury Common. Assuming that the town would be in full foliage the company, showed up for outdoor shots on September 27, 1954. To the filmmakers' shock, there was hardly any foliage left; to achieve a full effect, leaves were glued to the trees.
The 1976 IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
film To Fly!
To Fly!
To Fly! is a documentary film shot in the IMAX format. It follows the history of flight, from the first hot air balloons in the 19th century to 20th century manned space missions. It was created for performance at the National Air and Space Museum's IMAX Theater in Washington, D.C.It was written...
a history of human flight, directed by Jim Freeman and Greg MacGillivray
Greg MacGillivray
Greg MacGillivray is an American film director and cinematographer. MacGillivray was first nominated for an Academy Award in 1995 for directing The Living Sea , and was nominated in the same category again for Dolphins in 2000.He has initiated the development of three cameras for the IMAX format...
and produced for the Smithsonian Institution's
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
opens with a hot air balloon passing over the Wee House and the United Church of Craftsbury on the Common.
Tourist industry
The Craftsbury Outdoor Center has over 85 kilometres (52.8 mi) of Nordic skiing trails, used for running in the summer months.In 1981, the first annual Craftsbury (winter) Marathon was held. In 2008, 646 skiers from 20 states and 3 provinces attended along with 295 tourists.
The Craftsbury sculling center is one of the most renowned sculling programs in the United States, based on Little and Big Hosmer lake.
Transportation
Craftsbury is served by Vermont Route 14Vermont 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 near the villages of Craftsbury and Craftsbury Common.
Further reading
Metraux, Daniel A. Craftsbury: A Brief Social History. Writers Club Press: 2001. ISBN 0595193927.External links
- Virtual Vermont Craftsbury web page
- Sterling College
- Craftsbury Outdoor Center
- History of Craftsbury from the Orleans County Historical Society