Rochester, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Rochester is a town in Windsor County, Vermont
, United States
. The population was 1,171 at the 2000 census. Rochester is home to the Quarry Hill Creative Center
. Set on the edge of the Green Mountain National Forest
, the town is a picturesque tourist destination
.
The surface of the town is mountainous and broken, but the intervales along the White River
provided good farmland
for agriculture
. There were sites supplying water power for mills
. By 1859, when the population was 1,493, industries included one gristmill
, several sawmill
s, one tub factory, and a variety of mechanic shops. The White River Railroad
from Bethel
opened to Rochester in 1900, but was abandoned in 1933 during the Great Depression
.
Rochester was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by Hurricane Irene
in 2011.
, the town has a total area of 56.2 square miles (145.6 km2), of which 56.2 square miles (145.5 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.09%) is water. Rochester is drained by the White River
.
The town is crossed by Vermont Route 73
and Vermont Route 100
.
of 2000, there were 1,171 people, 511 households, and 330 families residing in the town. The population density
was 20.8 people per square mile (8.0/km2). There were 768 housing units at an average density of 13.7 per square mile (5.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.46% White, 0.17% African American, 0.17% Asian, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.
There were 511 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were couples living together and joined in either marriage
or civil union
, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,820, and the median income for a family was $41,131. Males had a median income of $30,395 versus $21,964 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,986. About 4.2% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.
Inner Traditions
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 1,171 at the 2000 census. Rochester is home to the Quarry Hill Creative Center
Quarry Hill Creative Center
Quarry Hill Creative Center, in Rochester, Vermont, is Vermont's oldest alternative living group or community.-History:On April 10, 1946, Irving Fiske , a playwright, inventor, freelance writer, and speaker, and his wife, Barbara Hall Fiske, , an artist and one...
. Set on the edge of the Green Mountain National Forest
Green Mountain National Forest
Green Mountain National Forest is a national forest located in Vermontwhich supports a variety of wildlife, including beaver, moose, black bear, and white tailed deer. It also supports an abundant variety of bird species. The forest has been referred to as the 'granite backbone' of the state...
, the town is a picturesque tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
.
History
Rochester was granted in 1780, chartered in 1781 to Dudley Chase, Asa Whitcomb and 63 others, then organized in 1788. It was first settled in the winter of 1781-1782 by David Currier and his family. Rochester's boundaries later expanded when the town of Philadelphia was divided up among its neighbors.The surface of the town is mountainous and broken, but the intervales along the White River
White River (Vermont)
The White River is a river in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River.The White River rises at Skylight Pond south of Bread Loaf Mountain near the crest of the Green Mountains. The river flows east to the town of Granville, where it receives the outflow from the...
provided good farmland
Alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms...
for agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. There were sites supplying water power for mills
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
. By 1859, when the population was 1,493, industries included one gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
, several sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s, one tub factory, and a variety of mechanic shops. The White River Railroad
White River Railroad (Vermont)
The White River Railroad was an intrastate railroad in southeastern Vermont. It ran from Bethel, Vermont to Rochester, Vermont, a distance of approximately 19 miles.- History :...
from 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...
opened to Rochester in 1900, but was abandoned in 1933 during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
Rochester was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene (2011)
Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...
in 2011.
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 56.2 square miles (145.6 km2), of which 56.2 square miles (145.5 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.09%) is water. Rochester is drained by the White River
White River (Vermont)
The White River is a river in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River.The White River rises at Skylight Pond south of Bread Loaf Mountain near the crest of the Green Mountains. The river flows east to the town of Granville, where it receives the outflow from the...
.
The town is crossed by Vermont Route 73
Vermont Route 73
Vermont Route 73 is an east–west state highway in central Vermont, United States. It extends from VT 74 in Shoreham in the west to VT 100 in Rochester in the east. The route runs through parts of Addison, Rutland, and Windsor counties...
and Vermont Route 100
Vermont Route 100
Vermont Route 100 is a north–south state highway in Vermont, United States. Running through the center of the state, it travels nearly the entire length of Vermont and is long...
.
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 1,171 people, 511 households, and 330 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 20.8 people per square mile (8.0/km2). There were 768 housing units at an average density of 13.7 per square mile (5.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.46% White, 0.17% African American, 0.17% Asian, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.
There were 511 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% 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,...
, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,820, and the median income for a family was $41,131. Males had a median income of $30,395 versus $21,964 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 $19,986. About 4.2% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.
Local Owned Companies
Sandy's Books & BakeryInner Traditions
Notable people
- William Wildman CampbellWilliam Wildman CampbellWilliam Wildman Campbell was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born in Rochester, Vermont, Campbell attended the public schools, Goddard Seminary, Barre, Vermont, and Tufts College, Medford, Massachusetts.He studied law....
, congressman from Ohio. - Jeremiah IngallsJeremiah IngallsJeremiah Ingalls was born Andover, Massachusetts March 1, 1764 and died in Hancock, Vermont, April 6, 1838. He was one of the first American composers, and is considered among the First New England School.-Biography:...
, early American composer. - James WhitcombJames WhitcombJames Whitcomb was a Democratic United States Senator and the eighth Governor of Indiana. As governor during the Mexican-American War, he oversaw the formation and deployment of the state's levies...
, senator and governor of Indiana.