Westminster (town), Vermont

See also: Westminster (village), Vermont

Town in Vermont, United States

Westminster, Vermont
Town
Westminster Town Hall
Westminster, Vermont
WestminsterLocation in the United StatesShow map of VermontWestminsterWestminster (the United States)Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 43°04′29″N 72°30′31″W / 43.07472°N 72.50861°W / 43.07472; -72.50861
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Windham
Settled	1751
Chartered	November 9, 1752
Communities	Westminster North Westminster Westminster Station Westminster West
Government
• Town Clerk	Doreen Woodward
Elevation	89 ft (27 m)
Population
• Total	3,016
• Density	66/sq mi (25.3/km)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	05158
Area code	802
Website	www.westminstervt.org/

Westminster is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,016 at the 2020 census. It was also the first capital of the Republic of Vermont. It borders the state of New Hampshire.

History

Westminster is Vermont's oldest existing town and was chartered in 1735 by the Province of Massachusetts Bay and was called New Taunton or Township Number One. The town did not have any permanent settlers in the area until 1751. New Hampshire settlers came in and the town was later incorporated in the Province of New Hampshire on November 9, 1752, becoming the third chartered town for New Hampshire west of the Connecticut River. When the British government recognized the Province of New York's claims to what is now Vermont, New York moved its Court of Common Pleas for Cumberland County to Westminster in 1772. It was the site of the Westminster massacre in March 1775, in which two men were killed attempting to prevent New York provincial officials from exerting their authority over the area in the long-running dispute over the New Hampshire Grants. On January 15, 1777, a group of Vermonters met in the Westminster courthouse to declare the independence of the Republic of New Connecticut (later renamed the Republic of Vermont).

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.1 square miles (119 km), of which 46.1 square miles (119 km) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km) (0.06%) is water.

Transportation

Westminster is crossed by Interstate 91 (Exit 5 serves the town), U.S. Route 5, Vermont Route 121 and Vermont Route 123.

The New England Central Railroad has track rights through the town. Amtrak's Vermonter passenger rail line runs through Westminster but does not stop in town. The closest stations are Bellows Falls to the north and Brattleboro to the south.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	1,601	—
1800	1,942	21.3%
1810	1,925	−0.9%
1820	1,974	2.5%
1830	1,737	−12.0%
1840	1,546	−11.0%
1850	1,721	11.3%
1860	1,300	−24.5%
1870	1,238	−4.8%
1880	1,377	11.2%
1890	1,265	−8.1%
1900	1,295	2.4%
1910	1,327	2.5%
1920	1,289	−2.9%
1930	1,324	2.7%
1940	1,403	6.0%
1950	1,400	−0.2%
1960	1,602	14.4%
1970	1,875	17.0%
1980	2,493	33.0%
1990	3,026	21.4%
2000	3,210	6.1%
2010	3,178	−1.0%
2020	3,016	−5.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,210 people, 1,246 households, and 843 families residing in the town. The population density was 69.7 people per square mile (26.9 people/km). There were 1,412 housing units at an average density of 30.6 units per square mile (11.8 units/km). The racial makeup of the town was 97.73% White, 0.40% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.34% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 1,246 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $44,263, and the median income for a family was $49,615. Males had a median income of $32,365 versus $26,303 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,019. About 7.1% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

Westminster is mostly rural in nature
I-91 in Westminster

Notable people

Fanny Allen, daughter of Ethan Allen, who converted to Catholicism and became a nun after a religious experience while living in Westminster
Jerome Allen, educator and author
Stephen R. Bradley, US Senator from Vermont
William Czar Bradley. US Representative from Vermont
Edmund Burke, US Representative from New Hampshire
Joseph Dorr Clapp, Wisconsin State Senator, farmer, and businessman, was born in Westminster
Lot Hall, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
Hiram Pratt, mayor of Buffalo, New York
Mark Richards, US Congressman and seventh Lieutenant Governor of Vermont

References

"Town Clerk's Office". Westminster Vermont. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
"Census - Geography Profile: Westminster town, Windham County, Vermont". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
"Westminster Vermont Chartered 1735". Westminster Vermont. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
Haas, Jessie (2012). Westminster, Vermont, 1735–2000: Township Number One. The History Press. p. 1. ISBN 9781609494759.
Collins, Anne L. (2007). Bellows Falls, Saxtons River and Westminster: A History of Vermont's Most Beloved River Communities. The History Press. p. 123. ISBN 9781596292376.
U.S. Government Printing Office (1903). Congressional Serial Set. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 286.
United States Congressional serial set. United States Congressional serial set. 1908. p. 52.
Hass, Jessica (2012). Westminster, Vermont, 1735-2000: Township Number One. The History Press. p. 51. ISBN 9781609494759.
Conant, Edward (1915). A Text Book of the Geography, History, Constitution and Civil Government of Vermont: Also Constitution and Civil Government of the United States. A Publication Expressly Prepared to Comply with Vermont's State School Laws. Tutle Company. p. 191.
"U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
Bureau, U. S. Census. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 14, 2019. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
Byrne, William (1899). History of the Catholic Church in the New England States. Vol. 2. Hurd & Everts. pp. 487–490.
Crowell, Edward Payson and Biscoe, Walter Stanley (1883). Biographical Record of the Alumni of Amherst College During Its First Half Century, 1821–1871. Edward Payson Crowell, Walter Stanley Biscoe. p. 245. Jerome Allen westminster vt.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
"BRADLEY, Stephen Row, (1754–1830)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
"BRADLEY, William Czar, (1782–1867)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
"BURKE, Edmund, (1809 Fanny Allen – 1882)". Biographocal Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
'Proceedings of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin at the Forth-eight session, December 11, 1900, Biographical Sketch of Joseph Dorr Clapp, pg. 95
Hall, Benjamin Homer (1858). History of Eastern Vermont: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Close of the Eighteenth Century. New York, NY: D. Appleton & Co. pp. 658–666.
Pratt, Walter Wilcox (1900). The Ancestry and the Descendants of John Pratt of Hartford, Conn. Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company. p. 71.
"RICHARDS, Mark, (1760–1844)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 27, 2012.

External links

Places adjacent to Westminster (town), Vermont

Athens

Rockingham

Walpole, New Hampshire

Westminster

Walpole, New Hampshire

Brookline

Putney

Westmoreland, New Hampshire

v t e Municipalities and communities of Windham County, Vermont, United States
Shire town: Newfane
Towns	Athens Brattleboro Brookline Dover Dummerston Grafton Guilford Halifax Jamaica Londonderry Marlboro Newfane Putney Rockingham Somerset§ Stratton Townshend Vernon Wardsboro Westminster Whitingham Wilmington Windham	Map of Vermont highlighting Windham County
Villages	Bellows Falls Jacksonville Newfane Saxtons River Westminster
CDPs	Algiers Brattleboro Chimney Hill Grafton Harmonyville Jamaica Londonderry North Westminster Putney South Londonderry Stratton Mountain‡ Townshend Wardsboro West Brattleboro West Dummerston Whitingham Wilmington
Other communities	Cambridgeport East Dover South Newfane West Dover West Halifax West Townshend West Wardsboro Williamsville
Footnotes	§ Disincorporated ‡ This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Vermont portal United States portal

Connecticut River watershed

Tributaries

Connecticut	Blackledge River Coginchaug River Connecticut River Duck River Eightmile River Falls River Farmington River Hockanum River Hubbard River Jeremy River Lieutenant River Mattabesset River Nepaug River Pameacha Creek Park River Pequabuck River Salmon River Scantic River
Massachusetts	Burnshirt River Chapel Brook Chicopee River Connecticut River Cranberry River Deerfield River East Brookfield River Farmington River Fall River Five Mile River Green River Hubbard River Manhan River Mill River (Northampton) Mill River (Springfield) Millers River Mirey Brook North Branch Millers River North Branch Westfield River North River Otter River Quaboag River Scantic River Seven Mile River Tarbell Brook Ware River Westfield River
New Hampshire	Ammonoosuc River Ashuelot River Blow-me-down Brook The Branch Cold River Connecticut River East Branch Mohawk River Gale River Great Brook Halls Stream Ham Branch Indian River Indian Stream Israel River Johns River Knox River Little River Little Sugar River Mascoma River Millers River Mink Brook Mirey Brook Mohawk River Nash Stream North Branch Gale River North Branch Millers River North Branch Sugar River North Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River Oliverian Brook Otter Brook Partridge Brook Perry Stream Phillips Brook Simms Stream South Branch Ashuelot River South Branch Gale River South Branch Israel River South Branch Sugar River Stocker Brook Sugar River Tarbell Brook Upper Ammonoosuc River West Branch Mohawk River West Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River Wild Ammonoosuc River Zealand River
Vermont	Black River Connecticut River Deerfield River Fall River Green River Halls Stream Leach Creek Moose River Nulhegan River Ompompanoosuc River Ottauquechee River Passumpsic River Rock River Saxtons River Utley Brook Waits River Wells River West River Whetstone Brook White River Williams River Winhall River

Lakes

Connecticut	Barkhamsted Reservoir Lake Beseck Lake Hayward Lake Pocotopaug
Massachusetts	Brooks Pond Browning Pond Lake Monomonac Quabbin Reservoir Lake Wyola
New Hampshire	Ashuelot Pond Back Lake Canaan Street Lake Cedar Pond Christine Lake Comerford Reservoir Connecticut Lakes Crystal Lake Dublin Pond Eastman Pond Echo Lake Lake Francis (Murphy Dam) Goose Pond Grafton Pond Granite Lake Lakes of the Clouds Little Sunapee Lake Mascoma Lake McIndoes Reservoir Lake Monomonac Moore Reservoir Pearly Lake Silver Lake Spofford Lake Lake Sunapee Surry Mountain Lake Lake Tarleton
Vermont	Ball Mountain Lake Comerford Reservoir Harriman Reservoir Harvey's Lake McIndoes Reservoir Moore Reservoir North Hartland Lake Lake Rescue Townshend Lake

Towns

Connecticut	Chester Cromwell Deep River East Haddam East Hampton East Hartford East Windsor Enfield Essex Glastonbury Haddam Hartford Higganum Lyme Middletown Moodus Old Lyme Old Saybrook Portland Rocky Hill South Windsor Suffield Thompsonville Wethersfield Windsor Windsor Locks
Massachusetts	Agawam Chicopee Deerfield Easthampton Gill Greenfield Hadley Hatfield Holyoke Longmeadow Millers Falls Montague Northampton Northfield South Hadley Springfield Sunderland Turners Falls West Springfield Whately
New Hampshire	Bath Charlestown Chesterfield Claremont Clarksville Colebrook Columbia Cornish Dalton Groveton Hanover Haverhill Hinsdale Lancaster Lebanon Littleton Lyme Monroe Northumberland Orford Piermont Pittsburg Plainfield Stewartstown Stratford Walpole West Lebanon Westmoreland Woodsville
Quebec	East Hereford
Vermont	Ascutney Barnet Beecher Falls Bellows Falls Bloomfield Bradford Brattleboro Brunswick Canaan Concord Dummerston Fairlee Gilman Guildhall Hartford Hartland Lemington Lunenburg Maidstone Newbury Norwich Putney Rockingham Ryegate Springfield Thetford Vernon Waterford Weathersfield Wells River Westminster White River Junction Wilder Windsor

Crossings

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