- Royalton, Vermont
-
Royalton, Vermont — Town — Village of South Royalton from Interstate 89
Located in Windsor County, Vermont
Location of Vermont with the U.S.A.
Coordinates: 43°48′58″N 72°32′50″W / 43.81611°N 72.54722°WCoordinates: 43°48′58″N 72°32′50″W / 43.81611°N 72.54722°W Country United States State Vermont County Windsor Chartered 1769 Settled 1771 Organized 1774 Area – Total 40.9 sq mi (106.0 km2) – Land 40.4 sq mi (104.7 km2) – Water 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2) Elevation 492 ft (150 m) Population (2000) – Total 2,603 – Density 64.4/sq mi (24.9/km2) – Households 1,155 – Families 622 Time zone EST (UTC-5) – Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4) ZIP code 05068 Area code(s) 802 FIPS code 50-60850[1] GNIS feature ID 1462191[2] Website www.royaltonvt.com Royalton is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,603 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of Royalton, South Royalton, and North Royalton. Vermont Law School, the state's only accredited law school, is located in South Royalton.
Contents
History
Logging scene in c. 1907
The town was chartered on November 23, 1769, by Cadwallader Colden, Royal Lieutenant Governor of New York. The first permanent settlers were Robert Havens and his family, who arrived in 1771. Royalton was re-chartered by the Independent Republic of Vermont on December 20, 1781. The 1780 Royalton Raid was the last major British raid of the American War of Independence in New England. In 1848, the Vermont Central Railroad opened to South Royalton, which developed as a freight depot.
Although Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism, was born in the adjacent town of Sharon near the Royalton boundary, the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial lies in the town.[3]
In June 1974, the now-defunct Royalton College hosted the Institute for Humane Studies' Conference on Austrian Economics. The conference is considered the "single most important catalyst in this revival of Austrian economics" (an economic theory also known as "The Austrian School", the "Vienna School" or the "Psychological School"). Edwin G. Dolan hosted the conference. Notable presenters included Israel M. Kirzner, Ludwig M. Lachmann, and Murray N. Rothbard. The edited version of the conference proceedings appears in Professor Dolan's The Foundations of Modern Austrian Economics. South Royalton is also the home of the world renowned William Spain. [1][2]
Geography
The town is located in the heart of the Green Mountains, and the White River cuts through its center. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.9 square miles (106.0 km2), of which, 40.4 square miles (104.7 km2) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) of it (1.25%) is water. Royalton is drained by the White River.
The town is crossed by Interstate 89, Vermont Route 14, Vermont Route 107, and Vermont Route 110. It borders the towns of Bethel to the northwest, Randolph to the north, Tunbridge to the northeast, Strafford to the east, Sharon to the southeast, Pomfret to the south, and Barnard to the southwest.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,603 people, 1,155 households, and 622 families residing in the town. The population density was 64.4 people per square mile (24.9/km2). There were 1,281 housing units at an average density of 31.7 per square mile (12.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.20% White, 0.77% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.77% Asian, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.
There were 1,155 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were couples living together and joined in either marriage or civil union, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,943, and the median income for a family was $42,898. Males had a median income of $29,708 versus $26,667 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,755. About 7.6% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.
Sites of interest
Notable people
Village of South Royalton- Frederick Billings, lawyer, financier and railroad president.
- Albert Carrington, religious leader.
- Salmon P. Chase, senator, governor, treasury secretary and chief justice.
- Jacob Collamer, congressman, postmaster general and senator.
- Dudley Chase Denison, congressman.
- Charles Durkee, senator.
- Truman Henry Safford, calculating prodigy.
- William Smith, religious leader.
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Joseph Smith, Jr. Monument, Mormon Historic Sites Registry, c. 2006. Accessed 2008-04-09.
- A. J. Coolidge & J. B. Mansfield, A History and Description of New England; Boston, Massachusetts 1859
- Evelyn M. Wood Lovejoy, History of Royalton, Vermont; Burlington, Vermont 1911
External links
Municipalities and communities of Windsor County, Vermont Towns Andover | Baltimore | Barnard | Bethel | Bridgewater | Cavendish | Chester | Hartford | Hartland | Ludlow | Norwich | Plymouth | Pomfret | Reading | Rochester | Royalton | Sharon | Springfield | Stockbridge | Weathersfield | West Windsor | Weston | Windsor | Woodstock
Villages CDPs Other
communitiesBrownsville | Hartford | Lewiston | Plymouth Notch | South Woodstock | Weathersfield Bow | West Hartford
Categories:- Towns in Vermont
- Royalton, Vermont
- Populated places established in 1769
- Populated places in Windsor County, Vermont
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