Brattleboro, Vermont

Brattleboro, Vermont
Town
View of downtown Brattleboro from Mount Wantastiquet in New Hampshire.
Location in Vermont.
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Windham
Area
• Total	32.4 sq mi (84.0 km2)
• Land	32.0 sq mi (82.9 km2)
• Water	0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2)
Elevation	633 ft (193 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	12,005
• Density	375.3/sq mi (144.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	05301-05304
Area code	802
FIPS code	50-07900Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	1462049Template:GR

Brattleboro is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,005 at the 2000 census. It is situated along the Connecticut River, at the mouth of the West River.

The town was chartered on 26 December, 1753.

History

Brattleboro originated with the founding of Fort Dummer in 1724. The town was chartered in 1753.

The Brattleboro postmaster issued the first postal stamps in the United States in 1846.

The town was the home of Rudyard Kipling's wife. Kipling himself lived for a time in the town.

The first person ever to receive a Social Security benefit check, issued on January 31, 1940 to Ida Fuller from Brattleboro. Her check number was 00-000-001 and it was for $22.54.

In 1950, Brattleboro had a population of 11,522.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 32.5 square miles (84.0 km²), of which, 32.0 square miles (82.9 km²) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.2 km², 1.42%) is water. Brattleboro is located at 42°51′15″N 72°33′31″W.

Topography

The town largely rests in what is known as the Connecticut River Valley. Along the eastern edge is the Connecticut River. An extensive network of hills and mountains surrounds the town in all directions.

Development

The town's most densely populated area is downtown, at the very bottom of the valley. Because of the area's very hilly terrain, and relatively little flat land, many buildings are on steep grades, bunched closely together. This topography has helped to create an urban atmosphere.

Downtown Brattleboro, as seen looking across the Connecticut River from New Hampshire.

Since the 1950s, suburban development occurred outside of the traditional downtown and in the west, south, and north of the township. The southern section of the town is predominantly one or two family houses with a mix of triple deckers. Commercial and industrial operations play a relatively minor role in this section of town, with heavy concentration on the U.S. Route 5/Canal Street artery that cuts through the area. The town's high school and the Regional Career Center are also located in this section.

The western section of town, which formally became a village in 2005, is also mostly residential, with the state's largest mobile home park and several large planned developments.

The northern section of Brattleboro developed in the 1960s and 1970s. The area has almost no residential development and is dominated by large commercial and industrial establishments along Putney Road, including roughly seven major hotels located within a short distance of each other. C&S Wholesale Grocers made its headquarters in this section until moving to Keene, New Hampshire in 2005; because of close proximity to Interstate 91, C&S has kept a major portion of its shipping operations in Brattleboro.

The outskirts of Brattleboro have a decidedly rural feel, with very little housing development and boasting the last few farms left in Brattleboro after the collapse of the dairy industry in the 1970s. At its peak, the area had over 170 farms; there are now only nine left. Brattleboro is also the headquarters of the Holstein Association.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 12,005 people, 5,364 households, and 2,880 families residing in the town. The population density was 375.3 people per square mile (144.9/km²). There were 5,686 housing units at an average density of 177.7/sq mi (68.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.06% White, 1.13% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 2.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population.

There were 5,364 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were couples living together and joined in either marriage or civil union, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.3% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $31,997, and the median income for a family was $44,267. Males had a median income of $31,001 versus $25,329 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,554. About 9.2% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

The ethnic population (non-white and single race, with Hispanic included) comprises 3.4% of the population, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. While this percentage is by comparison small to that of any major U.S. city, it is considered high for a traditionally white state and puts Brattleboro second to Vermont's largest city Burlington in this respect. This large ethnic influence has given Brattleboro the most diverse establishments and institutions of any city in the state.

Government

Brattleboro's citizens are represented by a Select Board and Town Manager. Five members are elected to fill three one-year positions and two three-year positions. The Select Board, in cooperation with the Town Manager, are in responsible for addressing town issues brought to them. In the "town manager" form of government the Town Manager is appointed by the Selectboard. The town has three districts and representatives from those districts gather on Town Meeting Day to discuss and vote on issues.

Petition against Bush and Cheney

On January 25, 2008, the town council by a 3-2 vote approved a petition to be placed on a March 4 ballot, calling for the indictment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for crimes against the United States Constitution. The petition reads: "Shall the Selectboard instruct the Town Attorney to draft indictments against President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes against our Constitution, and publish said indictments for consideration by other authorities and shall it be the law of the Town of Brattleboro that the Brattleboro Police, pursuant to the above-mentioned indictments, arrest and detain George Bush and Richard Cheney in Brattleboro if they are not duly impeached, and prosecute or extradite them to other authorities that may reasonably contend to prosecute them?"

The town council issued a statement on the petition, which the town voted on as a town meeting article on March 4, and passed.

On January 25 the Town Clerk’s office received a petition from Brattleboro resident Kurt Daims. Per Town Charter, a petition containing signatures from 5% of Brattleboro voters can be placed on the ballot for a Town-wide vote. Mr. Daims’ petition did contain the required number of signatures. At a meeting on January 25, the Brattleboro Selectboard voted 3-2 to place the petition on the ballot. Reasons given by Board members voting in the affirmative centered on the belief that if a petition contained the required signatures, the voters should have the opportunity to vote on the matter. Reasons given by Board members voting on the dissent centered on the belief that articles outside the scope and authority of the Town should not go before the voters of the Town. The Brattleboro Town Attorney has stated that the petition has no legal standing, as the Town Attorney has no authority to write an indictment and the Town Police Department has no authority to attempt an arrest of the President of the United States.

Shopping and dining

T.J. Buckley's restaurant in uptown Brattleboro.

Vermont is a popular weekend getaway among wealthy New York and Connecticut tourists. Brattleboro, being the first major town over the Vermont border on Interstate 91, offers a mix of a rural atmosphere and urban amenities such as a large number of hotels. Brattleboro is a host to a number of art galleries and stores including Vermont Artisan Design, the largest store of original artworks in the area.

The Brattleboro Food Cooperative, a natural foods store and deli holds the claim of being the state's first certified organic retailer. In 2007, Brattleboro passed the Fairtrade town resolution, clearing the way to become the second Fairtrade certified town in the nation, joining Media, Pennsylvania.

Transportation

Main Street Bridge over the Hill Brook.

See also: Brattleboro (Amtrak station)

Rail

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, operates its Vermonter service daily through Brattleboro, between Washington, D.C. and St. Albans, Vermont.

Bus

The Brattleboro BeeLine operates throughout the town between 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and is comprised of the Red Line and Blue Line buses which work in conjunction with each other to move residents throughout the T shaped layout of town. Bus services also run daily between Brattleboro and Bellows Falls, and between Brattleboro and Whitingham. In addition, Brattleboro is serviced daily by the national bus service Greyhound, which operates out of its terminal just south of the exit three interchange.

Highway

Brattleboro is serviced by two major routes and one Interstate route. New England Interstate Route 9 runs from the New York border with Vermont, west of Bennington, traveling east through downtown Brattleboro, then running north to the New Hampshire border. Route 9's local names within Brattleboro include Molly Stark Trail, Marlboro Road, Western Avenue, High Street, Main Street, and Putney Road. Route 9 runs concurrently with U.S. Route 5 from the intersection of Main and High Streets north to meet Interstate 91 Exit 3.

U.S. Route 5 enters Brattleboro at its border with the town of Guilford and runs northerly, through downtown, and eventually exits Brattleboro at its border with Dummerston, Vermont. Route 5's local names are as follows (from beginning to end in Brattleboro) Canal Street, Main Street, Putney Road. Southbound, Route 5 also runs along Park Place and a part of Linden Street, following a one-way triangle at the north end of Main Street.

Interstate 91, originating in Connecticut and terminating at the Canadian border, runs through the town in a north-south direction, in a semi-circumferential manner around the town center. Exit one serves the southern part of town; exit two serves the western section of town with connection to local ski areas via State Route 9; exit three serves the northern section of town with connection to the bridge to New Hampshire.

Culture

Print media

The town is home to the Brattleboro Reformer, a daily newspaper with a circulation of approximately 11,000, and the Commons, a nonprofit community monthly newspaper with a circulation of 5,000. Another community-based newspaper, the Parent Express, is also circulated in Brattleboro, published in Windham and Cheshire counties.

Radio

There are several radio stations which broadcast in Brattleboro.

FM

• WKVT-FM 92.7.
• WRSI 101.5 (repeater station at Brattleboro and Northampton, Massachusetts).
• WTSA-FM 96.7.
• WVEW 107.7 (community-supported low power station).

AM

• WKVT 1490.
• WTSA 1450.

Other area stations

• WHDQ 106.1 (Claremont, New Hampshire).
• WINQ 98.7 (Winchester, New Hampshire).
• WEQX 102.7 (Manchester, Vermont, with a repeater in Keene, New Hampshire, at 98.1).
• WRSY 101.5 (Marlboro, Vermont).
• WYRY 104.9 (Hinsdale, New Hampshire).

Arts

Brattleboro has a thriving arts community. The town is listed in John Villani’s book The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America, in which it ranks number nine among towns with a population of 30,000 or under.

On the first Friday of every month, an event known as the Gallery Walk is held, in which galleries, artists, and arts organizations open their doors to the public to display new work or hold performances. Included in the organizations that participate are the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, the Hooker-Dunham Theater and Gallery, the In-Sight Photography Project, River Gallery School, Through the Music, and the Windham Art Gallery.

Other notable arts organizations in Brattleboro include the Brattleboro Music Center, the Vermont Theatre Company, the New England Youth Theater, the Brattleboro Women's Chorus, the Brattleboro School of Dance, Luminz Studio dance and performing arts center, and the Nimble Arts Trapeze & Circus School.

Annual events in Brattleboro include:

• The Winter Carnival in February.
• Harris Hill ski-jumping competition in February.
• Women's Film Festival in March.
• Easter Egg Hunt in April (for residents only).
• Maple Open House Weekend in March.
• River Gallery School benefit auction in March.
• Taste of the Town in May.
• Strolling of the Heifers in June.
• Brattleboro Fest music festival in mid-June.
• Vermont Theatre Company's Shakespeare-in-the-Park in June and July.
• Brattleboro Animation Festival on the first Friday in July.
• Brattleboro Free Folk Festival, begun in 2003.
• Brattleboro Literary Festival in September.
• World Solstice Celebration in December.

Dates are subject to change from year to year.

Literary

Brattleboro's first bookstore opened in 1795. The first Bible to be printed in Vermont was printed in the town, in 1812.

The Brattleboro Literary Festival has been held every fall since 2001.

The first American edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was printed in Brattleboro.

Cultural references

• Brattleboro is the setting for much of H. P. Lovecraft's story The Whisperer in Darkness.
• Brattleboro is mentioned repeatedly in David Foster Wallace's novel Infinite Jest.
• The popular Joe Gunther mystery series written by Archer Mayor is largely set in Brattleboro.
• Brattleboro is where the title character in Tom Taylor's play Our American Cousin meets his English relatives, leading to his trip to England where the events of the play take place.

Public nudity

Public nudity, although not always welcomed by the denizens of the town, was not forbidden by any Vermont statute or Brattleboro ordinance until July 17, 2007. The town has drawn national attention when nudists make a visit to take advantage of the situation. On July 17, 2007, Brattleboro town officials passed an emergency rule by a 3–2 margin, temporarily "banning nudity on the main roads and within 250 feet of any school or place of worship, among other places" due to a number of complaints.

On August 22, 2007, the Brattleboro Selectboard decided not to make the ban on nudity permanent, once again allowing nudity in the town when the temporary statute ran out in September. However, on 4 December, 2007 the Selectboard made the ban permanent. Nudity is now banned, and one faces a $100 charge if cited.

Nudity around Brattleboro's downtown area, particularly that of local teenagers, brought the issue into the spotlight. This briefly came under the national eye when an Associated Press article was published on Yahoo! News, and even drew the attention of Dr. Phil McGraw who sent a crew to Brattleboro to investigate, however it was never presented on the day-time show.

Notable natives and residents

• Will Ackerman; music producer, guitarist.
• William Bullock Clark; geologist.
• Bill Koch; first world-class cross-country skier from the United States.
• Chris Duffy; baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates
• Ida May Fuller; first recipient of a monthly benefit Social Security check.
• Theodore P. Greene, Rear-Admiral. Raised in town
• Karen Hesse; Newbery Medal-winning children's author.
• Frederick Holbrook; governor of Vermont
• Jonathan Hunt, Congressman, bank president, trustee, Middlebury College
• Leavitt Hunt; photography pioneer, attorney
• Richard Morris Hunt; architect
• William Morris Hunt; painter
• Wolf Kahn; painter
• Rudyard Kipling; author
• Joanna Noëlle Levesque; also known as JoJo, American singer and actor, born in Brattleboro
• William Rutherford Mead; architect, member of McKim, Mead, and White
• Karen Morian; actress
• Marcel Moyse; famous French flute player, died in Brattleboro.
• Royall Tyler; Revolutionary-era playwright.

See also

• School for International Training, an accredited college located in Brattleboro.

External links

• Article on Brattleboro
• Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce
• Brattleboro Area Middle School
• Brattleboro Commons newspaper
• Brattleboro Reformer newspaper
• Brattleboro Union High School
• Brattleboro Vermont Town Web Site
• Law of nature... in Brattleboro The Boston Globe, August 23, 2006.