Pittsfield, Vermont

Pittsfield, Vermont
Town
Bird's-eye view of Pittsfield c. 1910
Pittsfield, Vermont
Coordinates: 43°46′7″N72°49′53″W / 43.76861°N 72.83139°W / 43.76861; -72.83139
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Rutland
Chartered	1781
Area
• Total	20.1 sq mi (51.9 km2)
• Land	20.1 sq mi (51.9 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	891 ft (272 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	504
• Density	25/sq mi (9.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	05762
Area code	802
FIPS code	50-55450 [1]
GNIS feature ID	1462173 [2]

Pittsfield is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 504 at the 2020 census. ^[3] It is the site of the annual Pittsfield Snowshoe Race.

History

A Pittsfield farmhouse c. 1915

Granted on November 8, 1780, the town was chartered on July 29, 1781, to Samuel Wilcox and 129 others. Pittsfield was named after Pittsfield, Massachusetts, which itself had been named in honor of William Pitt. It was first settled in 1786. The town proved suitable for grazing livestock because of its mountainous terrain. ^[4] Indeed, in the 19th century, humorists attributed the invention of the one-legged milking stool to Pittsfield, "...as a means of conquering a stern difficulty." ^[5]

The Farmhouse pictured in this 1915 Postcard to the left still stands and was converted in 1960 to The Fleur De Lis Lodge, for travelers and skiers to stay. Six rooms remain in the original farmhouse, while seven more rooms were added to the new section above the great room.

Pittfield was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. ^[6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.0 square miles (52 km²), all land. Set among the Green Mountains, Pittsfield is drained by the Tweed River, a tributary of the White River.

The town is crossed by Vermont Route 100.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	49		—
1800	164		234.7%
1810	338		106.1%
1820	453		34.0%
1830	505		11.5%
1840	615		21.8%
1850	512		−16.7%
1860	493		−3.7%
1870	482		−2.2%
1880	555		15.1%
1890	468		−15.7%
1900	435		−7.1%
1910	402		−7.6%
1920	343		−14.7%
1930	256		−25.4%
1940	259		1.2%
1950	225		−13.1%
1960	254		12.9%
1970	249		−2.0%
1980	396		59.0%
1990	389		−1.8%
2000	427		9.8%
2010	546		27.9%
2020	504		−7.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]

As of the census ^[1] of 2000, there were 427 people, 190 households, and 120 families residing in the town. The population density was 21.3 people per square mile (8.2/km²). There were 393 housing units at an average density of 19.6 per square mile (7.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.36% White, 0.23% Asian, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.

There were 190 households, out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,667, and the median income for a family was $47,000. Males had a median income of $29,306 versus $26,406 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,837. About 1.6% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable events

In August 2011, Pittsfield became known as one of the most isolated Vermont towns when Tropical Storm Irene destroyed parts of Vermont Route 100 between Killington and Bethel, preventing vehicle travel in and out of the town for weeks. The Giorgetti Covered Bridge was completely destroyed by flood waters, along with 8 homes. As with so many other towns in the area, the geography of this small village has changed significantly; this flood has been compared to the Great Vermont Flood of 1927.

Site of interest

• Giorgetti Covered Bridge

Notable people

• Belle C. Greene, writer ^[8]
• Charles Herbert Joyce, US congressman
• Chelsea Marshall, Former US Ski Team Member, grew up in Pittsfield
• Joe De Sena, resides in Pittsfield

References

1. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. "Census - Geography Profile: Pittsfield town, Rutland County, Vermont". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 4, 2022.
4. Hayward's New England Gazetteer of 1839
5. A. J. Coolidge & J. B. Mansfield, A History and Description of New England; Boston, Massachusetts 1859
6. Floodwaters From Storm Isolate 13 Vermont Towns, The New York Times
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
8. Willard, Frances Elizabeth, 1839-1898; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice, 1820-1905 (1893). A woman of the century; fourteen hundred-seventy biographical sketches accompanied by portraits of leading American women in all walks of life. Buffalo, N.Y., Moulton. p.  337 . Retrieved August 8, 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .

External links

• Town of Pittsfield official website
• Roger Clark Memorial Library
• Pittsfield Historical Society
• Pittsfield Snowshoe Race
• Virtual Vermont – Pittsfield, Vermont