In the early 19th century, small high-quality marble deposits were discovered in Rutland, and in the 1830s a large deposit of nearly solid marble of high quality was found in what is now West Rutland. By the 1840s small firms had begun operations, but marble quarries only became profitable when the railroad came to Rutland in 1851. At the same time, the famous quarries of Carrara in Tuscany, Italy, became largely unworkable because of their extreme depth, and Rutland quickly became one of the leading producers of marble in the world.
This fueled enough growth and investment that in 1886 the marble companies saw to it that when the present Rutland City was incorporated as a village, most of the town was split off as West Rutland and Proctor, which between them contained the bulk of the marble quarries. Proctor was formed around the nucleus of the old Sutherland Falls from parts of Rutland and Pittsford. Proctor was named for and almost completely owned by SenatorRedfield Proctor. The closing of the marble quarries in the town in the 1980s and 1990s cost the area many jobs, and Proctor has struggled much more than its neighbors. In 2004 the Proctor Marble Arch Bridge restoration project was the recipient of the Marble Institute Award of Merit for "commitment to preservation of the original stonework."[4]
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,877 people, 756 households, and 530 families residing in the town. The population density was 248.2 inhabitants per square mile (95.9/km2). There were 791 housing units at an average density of 104.6 per square mile (40.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.04% White, 0.16% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.05% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 756 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $39,773, and the median income for a family was $45,625. Males had a median income of $33,214 versus $25,197 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,214. About 6.8% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.
Juliette M. Bianco and Pieter B.F.J. Broucke, Nature Transformed: Edward Burtynsky's Vermont Quarry Photographs in Context. Hanover, NH: Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College; Distributed by University Press of New England, 2012.
David C. Gale, Proctor: the Story of a Marble Town. Brattleboro, VT: Vermont Printing Co, 1922.
Vermont Marble Company, Vermont Marble Company: Its Past and Future: Address at a General Conference at Proctor, Vermont, December 28–31, 1920. Proctor, VT: Privately printed, 1921.
Rutland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,572, making it the second-most populous county in Vermont. Its county seat and most populous municipality is the city of Rutland.
Bennington County is a county in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,347. The shire towns are jointly Bennington and Manchester, and the largest municipality is Bennington. The county was created in 1778.
Dorset is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,133 at the 2020 census. Dorset is famous for being the location of Cephas Kent's Inn, where four meetings of the Convention that signed the Dorset Accords led to the independent Vermont Republic and future statehood. Dorset is the site of America's oldest marble quarry and is the birthplace of Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. East Dorset is the site of the Wilson House and the Griffith Library. The town is named after the English county of Dorset.
Rupert is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 698 at the 2020 census.
Lunenburg is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,246 at the 2020 census, the most populous in Essex County. Lunenburg contains the villages of West Lunenburg, South Lunenburg, Mill Village and Gilman, and is part of the Berlin, NH–VT Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Chittenden is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,237 at the 2020 census.
Danby is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,284 at the 2020 census.
Mendon is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,149 at the 2020 census.
Middletown Springs is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 794 at the 2020 census.
Pawlet is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,424 at the 2020 census.
Sudbury is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 545 at the 2020 census.
Tinmouth is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 553 at the 2020 census.
Cavendish is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The town was likely named after William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire. The population was 1,392 at the 2020 census. The town of Cavendish includes the unincorporated villages of Cavendish and Proctorsville.
Middlebury is the shire town of Addison County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,152. Middlebury is home to Middlebury College and the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History. Middlebury is home to a college, a high school, and a thriving night life. The fall foliage is beautiful in Middlebury, something it is most famous for.
Manchester is a town in, and one of two shire towns of, Bennington County, Vermont. The population was 4,484 at the 2020 census.
Brandon is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,129.
Fair Haven is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,736 at the 2020 census. Within the town is located the census-designated place of Fair Haven. The town is noted for its late 19th century residential and commercial architecture.
Rutland is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,924. Rutland Town completely surrounds Rutland City, which is a separate municipality. The villages of the town effectively comprise the inner suburbs of Rutland City.
Rutland is the only city in and the seat of the county of the same name in Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 15,807. It is located approximately 65 miles (105 km) north of the Massachusetts state line, 35 miles (56 km) west of New Hampshire state line, and 20 miles (32 km) east of the New York state line. Rutland is the third largest city in the state of Vermont after Burlington and South Burlington. Rutland City is completely surrounded by Rutland Town, which is a separate municipality. The downtown area of the city is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
West Rutland is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The town center, located in the south-central portion of the town and where about 87% of the population resides, is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP). The town is part of the Rutland micropolitan NECTA.
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