Strafford, Vermont

Strafford, Vermont
Town
Strafford Town House (1799)
Located in Orange County, Vermont
Show Strafford Show Vermont Show the United States
Coordinates: 43°51′57″N72°22′38″W / 43.86583°N 72.37722°W / 43.86583; -72.37722
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Orange
Chartered	1761
Communities	Strafford South Strafford
Area
• Total	44.3 sq mi (114.8 km2)
• Land	44.2 sq mi (114.5 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation	930 ft (409 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,094
• Density	25/sq mi (9.6/km2)
• Households	462
• Families	325
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	05072
Area code	802
FIPS code	50-70675 [1]
GNIS feature ID	1462220 [2]
Website	Strafford Official Town Website

Strafford is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,094 at the 2020 census. ^[3] The town of Strafford was created on August 12, 1761 by way of a royal charter which King George III of Great Britain issued to Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire. The town was named after the Earl of Strafford. ^[4] Its town house is one of the most famous in Vermont, sitting atop a hill at the end of the historic town common.

Strafford was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by Hurricane Irene in 2011. ^[5]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.3 square miles (114.8 km²), of which 44.2 square miles (114.5 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km²) (0.25%) is water. The West Branch of the Ompompanoosuc River flows through the town. ^[6]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	844		—
1800	1,642		94.5%
1810	1,805		9.9%
1820	1,921		6.4%
1830	1,935		0.7%
1840	1,761		−9.0%
1850	1,540		−12.5%
1860	1,506		−2.2%
1870	1,290		−14.3%
1880	1,181		−8.4%
1890	932		−21.1%
1900	1,000		7.3%
1910	776		−22.4%
1920	601		−22.6%
1930	615		2.3%
1940	598		−2.8%
1950	680		13.7%
1960	548		−19.4%
1970	536		−2.2%
1980	731		36.4%
1990	902		23.4%
2000	1,045		15.9%
2010	1,098		5.1%
2020	1,094		−0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]

As of the census ^[1] of 2000, there were 1,045 people, 420 households, and 296 families residing in the town. The population density was 23.6 people per square mile (9.1/km²). There were 542 housing units at an average density of 12.3 per square mile (4.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.47% White, 0.19% African American, 0.29% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.

Justin Smith Morrill House.

There were 420 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,711, and the median income for a family was $52,596. Males had a median income of $31,481 versus $24,808 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,267. About 3.6% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.

Justin Smith Morrill, US Representative and Senator, known as the chief sponsor and author of the Land Grant College Acts was born in Strafford. His Gothic Revival Homestead is one of the Vermont State-Owned Historic Sites.

Notable people

• Jedediah Hyde Baxter, son of Portus Baxter and Surgeon General of the United States Army
• Edmund "Tad" Coffin, saddle maker and Olympic equestrian
• William Sloane Coffin, clergyman and activist
• Denny Emerson, equestrian ^[8]
• Doc Hazelton, major league baseball player and college coach ^[9]
• Noah Kahan, American singer-songwriter ^[10]
• Barbara Moraff, American poet of the Beat generation
• Justin Smith Morrill, US congressman and senator

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: Stafford town, Orange County, Vermont" . Retrieved January 6, 2022.
4. "Profile for Strafford, Vermont". ePodunk . Retrieved May 9, 2010.
5. Floodwaters From Storm Isolate 13 Vermont Towns, The New York Times
6. DeLorme (1996). Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN   0-89933-016-9
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
8. "Denny Emerson". USEA : United States Eventing Association Inc. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
9. O'Boyle, Francis Joseph (2000). "Biography: Doc Hazelton". SABR.org. Phoenix, AZ: Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
10. Mosk, Mitch (March 28, 2019). "Interview: Inside Noah Kahan's Beautiful Mess". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved September 29, 2023.

External links

• Town of Strafford official website