Halifax is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Windham County,

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 771.

History

Halifax was the second town chartered, west of the Connecticut River on May 11, 1750 by

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Governor

Benning Wentworth Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770) was an American merchant and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. While serving as governor, Wentworth is best known for issuing several l ...

, meaning Halifax is the second oldest town in the state after Bennington. The town was named for the

George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, (6 October 1716 – 8 June 1771) was a British statesman of the Georgian era. Due to his success in extending commerce in the Americas, he became known as the "father of the colonies". President of th ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of 39.8 square miles (103.1 km²), of which 39.8 square miles (103.0 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.1 km²) (0.13%) is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 782 people, 312 households, and 209 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 19.7 people per square mile (7.6/km²). There were 493 housing units at an average density of 12.4 per square mile (4.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.31%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.26%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 2.43% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.15% of the population. There were 312 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,458, and the median income for a family was $41,667. Males had a median income of $29,000 versus $23,542 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $17,738. About 9.3% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Wyn Cooper Wyn Cooper (born 1957) is an American poet. He is best known for his 1987 poem "Fun", which was adapted by Sheryl Crow and Bill Bottrell into the lyrics of Crow's 1994 breakthrough single " All I Wanna Do". Early life Wyn Cooper was born 2 Januar ...

, poet * Augustus Wade Dwight, lawyer and soldier * Almira Edson, watercolorist *

Kyra Markham Kyra Markham (born Elaine Hyman, 1891–1967) was an actress, figurative painter and printmaker. Markham was briefly married to the architect Lloyd Wright, and five years later, married the scenographer David Stoner Gaither. She worked for the F ...

, painter and actress *

Elisha Otis Elisha Graves Otis (August 3, 1811 – April 8, 1861) was an American industrialist, founder of the Otis Elevator Company, and inventor of a safety device that prevents elevators from falling if the hoisting cable fails. Early years Otis was b ...

, inventor and entrepreneur of safe elevators * Norton P. Otis, New York politician *

George Gilbert Swain George Gilbert Swain (January 3, 1829 – June 1, 1918) was an American businessman and politician. Born in Halifax, Vermont, Swain moved to Delton, Wisconsin in 1855 and settled on a farm. He then worked for the Chicago and North Western Rai ...

, Wisconsin politician

References

External links

*
Halifax Vermont Official Town Website
{{authority control Towns in Vermont Towns in Windham County, Vermont