Proctor is a town in
Rutland 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 ...
, United States. The population was 1,763 at the
2020 census. Proctor is home to the
Vermont Marble Museum
The Vermont Marble Museum or Vermont Marble Exhibit is a museum commemorating the contributions of Vermont marble and the Vermont Marble Company, located in Proctor, Vermont, United States. The museum is located in a wing of one of the former Verm ...
and
Wilson Castle.
History
In the early 19th century, small high-quality
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
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
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...
only became profitable when the railroad came to Rutland in 1851. At the same time, the famous quarries of
Carrara
Carrara ( , ; , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence. Its mot ...
in
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, 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
Senator Redfield Proctor
Redfield Proctor (June 1, 1831March 4, 1908) was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. He served as the 37th governor of Vermont from 1878 to 1880, as Secretary of War from 1889 to 1891, and as a United States Senator for Vermont from 189 ...
. 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."
2004 Marble Institute Award of Merit
/ref>
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 , of which , or 0.39%, is water. Drained by Otter Creek, Proctor lies between the Taconic Range
The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range () are a range of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western Vermont. ...
and Green Mountains
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range runs primarily south to north and extends approximately from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Quebec, Canada. The part of the same range that is i ...
. The northern half of the town, home of unincorporated Proctor village, is the Proctor census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
.
The town is crossed by Vermont Route 3.
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 1,877 people, 756 households, and 530 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 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
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 ...
, 0.16% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.11% Native American, 0.05% 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 ...
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.05% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.53% 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 ...
or 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 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
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 $18,214. About 6.8% of families and 9.2% 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 10.9% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.
Neighboring cities and towns
Notable people
* Bernard Joseph Flanagan
Bernard Joseph Flanagan (March 31, 1908 – January 28, 1998) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Norwich in Connecticut (1953–1959) and as bishop of the Diocese of Worcester in Massac ...
, bishop
* F. Ray Keyser, 72nd governor of Vermont
The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...
* Earle B. McLaughlin, U.S. Marshal for Vermont
* Frank Charles Partridge, US senator
* Fletcher Dutton Proctor
Fletcher Dutton Proctor (November 7, 1860 – September 27, 1911) was an American businessman, a Republican politician, and the 51st governor of Vermont, who served from 1906 to 1908.
Personal life
Proctor was born in Cavendish, Vermont, o ...
, 51st governor of Vermont
The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...
* Mortimer Robinson Proctor, 66th governor of Vermont
The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...
* Redfield Proctor
Redfield Proctor (June 1, 1831March 4, 1908) was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. He served as the 37th governor of Vermont from 1878 to 1880, as Secretary of War from 1889 to 1891, and as a United States Senator for Vermont from 189 ...
, secretary of war, US senator, and 37th governor of Vermont
The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...
* Redfield Proctor, Jr.
Redfield Proctor Jr. (April 13, 1879 – February 5, 1957) was an American business executive and politician who served as the 59th governor of Vermont from 1923 to 1925.
Life and career
The son of Emily Jane (née Dutton) and Redfield Proct ...
, 59th governor of Vermont
The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...
Sites of interest
Gorham Covered Bridge
Proctor Free Library
Vermont Marble Museum
* Wilson Castle
Footnotes
Further reading
* 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.
* Abby Marin Hemenway (ed.)
''The History of Rutland County, Vermont: Civil, Ecclesiastical, Biographical, and Military.''
White River Junction, VT: White River Paper Co., 1882.
* Paul R Magocsi, ''Immigrants from Eastern Europe: The Carpatho-Rusyn Community of Proctor, Vermont.'' Montpelier, VT: Vermont Historical Society, 1974.
* Lyman Williams Redington
''Centennial Celebration of the Organization of Rutland County, Vermont: Held under the Auspices of the Rutland County Historical Society at the Town Hall, Rutland, Vt., March 4, 1881...''
Rutland, VT: L.W. Redington, 1882.
* H.P. Smith and W.S. Rann
''History of Rutland County, Vermont: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers.''
Syracuse, NY: D. Mason and Co., 1886.
* 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.
External links
Town of Proctor official website
*
Proctor history and politics
''Proctor News''
{{authority control
Towns in Rutland County, Vermont
Towns in Vermont
Company towns in the United States
1856 establishments in Vermont