Westfield 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 Orleans 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 534 at the 2020 census. The town was founded in 1780 and named after

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...

general and politician, William West, a supporter of Vermont statehood. Westfield is home to the Monastery of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a contemplative order of women, following the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

rule.

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 t ...

, the town has a total area of 40.2 square miles (104.1 km²), all land.

Hazens Notch Hazen's Notch is a mountain pass in Westfield, in the northern Green Mountains of Vermont. Hazen's Notch was named after Moses Hazen, who in 1779 led the construction of the Bayley Hazen Military Road. The road was planned to extend from Newbur ...

is located in town.

Climate

History

The Abbey Sainte-Marie de Deux-Montagnes, near

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

, Canada, founded the Monastery of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Westfield, Vermont, in 1981.

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 503 people, 200 households, and 141 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 12.5 people per square mile (4.8/km²). There were 339 housing units at an average density of 8.4 per square mile (3.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.02%

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 ...

, 0.40%

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 ...

, 0.20% Native American, 0.20%

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 ...

, 0.60% 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 2.58% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 1.59% of the population. There were 200 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.78. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,021, and the median income for a family was $43,125. Males had a median income of $30,694 versus $21,042 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 $18,098. About 6.1% of families and 9.7% 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 9.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Thomas J. Boynton (politician), Massachusetts Attorney general *

Elisha W. Keyes Elisha William Keyes ( ; January 23, 1828 – November 29, 1910) was an American lawyer, politician, postmaster, and local judge. He was the 6th and 22nd Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, and represented Dane County in the Wisconsin State Assembl ...

, Wisconsin politician * Jack Lazor, pioneering organic dairy farmer * Carroll S. Page, governor of Vermont * Harrison Stebbins, Wisconsin politician

References

;Notes

External links

Town of Westfield, Vermont
– Official Website
Monastery of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
{{authority control Towns in Vermont Towns in Orleans County, Vermont