Welcome to Hardwick banner Main Street downtown Hardwick VT October 2017

Hardwick is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Caledonia County,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

, United States. The population was 2,920 at the 2020 census. It contains the unincorporated villages of Hardwick, East Hardwick, and Mackville. The town is a commercial center for the region's farming population. The main settlement of Hardwick in the center of the town, formerly an incorporated village, is since 1988 a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

(CDP), with a population of 1,269 at the 2020 census.

History

During the Revolutionary War, General

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

ordered construction of the Bayley-Hazen Military Road to provide access into the interior of Vermont. It would prompt the development and settlement of Hardwick and East Hardwick. The town was granted by the

Vermont General Assembly The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly", but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The G ...

on November 7, 1780, then chartered on August 19, 1781, to Danforth Keyes and 66 others, some of whom were from

Hardwick, Massachusetts Hardwick is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States, about northwest of the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, Worcester. It had a population of 2,667 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

. Permanent settlement began in 1793 when several families named Norris arrived from

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

. By 1859, when the population reached 1,402, the town had several

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

s and

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...

s on the

Lamoille River The Lamoille River is a river which runs through northern Vermont and drains into Lake Champlain. It is about in length, and has a drainage area of around . The river generally flows southwest, and then northwest, from the water divide of the ...

. There were also two tanneries. Over the years, other industries would include a

woolen Woolen (American English) or woollen (Commonwealth English) is a type of yarn made from carded wool. Woolen yarn is soft, light, stretchy, and full of air. It is thus a good insulator, and makes a good knitting yarn. Woolen yarn is in contrast t ...

mill,

tinware Tinware is any item made of prefabricated tinplate. Usually tinware refers to kitchenware made of tinplate, often crafted by tinsmiths. Many cans used for canned food are tinware as well. Something that is tinned after being shaped and fabricated i ...

shop, and

carriage A carriage is a two- or four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle for passengers. In Europe they were a common mode of transport for the wealthy during the Roman Empire, and then again from around 1600 until they were replaced by the motor car around 1 ...

factory. The predominant business following the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

was

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mining, open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock (geology), rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some juri ...

ing, especially after the Portland & Ogdensburg Railway opened service through the town and facilitated shipment of stone. While most of the granite was quarried in nearby Woodbury, the stone was dressed and finished in Hardwick, largely near "Granite Junction", where the rail lines met. The Hardwick and Woodbury Railroad was built to bring granite from the quarries to the finishing shops, and Hardwick became known as the "Building Granite Center of the World". By 1906, 1,200 people were employed in the industry, which was led by the Woodbury Granite Company. Buildings around the country made with Hardwick granite include the

Pennsylvania State Capitol The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania located in downtown Harrisburg. The building was designed by architect Joseph Miller Huston in 1902 and completed in 1906 in a Beaux-Arts style with de ...

Chicago City Hall The City Hall-County Building, commonly known as City Hall, is a 12-story building in Chicago, Illinois, that houses the Seat of government, seats of government of the Government of Chicago, City of Chicago and Cook County, Illinois, Cook Coun ...

, and the 1914 Post Office in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, as well as numerous city halls and

custom house A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting ...

s. The decline of the "architectural granite" industry in the 1920s and 1930s left Hardwick in economic depression. Hardwick Village disincorporated in 1988 and merged with the town. In 2011, the office manager of the municipal electric department was accused of embezzling $1.6 million over a period of 12 years. The

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

investigated, and she was charged in federal court and found guilty.

Geography

Hardwick is the westernmost town in Caledonia County. It is bordered by the Caledonia County towns of

Walden ''Walden'' (; first published as ''Walden; or, Life in the Woods'') is an 1854 book by American transcendentalism, transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon the author's simple living in natural surroundings. T ...

and Stannard to the east. The town of

Greensboro Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina, af ...

, in Orleans County, is to the north. Lamoille County is to the west, containing the town of Wolcott to the west and Elmore to the southwest. To the south, in Washington County, are the towns of Woodbury and Cabot. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, Hardwick has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.02%, is water. The CDP (town center) of Hardwick has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.16%, is water. Hardwick is drained by the

and its tributaries, flowing west to

Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The cities of Burlington, Ve ...

. The highest point in Hardwick is the summit of Jeudevine Mountain in the northern corner of the town, at above sea level. The town is crossed by Vermont Route 14, Vermont Route 15, and

Vermont Route 16 Vermont Route 16 (VT 16) is a state highway in northern Vermont, United States. It begins at VT 15 in Hardwick and heads northward to U.S. Route 5 (US 5) in Barton. From Barton, it heads eastward to VT 5A in ...

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 3,174 people, 1,216 households, and 854 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was 82.4 people per square mile (31.8/km²). There were 1,407 housing units at an average density of 36.5 per square mile (14.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.89%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.06%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.82% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population. There were 1,216 households, out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. Of all households, 22.5% were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.06. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

Economy

Personal income

The median income for a household in the town was $33,636, and the median income for a family was $39,278. Males had a median income of $27,188 versus $21,732 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $14,813. About 10.5% of families and 14.0% 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 ...

, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.

Agriculture

Several agribusinesses active in and around Hardwick, employing techniques of

sustainable agriculture Sustainable agriculture is agriculture, farming in sustainability, sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an ...

, have added an estimated 75-100 jobs to the area (through 2008). They operate the Vermont Food Venture Center, a "shared-use kitchen incubator for

value-added Value added is a term in economics for calculating the difference between market value of a product or service, and the sum value of its constituents. It is relatively expressed by the demand curve, supply-demand curve for specific units of sale. ...

and specialty food producers." The facility should generate the equivalent of 16 full-time jobs when fully operational.

Historic places

The town contains five places on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: * Building at 143 Highland Avenue – 143 Highland Ave. (added May 6, 2000) * Cobb School – Jct. of Hardwick Town Hwy. 10 (Cobb School Rd.) and Sanborn Cemetery Rd. (added October 30, 1993) * Downtown Hardwick Village Historic District – Brush St. (added April 10, 2004) * Downtown Hardwick Village Historic District – Main, Church, Maple and Mill Sts. (added October 30, 1982) * Hardwick Street Historic District – NE of Hardwick (added July 22, 1979)

Government

The federal government granted the town $492,000 in 2008 to upgrade the water system for fire-fighting purposes after a 2005 fire gutted the Bemis block. The town owns the Hardwick Electric Department. The town owns of shoreline on Caspian Lake in

. The has been used for recreation since 1927. As a result, they pay taxes to Greensboro on land worth $644,000. This was overlooked until 2012. The Vermont State Legislature passed a bill near the end of its 2013 calendar exempting Caspian Lake Public Beach from state taxes, a bill which "appears to solve recent questions between Greensboro and Hardwick regarding taxation of the Public Beach."

Media

The ''Hardwick Gazette'' is a weekly newspaper founded in 1889 that serves Hardwick and nine nearby communities. it has a circulation of about 2,200 and was for sale through an essay contest. While the contest did not receive enough entries, a buyer was found from among the entrants and ownership changed in February 2017. The buyer was Ray Smalls. Smalls has a background in business and bought the paper with his wife, putting his retirement plans on hold. Smalls was not able to gain as much success in improving circulation of the paper as he had hoped and has been personally financially supporting the paper for about three years.

Notable people

* Guy W. Bailey,

Secretary of State of Vermont The secretary of state of Vermont is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years. The secretary of state is fourth (behind the lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Repr ...

and President of the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...

* Dustin Grow Cheever, politician * Catherine Cate Coblentz, writer * Philip Cummings, Spanish teacher, news analyst, public speaker * Kent Osborne, screenwriter and actor * Dorman Bridgman Eaton, lawyer and author * Lee E. Emerson, 69th

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold guberna ...

Jim Fixx James Fuller Fixx (April 23, 1932 – July 20, 1984) was an American who wrote the 1977 best-selling book '' The Complete Book of Running''; he is credited with helping start America's fitness revolution by popularizing the sport of running a ...

, author and jogging enthusiast * Thomas J. D. Fuller, US congressman * David H. Nichols, politician * William H. Taylor, Associate Justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The court ...

Image:The Hardwick Gazette building 42 South Main Street downtown Hardwick VT March 2013.jpg, ''Hardwick Gazette'' building, 42 South Main Street Image:Jeudevine Library 93 North Main Street downtown Hardwick VT March 2013.jpg, Jeudevine Library, 93 North Main Street Image:United States Post Office 52 Mill Street downtown Hardwick VT March 2013.jpg, Hardwick Post Office, 52 Mill Street Image:Historic Hardwick Inn 4 South Main Street downtown Hardwick VT March 2013.jpg, Historic Hardwick Inn, 4 South Main Street Image:Buffalo Mountain Co-op & Cafe 30 S. Main Street downtown Hardwick VT March 2013.jpg, Buffalo Mountain Food Co-operative, 39 South Main Street Image:Footbridge crossing Lamoille River Main Street Hardwick VT March 2013.jpg, Footbridge over Lamoille River

References

External links

Town of Hardwick official website

Jeudevine Memorial Library

Hardwick Area Chamber of Commerce

"Vermont Town's Food Focus Still a Growing Concept"
''

Morning Edition ''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 a ...

'', NPR—Article on organic farming in Hardwick {{Authority control Towns in Caledonia County, Vermont Towns in Vermont