Peacham, Vermont
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Peacham 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 715 at the 2020 census.


History

In 1763, Governor
Benning Wentworth Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770) was an American merchant, landowner and colonial administrator who served as the List of colonial governors of New Hampshire, governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. He is best known ...
of
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 ...
gave a charter for the region to a group of proprietors, and the town was given the name Peacham (the etymology of the name is unclear). The original proprietors were speculators who surveyed the town, laid a few rudimentary roads, and divided it into lots, though the territory remained unsettled for some time. In 1775, settlers, primarily from
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
and
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, bought the lots and built homes, developing the land for agriculture. The original settlers survived almost entirely through subsistence farming despite the long winters, hilly terrain, and rocky soil. Nine years later, records show a population of approximately 200 people. The first recorded
town meeting Town meeting, also known as an "open town meeting", is a form of local government in which eligible town residents can directly participate in an assembly which determines the governance of their town. Unlike representative town meeting where ...
took place in 1784, and selectmen were duly elected to govern the affairs of the town. Peacham was early on presented with a choice of having either the county courthouse or the county school, and the residents voted for the school. In 1795 the Caledonia County Grammar School received its charter, and the first school was established in a log structure on the Bayley Hazen Road, halfway between Peacham Corner and South Peacham. In 1799, a library was established, which traveled from store to store. A
congregational church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...
was founded in 1794—the first pastor,
Leonard Worcester Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English masculine given name and a surname. The given name and surname originate from the Old High German '' Leonhard'' containing the prefix ''levon'' ("lion") from the Greek Λέων ("lion") through the Latin '' ...
, was well known for his fiery sermons. His son
Samuel Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...
went on to be an important missionary to the
Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
people, creating the first typeface for the Cherokee alphabet and gaining lasting fame as the plaintiff in the supreme court case ''
Worcester v. Georgia ''Worcester v. Georgia'', 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515 (1832), was a landmark case in which the United States Supreme Court vacated the conviction of Samuel Worcester and held that the Georgia criminal statute that prohibited non-Native Americans from ...
''. Early residents, who came to be known as Peachamites, traded butter, eggs, and wheat for goods which they could not make at home, and also relied on the production and sale of items such as
whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...
and
potash Potash ( ) includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water- soluble form.
to help augment the relatively poor harvests. Almost from the beginning, various trades and industries—as many as 30–35 at a given time—flourished. Lumbering, coopering, milling, butter making, tin ware, tanneries and leather goods provided goods for local consumption. From 1800 to 1830,
sheep farming Sheep farming or sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep's milk), and fiber (wool). They also yield sheepskin ...
flourished as a more profitable endeavor than growing crops. In 1840, the town reached its greatest population of 1,443. From that date on, census numbers steadily declined. Farming methods changed, and
dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...
came to replace sheep. The larger, more industrially advanced farms of the late 19th century could not support large families, and youth began to leave home. In the 20th century, the population continued to decline to a low in the mid-600s. Farming also became less common due to competition with larger dairy farms in the West, and many farms either consolidated or went under.
Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
became important during the 20th century as people opened their homes to visitors from the cities of the
Atlantic seaboard Atlantic Coast may refer to: * Any coast facing the Atlantic Ocean Regions * East Coast of the United States * Gulf Coast of the United States * Caribbean region of Colombia * Atlantic Canada * Argentine Basin Sports * Atlantic Coast Confe ...
, often derisively referred to as " flatlanders". With the advent of the railroad in
Barnet Barnet may refer to: People *Barnet (surname) *Barnet (given name) Places United Kingdom *Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below. *East Barnet, a district of the borough below; anc ...
and then motor vehicles, Peacham became a popular location for summer residents, some of whom were educators from
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
and
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. In the second half of the 20th century, Peacham became a popular vacation spot and retirement home for prominent intellectuals and liberal thinkers—individuals such as
David Dellinger David T. Dellinger (August 22, 1915 – May 25, 2004) was an American pacifist and an activist for nonviolent social change. Although active beginning in the early 1940s, Dellinger reached peak prominence as one of the Chicago Seven, who were pu ...
, William Lederer,
Roman Jakobson Roman Osipovich Jakobson (, ; 18 July 1982) was a Russian linguist and literary theorist. A pioneer of structural linguistics, Jakobson was one of the most celebrated and influential linguists of the twentieth century. With Nikolai Trubetzk ...
, and the historian Shepard Clough all owned houses in town. Their interests and stimulation enhanced the cultural interests of the town.


Geography

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 ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.18%, is water. Neighboring towns are Danville to the north,
Barnet Barnet may refer to: People *Barnet (surname) *Barnet (given name) Places United Kingdom *Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below. *East Barnet, a district of the borough below; anc ...
to the east, Ryegate to the southeast, Groton to the south, Marshfield to the west, and Cabot to the northwest. No numbered state highways pass through the town. The highest point in Peacham is the summit of Cow Hill near the northern corner of town.


Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 732 people, 299 households, and 213 families residing in the town. The population density was 15.7 people per square mile (6.1 per square kilometer). There were 542 housing units at an average density of 11.6 per square mile (4.5 per square kilometer). The racial makeup of the town was 98.0% White (717), 0.4% African American (3), 0.5% Native American or Alaska Native (4), 0.1% some other race (1), and 1.0% two or more races (7). Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population (3). There were no Asians. There were 299 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45, and the average family size was 2.90. In the town, the population was largely older with a median age of 48.5. Of the total population, 81.5% were 16 or older. Under the age of 5 were 4.8%, 6.9% were between 15 and 19, 13.1% between 25 and 44, 34.7% between 45 and 64, and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older, with 4.7% were 80 or older. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. The population was 48.0% male and 52.0% female. For the period 2007–2011, the estimated median annual income for a household in the town was $62,344, and the median income for a family was $81,719. Male full-time workers had a median income of $45,078 versus $43,958 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,373. About 1.7% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including none under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.


Culture

The Peacham Historical Association (PHA) has been preserving records since 1916. The PHA has published a number of works on the town and has archives which chronicle the town's history from 1776. The Peacham Library is a private library founded in 1810 as a resource for the debating team of the Caledonia County Grammar School. For the first century of its existence, the library possessed no fixed location and rotated from store to store around the town. The original library building was purchased in 1909. It burned in 1959, destroying almost the entire collection. The current library was constructed on the same location in 1960 and enlarged in 2001. The library has over 9,200 volumes and over 500 registered patrons. Peacham has hosted the yearly Peacham Acoustic Music Festival since 2011, typically in mid-August. Other yearly events include the Fall Foliage celebration and the yearly July 4 festivities, including the traditional tractor parade. In September 2005, Peacham was designated "Best New England Village" by ''Yankee'' magazine, which wrote, "Of all the villages in New England, Peacham (population 665) is unsurpassed."


Points of interest


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 ...

* Elkins Tavern (oldest structure) * Peacham Corner Historic District * Josiah and Lydia Shedd Farmstead * New Discovery State Park


Other points of interest

* Ashbel Goodenough Blacksmith Shop – a 19th-century blacksmith shop which has been restored by the Peacham Historical Association with a working wooden forge * Ski-Tow Hill – operational in the 1960–1976 * Devil's Hill * Widow Jennison Road * Martin's Pond * Martin's Pond Saw Mill (Location was on north side of access road. Spillway is still visible, but dry.) * Peacham Pond * Cemetery Hill (Academy Hill) * Peacham Bog, a bog * Cow Hill (highest point in town) *
Bayley-Hazen Military Road The Bayley–Hazen Military Road was a military road that was originally planned to run from Newbury, Vermont, to St. John's, Quebec, not far from Montreal. The southern , running from Newbury to Hazen's Notch near the Canada–United States b ...
* Peacham
Congregational Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christianity, Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice Congregationalist polity, congregational ...
Church * 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 ...
Soldiers Monument with the names of 42 men from town who died in the war * Peacham Observatory (ruins can be seen near Lookout Mountain) * Northern Skies Observatory, operated by the Northeast Kingdom Astronomy Foundation


Education

The town operates Peacham Elementary. The following schools once operated in town, but have been closed: * Peacham Academy (formerly the Caledonia County Grammar School, closed in 1971) * Yellow School House * Three Corners School House * East Peacham School House * The Stevens School of Peacham (this school has since moved to Lyndonville; its Peacham school building is now defunct) File:YellowSchoolHouse.jpg, Yellow School House File:3cornersschoolhouse.jpg, Three Corners School House


Films

A number of movies have been filmed in Peacham. These include: * '' A Return to Salem's Lot'' (1987) * ''
Ethan Frome ''Ethan Frome'' is a 1911 novella by American author Edith Wharton. It details the story of a man who falls in love with his wife's cousin and the tragedies that result from the ensuing love triangle. The novel has been adapted into a film o ...
'' (1993) * '' Where the Rivers Flow North'' (1993) * ''
The Spitfire Grill ''The Spitfire Grill'' (also known as ''Care of the Spitfire Grill'') is a 1996 American drama film written and directed by Lee David Zlotoff, and starring Alison Elliott, Ellen Burstyn, Marcia Gay Harden, Will Patton, Kieran Mulroney and Gaila ...
'' (1996)


Notable people

* Edward Behr, writer and publisher of '' The Art of Eating'' quarterly * William Chamberlain, US congressman * Alexander Dunnett, US Attorney for Vermont, President of the Vermont Bar Association, Vermont State Senator, Caledonia County State's Attorney * George Harvey, US Ambassador to Great Britain * John Martin, steamboat captain and businessman * John Mattocks, Whig politician and the 16th
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 ...
* Samuel Merrill, early leading citizen of Indiana *
Thaddeus Stevens Thaddeus Stevens (April 4, 1792August 11, 1868) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, being one of the leaders of the Radical Republican faction of the Histo ...
, abolitionist and politician. Stevens was born in 1792 in neighboring Danville and went to school at the Caledonia County Grammar School in Peacham *
Samuel Worcester Samuel Austin Worcester (January 19, 1798 – April 20, 1859) was an American missionary to the Cherokee, translator of the Bible, printer, and defender of the Cherokee sovereignty. He collaborated with Elias Boudinot (Cherokee) in Georgia to ...
, missionary and plaintiff in ''
Worcester v. Georgia ''Worcester v. Georgia'', 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515 (1832), was a landmark case in which the United States Supreme Court vacated the conviction of Samuel Worcester and held that the Georgia criminal statute that prohibited non-Native Americans from ...
'', was born in Peacham


Summer residents and retirees

* Harry G. Barnes, Jr., US ambassador, retired to Peacham *
David Dellinger David T. Dellinger (August 22, 1915 – May 25, 2004) was an American pacifist and an activist for nonviolent social change. Although active beginning in the early 1940s, Dellinger reached peak prominence as one of the Chicago Seven, who were pu ...
, pacifist and member of the
Chicago Seven The Chicago Seven, originally the Chicago Eight and also known as the Conspiracy Eight or Conspiracy Seven, were seven defendants – Rennie Davis, David Dellinger, John Froines, Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Lee Weiner – c ...
, retired to Peacham in the 1980s and lived there until shortly before his death in 2004 * James B. Engle, diplomat and conservationist, served as US Ambassador to Benin and retired to Peacham *
Alger Hiss Alger Hiss (November 11, 1904 – November 15, 1996) was an American government official who was accused of espionage in 1948 for the Soviet Union in the 1930s. The statute of limitations had expired for espionage, but he was convicted of perjur ...
, US diplomat and suspected
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
spy, owned a summer house in Peacham and spent time there prior to his incarceration for
perjury Perjury (also known as forswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an insta ...
*
Roman Jakobson Roman Osipovich Jakobson (, ; 18 July 1982) was a Russian linguist and literary theorist. A pioneer of structural linguistics, Jakobson was one of the most celebrated and influential linguists of the twentieth century. With Nikolai Trubetzk ...
, Russian linguist and literary theorist, spent time in his summer house in Peacham in the 1960s and 1970s * William Lederer, most famous for co-authoring the novel '' The Ugly American''. He retired to Peacham where he lived until shortly before his death in 2009


References

{{authority control Towns in Vermont Towns in Caledonia County, Vermont