Pittsford 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 ...

Rutland County, Vermont Rutland County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 60,572, making it the second-most populous county in Vermont. Its county seat and mos ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 2,862. Named for William Pitt, it has two picket

forts A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from ...

used in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

History

Pittsford was first settled as a frontier town in 1769, about north of

Bennington Bennington is a New England town, town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns (county seats) of the county, the other being Manchester (town), Vermont, Manchester. As of the 2020 United States Census, US Cens ...

. It is the location of two historical picket

used by the

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

during the

: Fort Mott (built in 1777), and Fort Vengeance (built from 1780 to 1781), about a mile north. The town of

Pittsford, New York Pittsford is an incorporated town in Monroe County, New York. A suburb of Rochester, its population was 30,617 at the time of the 2020 census. Formerly part of the town of Northfield, Pittsford was settled in 1789 and incorporated in 1796. T ...

, was named by

Colonel Caleb Hopkins Colonel Caleb Hopkins (1770 – January 14, 1818) was an officer during the War of 1812 and the first town supervisor of Pittsford, New York, United States. History In 1791, Caleb Hopkins moved from his hometown, Pittsford, Vermont, in Rutla ...

after his hometown of Pittsford, Vermont, named after William Pitt. The first settlers and founders of Pittsford were the Cooley half-brothers, Benjamin Cooley (b. 1747, d. 1790) and Gideon Cooley (b. 1731, d. abt 1800). Benjamin Cooley joined

Ethan Allen Ethan Allen ( – February 12, 1789) was an American farmer, writer, military officer and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of Vermont and for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolutionary War, and wa ...

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...

, and the rest of the

Green Mountain Boys The Green Mountain Boys were a militia organization established in 1770 in the territory between the British provinces of New York and New Hampshire, known as the New Hampshire Grants and later in 1777 as the Vermont Republic (which later be ...

in the first victory of the Colonies over England: the

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga The capture of Fort Ticonderoga occurred during the American Revolutionary War on May 10, 1775, when a small force of Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold surprised and captured the fort's small British garrison. T ...

on 10 May 1775.

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 0.18%, is water. The unincorporated village of Pittsford is in the center of the town.

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 3,140 people, 1,284 households, and 876 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 72.2 people per square mile (27.9/km²). There were 1,388 housing units at an average density of 31.9 per square mile (12.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.08%

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 ...

, 0.22%

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 ...

, 0.06% Native American, 0.19% Asian, and 0.45% 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 1,284 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% 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, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.88. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $40,027, and the median income for a family was $44,079. Males had a median income of $34,769 versus $24,342 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 $19,271. About 6.0% of families and 9.0% 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 9.4% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* George D. Chafee, Illinois lawyer and legislator * Thomas E. Drew, former Adjutant General of the

State of Vermont Vermont () is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. According to the mo ...

and resident of the village of

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

* Frederic Williams Hopkins, Adjutant General of Vermont, 1837–1852 * Samuel Hopkins, holder of first American patent, for pearl and potash process (1790) *

Jake Lacy Jameson Griffin "Jake" Lacy (born February 14, 1985) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Pete Miller on the ninth and final season of ''The Office'', as Fran Parker in the fourth and fifth seasons of HBO's '' Girls'', and Sha ...

, actor (Casey in ''

Better with You ''Better with You'' is an American television sitcom created by Shana Goldberg-Meehan that aired on ABC from September 22, 2010, to May 11, 2011. It stars JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Jennifer Finnigan, Josh Cooke, Jake Lacy, Kurt Fuller, and ...

'', Pete in "

The Office ''The Office'' is the title of several mockumentary sitcoms based on a British series originally created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as '' The Office'' in 2001. The original series also starred Gervais as manager and primary charac ...

"); grew up in Pittsford * John Lowth, Wisconsin lawyer and legislator'Proceedings of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin,' vol. 1, Biographical Sketch of John Lowth, pg. 189 * Emma A. Winslow, home economist, researcher, writer

Sites of interest

* Colburn Bridge * Cooley Covered Bridge * Depot Covered Bridge * Fort Vengeance Monument Site * Gorham Covered Bridge * Hammond Covered Bridge * Maclure Library * Pittsford Green Historic District * Thomas H. Palmer House

References

External links

Town of Pittsford official website
{{authority control Towns in Vermont Towns in Rutland County, Vermont