Roxbury 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 Washington 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, created by Vermont charter on August 6, 1781. The population was 678 at the 2020 census.

Geography and wildlife

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 41.8 square miles (108.3 km²), of which 41.8 square miles (108.2 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km²) (0.10%) is water. Roxbury is the southernmost town of Washington County; it is bordered by Northfield (to the north), Warren (to the west), Granville (to the south and southwest), Braintree (to the southeast), and Brookfield (to the east). The town is located some southwest of Montpelier, the state capital. Roxbury is bisected by Vermont Route 12A, which runs through the town in a north-south direction. Roxbury includes the headwaters of the Dog River and White River; the former flows north into the Winooski River, while the latter flows south into

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...

. The geographic center of Vermont is located three miles east of Roxbury village. Roxbury is heavily mountainous and forested, featuring some of the area's most rugged terrain.Roxbury Town Plan 2014, p. 5. More than 85% of the land surface area of the town is forested, including of state land and more than of privately owned land that is enrolled in the state's Use Value Program.Roxbury Town Plan 2014, p. 11. More than twenty points within the town have an elevation of more than ; elevations in the town range from a low of (along the Third Branch of the White River) to a high of (at the peak of Rice Mountain). Rice Mountain lies in the Northfield range of the

Green Mountains The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont and are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains. The range runs primarily south to north and extends approximately from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Que ...

along the western boundary of the town.

History

Roxbury was granted by the Vermont General Assembly in 1781; its name is likely derived from

Roxbury, Massachusetts Roxbury () is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Roxbury is a Municipal annexation in the United States, dissolved municipality and one of 23 official neighborhoods of Boston used by the city for ne ...

, which later became part of

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 ...

."Roxbury" in ''The Vermont Encyclopedia'' (eds. John J. Duffy, Samuel B. Hand & Ralph H. Orth: University of Vermont Press, 2003), pp. 253-54. The town was chartered on August 6, 1781, to Benjamin Edwards and 64 other people, although just 20 of these ever lived in the town. Actual European settlement began in 1789, and the first

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 ...

was held in 1797. The town grew steadily in the first six decades of the 19th century, growing from 113 residents in 1800 to a peak of 1,060 residents in 1860, on the eve of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. In the war, 94 Roxbury men served; 29 perished. The town's population dropped in the 20th century after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, especially after the town's

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

quarries (which opened in 1857) were closed in 1957; the city's population reached a low point in 1970, with just 354 residents. Subsequently, however, the town has made a rebound, with the population rising to 691 in 2010.Roxbury Town Plan 2014, p. 4.

Economy

Historically, Roxbury's economy was highly dependent upon

resource extraction Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...

; major economic activities included agriculture, logging, fishing, and quarrying. Verde Antique marble quarrying and

talc Talc, or talcum, is a clay mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate, with the chemical formula . Talc in powdered form, often combined with corn starch, is used as baby powder. This mineral is used as a thickening agent and lubricant ...

mining were historically significant in Roxbury; today, one commercial sand and gravel extraction operation is located in the town. Roxbury's marble quarries opened in 1857 and closed in 1957. In modern times, 80% of Roxbury workers are employed outside the town. From the 1970s onward, many Roxbury residents have commuted to Montpelier and Barre for work. The Central Vermont Public Service Corporation and the Washington Electric Co-op are

electric utilities An electric utility, or a power company, is a company in the electric power industry (often a public utility) that engages in electricity generation and Electricity retailing, distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. El ...

for the town, although some residents live

off-the-grid Off-the-grid or off-grid is a characteristic of buildings and a lifestyle designed in an independent manner without reliance on one or more public utilities. The term "off-the-grid" traditionally refers to not being connected to the electrical ...

using

alternative energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...

.Roxbury Town Plan 2014, p. 36.

Government, law enforcement, and fire protection

Town voters elect three members of the

select board The select board or board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms. Three is the most common num ...

. The members of the select board have three-year terms and are responsible for carrying out a variety of duties, including "warning" (posting notice of)

s; enacting and enforcing town ordinances; proposing a town budget; overseeing town employees; authorizing expenditures; and appointing seven members of the town Planning Commission. The select board members, together with the local justices of the peace, make up the Board of Civil Authority. The select board is assisted in the administration of town affairs by a town clerk, an assistant town clerk, and a town treasurer; the latter two officials are part-time. Other elected town officials include three listers, who are responsible for

property tax A property tax (whose rate is expressed as a percentage or per mille, also called ''millage'') is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or Wealth t ...

assessments and other duties; three auditors, who prepare an annual Town Report; and three school directors who oversee public education. Roxbury does not have a police department; the Vermont State Police enforces laws as needed. Roxbury's town constable lacks

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...

authority; rather, the constable "makes occasional checks on seasonal homes and hunting camps, assists the State Police in case of accidents and other emergencies, serves

subpoena A subpoena (; also subpœna, supenna or subpena) or witness summons is a writ issued by a government agency, most often a court, to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of ...

s and restraining orders, and receives occasional calls regarding nuisance situations." Roxbury has a

volunteer fire department A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respo ...

, which as of 2014 consisted of ten active volunteers.

Points of interest

* The Roxbury State Fish Hatchery, the state's first fish hatchery,Roxbury Town Plan 2014, p. 12. was built in 1891. The hatchery continued to operate—and to draw up to 2,800 visitors each summerChristine Barnes, , ''Northfield News'' (May 26, 2016).—until it suffered catastrophic damage from

Hurricane Irene Hurricane Irene was a large and destructive tropical cyclone which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during late August 2011. The ninth tropical cyclone naming, named storm, first hurricane, and first major ...

in August 2011. The state is rebuilding the hatchery. * Historic cemeteries in the town are several cemeteries include First Settlers, Orcutt, West Hill, Village, East Roxbury and Roxbury Flats. * The local historical society "is housed in a small building that was for many years the Town Clerk's Office"; its collection includes a variety of historic items.Roxbury Town Plan 2014, p. 30. * Camp Windridge at Teela Wooket is a privately owned tennis, soccer, and horseback riding camp. The camp was originally established by Claude and Florence Roys in 1913 and initially operated as "an exclusive girls' camp"; the camp was sold in 1989. * The Roxbury Free Library, which has about 5,000 volumes.

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 576 people, 227 households, and 163 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 13.8 people per square mile (5.3/km²). There were 362 housing units at an average density of 8.7 per square mile (3.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.10%

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 ...

, 0.52%

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 ...

, 1.04% Native American, 0.17% from other races, and 4.17% 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 1.22% of the population. There were 227 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% 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, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.93. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $43,438, and the median income for a family was $44,000. Males had a median income of $26,833 versus $25,750 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 $16,880. About 10.1% of families and 9.1% 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 5.9% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Gideon Hixon, businessman and member of the Wisconsin State Legislature, was born in Roxbury * Ed Pincus, documentary filmmaker, had a home in Roxbury and died there * Francis V. Randall, Union Army officer in the

* Zed S. Stanton, Vermont lieutenant governor and judge, was a lifelong Roxbury resident

References

External links

Official Town websiteRoxbury Town Plan 2014: The Geographical Center of Vermont
Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission. {{authority control Towns in Vermont Towns in Washington County, Vermont