Shelburne 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 Chittenden 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. Located along the shores of

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 ...

, Shelburne's town center lies approximately south of the city center of Burlington, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population of Shelburne was 7,717. The main settlement of Shelburne in the center of town is 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 6,178 at the 2020 census. Shelburne municipality has the highest median income in both Chittenden County and the Burlington metropolitan area.

History

Shelburne was chartered by

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 ...

, August 18, 1763, to Jesse Hallock and 64 associates by 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 ...

. The name "Shelburne" or "Shelburn" was chosen to honor

William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne William Petty Fitzmaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne (2 May 17377 May 1805), known as the Earl of Shelburne between 1761 and 1784, by which title he is generally known to history, was an Anglo-Irish Whig (British political party), Whig states ...

, a celebrated nobleman of the

British parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...

and

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

. According to the charter, the town was to have an area of , or a tract a little over , but owing to a blunder on the part of the surveyors, it was shorn of a large portion of its possessions. From the beginning, Shelburne's economy was based on farming. With the clearing of land and burning of logs the town experienced a

potash Potash ( ) includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water- soluble form.

boom. A carding and

fulling mill Fulling, also known as tucking or walking ( Scots: ''waukin'', hence often spelt waulking in Scottish English), is a step in woollen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of woven cloth (particularly wool) to eliminate (lanolin) oils, dirt, ...

, a

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 ...

, a

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 ...

, and a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

shop were erected on the La Platte River at Shelburne Falls. In 1811, a few

Merino sheep The Merino is a list of sheep breeds, breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monop ...

imported from

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

led to an upsurge in sheep raising. Orchards and fruit growing became a major source of income for the farmers, with some 17,740 trees in 1880. Following the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, commerce on the lake expanded rapidly. The Lake Champlain Transportation Company established its shipyard at Shelburne Harbor and launched its first steamboat, the ''General Green,'' in 1825; this was followed by ten others before the ''Ticonderoga'' in 1906. In 1955, the ''Ticonderoga'' was moved overland to the Shelburne Museum, where it is now on display.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 46.06%, is water (primarily

, but also including Shelburne Pond in the eastern part of town).

Government and politics

The town had the highest voter turnout in Vermont in the general election of 2008 with 89.4%. It had the highest number of registered voters among the top ten towns with the highest turnout. It also had the second-highest percentage of people voting absentee of any town in Vermont, 50.2%. In the Vermont Democratic Party presidential primary of 2016, the town was the worst-performing of all municipalities in both Chittenden County and the Burlington metro area for U.S. senator

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...

of nearby Burlington. Bernie Sanders received 76.6% of the Democratic primary vote in the town and former U.S. secretary of state

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

received her highest level of support for any municipality in the county and metro area, at 23.1%. Kathryn Webb and Jessica Brumsted, both Democrats, represent the town in the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives a ...

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 6,944 people, 2,632 households, and 1,845 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 285.6 people per square mile (110.3/km²). There were 2,741 housing units at an average density of 112.8 per square mile (43.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.60%

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 ...

, 0.23%

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 ...

, 0.10% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.75% 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 0.86% of the population. There were 2,632 households, out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were couples living together and joined in either

marriage 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 ...

civil union A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, primarily created to provide legal recognition for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage, with ch ...

, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.08. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

Economy

The town contains businesses, including manufacturers, service providers, retail establishments and the state's largest

continuing care A continuing care retirement community (CCRC), sometimes known as a life plan community, is a type of retirement community in the U.S. where a continuum of aging care needs—from independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care—c ...

retirement community. In 2007 a historic inn was converted into a mixed use array of offices, small retail, and a restaurant.

Personal income

In 2016, the median income for a household in the town was $98,898, and the median income for a family was $118,492. Males had a median income of $50,085 versus $28,428 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 $55,638. About 2.9% of families and 4.9% 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 2.7% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Tourism

The town has three major tourist attractions: the Shelburne Museum, Shelburne Farms, and the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. Also attracting tourists to Shelburne are: Shelburne Vineyard and Fiddlehead Brewery. The town maintains a beach on Lake Champlain which has a boat launch and nature park. Transportation U.S. Route 7 (Shelburne Road) crosses the center of town, leading north into South Burlington and south towards Vergennes. Bus service is provided by Green Mountain Transit.

Schools

Public: * Shelburne Community School (elementary and middle school) The town is part of the Champlain valley School District and sends students of high school age to Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg. Private: * Vermont Day School * Lake Champlain Waldorf School Preschools: * Heartworks (Shelburne campus) * Shelburne Nursery School Other Schools: * Shelburne Craft School

Media

''The Shelburne News'' is a weekly newspaper mailed to all residents of Shelburne. It was established in 1967. In 2017, it was sold to the owners of the Stowe Reporter who then created the

Vermont Community Newspaper Group The Vermont Community Newspaper Group is a media company and publisher of five weekly newspapers and multiple magazines in the U.S. state of Vermont. History After owning the Stowe Reporter for 17 years, publisher Biddle Duke sold a majority ...

in 2019.

Notable people

* Frederic W. Allen, Chief 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 ...

* John L. Barstow,

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 ...

* Sam Bartlett, musician and author * Michael Dante DiMartino, animation director and author, co-creator of '' Avatar: The Last Airbender'' and ''

The Legend of Korra ''The Legend of Korra'' (abbreviated as ''TLOK'' and also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Korra'' or more rarely simply as ''Korra'') is an American animated Fantasy television, fantasy action drama television series created by Michael Dante ...

'' * Isaac R. Harrington, mayor of

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

* Tom Atwood, photographer * William C. Hill (1917–1998), Associate Justice of the

* Madeleine Kunin, 77th

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 ...

(1985–1991) * Kevin Lepage, stock car racer * Lucius Lyon, one of the first two U.S. senators from

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

* Ezra Meech (1773–1856), U.S. Congressman * George A. Meigs (1816–1897), businessman and shipbuilder in

Washington Territory The Washington Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

and

Washington state Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

* Megan Nick, Olympic bronze medalist in Aerial skiing * Almon Heath Read (1790–1844), U.S. Congressman * Barbara Snelling, 76th lieutenant governor of Vermont (1992–1996) * Richard Snelling, 78th

(1977–1985, 1991) * Jane Swift, former

acting governor An acting governor is a person who acts in the role of governor. In Commonwealth jurisdictions where the governor is a vice-regal position, the role of "acting governor" may be filled by a lieutenant governor (as in most Australian states) or a ...

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 ...

and 69th lieutenant governor of Massachusetts * Electra Havemeyer Webb (1888–1960), art collector and founder of the Shelburne Museum *

William Seward Webb William Seward Webb (January 31, 1851 – October 29, 1926) was a businessman, and inspector general of the Vermont militia with the rank of colonel. He was a founder and former president of the Sons of the American Revolution. Early life Webb ...

(1851–1926), railroad executive and founder of Shelburne Farms

References

External links

Town of Shelburne official website

Pierson Library
{{Authority control 1763 establishments in New Hampshire Populated places established in 1763 Towns in Vermont Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area Towns in Chittenden County, Vermont William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne