Westminster is a village in
Windham 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 287 at the
2020 census.
Most of the village is listed 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 ...
in 1988 as the Westminster Village Historic District.
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 village has a total area of , all land. The village is centered on the junction of
U.S. Route 5
U.S. Route 5 (US 5) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Conn ...
with School and Grout Streets, and extends mainly along US 5. Its western end is roughly Metcalf Drive and Cox Street, and its eastern end is the old cemetery. On School Street, the district extends north at least as far as Thompson Road.
History
Westminster, located in the southeastern part of Vermont, was the first town to be chartered, in 1736 by the
Province of Massachusetts Bay
The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in New England which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of Eng ...
. The layout of the village center took place in 1736–1737, and initially called for an unusually broad Main Street (now US 5). The basic plan for the village today still shows elements of this plan, with a still-broad main road layout (reduced in width in 1781 after the original plan was deemed too wide), and in the placement of municipal and civic buildings. The town hall, for example, is built on the foundation of the 18th century colonial meeting house, retaining its exterior dimensions.
[
Because Westminster was in an area disputed by several colonial governments, it had a second charter issued by the ]Province of New Hampshire
The Province of New Hampshire was an English colony and later a British province in New England. It corresponds to the territory between the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers on the eastern coast of North America. It was named after the Englis ...
in 1740, only to have that charter invalidated by a crown decision awarding the Vermont area to the Province of New York
The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783. It extended from Long Island on the Atlantic, up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys to ...
in 1764. This territorial dispute culminated in the formation of Vermont as a separate state, but not without bloodshed. Two men were fatally wounded in the Westminster massacre on March 13, 1775, in a dispute between supporters of the New York claim (led by the local New York-appointed sheriff), and a group of anti-New Yorkers occupying the courthouse. This event was significant in leading to the eventual declaration of the Vermont Republic
The Vermont Republic, officially known at the time as the State of Vermont, was an independent state in New England that existed from January 15, 1777, to March 4, 1791. The state was founded in January 1777, when delegates from 28 towns met ...
in 1777, and its admission to the Union as a separate state in 1793. Westminster was one of the seats of the republic's legislature, and served as a county seat until 1787.[
]
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 ...
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 209.1 people per square mile (80.7/km2). There were 124 housing units at an average density of 93.9/sq mi (36.3/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 100.00% 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 ...
.
There were 118 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% 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, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 20.3% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $47,969, and the median income for a family was $54,643. Males had a median income of $30,833 versus $26,375 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 village was $22,261. None of the families and 2.7% of the population were living 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 no under eighteens and 5.1% of those over 64.
See also
*
References
{{authority control
Incorporated villages in Vermont
Westminster, Vermont
Villages in Windham County, Vermont
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Vermont
Georgian Revival architecture in Vermont
Victorian architecture in Vermont
National Register of Historic Places in Windham County, Vermont