View source for Manchester, Vermont

{{short description|Town in Vermont, United States}}
{{This|the town|the incorporated village within it|Manchester (village), Vermont}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Manchester, Vermont
| settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = "So Close. So Vermont."
<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = Bennington county court house manchester vermont 20040731.jpg
| imagesize                = 250px
| image_caption            = Bennington County Courthouse in Manchester Village
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = 
| image_blank_emblem       = ManchesterVTlogo.png
| blank_emblem_type        = Logo
| blank_emblem_size        = 190px

<!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = manchester_vt_highlight.png
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Manchester, Vermont
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = 
| pushpin_map              = USA
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location in the United States

<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = {{USA}}
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Vermont}}
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Vermont|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Bennington County, Vermont|Bennington]]
| parts_type               = Communities
| parts                    = [[Manchester (village), Vermont|Manchester]]<br />[[Manchester Center, Vermont|Manchester&nbsp;Center]]<br />Manchester&nbsp;Depot<br />Barnumville<br />Richville

<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = 
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 109.4
| area_land_km2            = 109.1
| area_water_km2           = 0.3
| area_total_sq_mi         = 
| area_land_sq_mi          = 
| area_water_sq_mi         = 
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 4484
| population_density_km2   = 41.1
| population_density_sq_mi = 
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = −5
| timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST           = −4
| elevation_footnotes      = 
| elevation_m              = 281
| elevation_ft             = 899
| coordinates              = {{coord|43|8|27|N|73|4|48|W|region:US-VT|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code              = 05254<br/>05255 ([[Manchester Center, Vermont|Manchester&nbsp;Center]])
| area_code                = [[Area code 802|802]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 50-42850<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 1462142<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|manchester-vt.gov}}
| footnotes                = 
| named_for                = [[Robert Montagu, 3rd Duke of Manchester]]
}}

'''Manchester''' is a [[New England town|town]] in, and one of two shire towns<ref>[http://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/24/001/00003 Title 24, Part I, Chapter 1, §3], Vermont Statutes. Accessed November 1, 2007.</ref> ([[county seat]]s<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref>) of, [[Bennington County, Vermont]], United States. The population was 4,484 at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US5000342850| title=Census - Geography Profile: Manchester town, Bennington County, Vermont| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=January 3, 2022}}</ref>

[[Manchester (village), Vermont|Manchester Village]], an incorporated village, and [[Manchester Center, Vermont|Manchester Center]], are settlement centers within the town. Manchester has become a tourist destination, especially for those from [[New York (state)|New York]] and [[Connecticut]], offering visitors [[factory outlet]] stores of national chain retailers as well as many locally owned businesses and restaurants.

==History==
[[File:View of Manchester, VT.jpg|thumb|left|View of Manchester in 1913]]
[[File:C. unknow by e in old 1920'a 30's.jpg|thumb|left| {{circa|1920s}} at Ye Olde Tavern]]
The town was one of several chartered in 1761 by [[Benning Wentworth]], colonial governor of [[Province of New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]. It was his custom to name new towns after prominent [[England|English]] aristocrats of the day, hoping they might adopt a patronly interest in their namesakes. Wentworth named Manchester for [[Robert Montagu, 3rd Duke of Manchester]]. First settled in 1764, the town was laid out in 1784. The land was better suited for [[grazing]] than [[tillage]], so by 1839 about 6,000 [[sheep]] roamed the [[pasture]]s and hillsides.

Other industries came to include [[iron mine]]s, [[marble]] [[quarry|quarries]] and mills, and [[lumber]] companies. The arrival of the [[railroad]] from industrialized centers like [[New York City]] brought tourists, drawn by Manchester's historic architecture and beautiful setting among mountains. Following the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the town developed into an affluent resort area, which it remains today.

Between 1812 and 1819, Manchester was made famous by the Boorn–Colvin case, called "America's first wrongful conviction murder case",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/wrongfulconvictions/exonerations/vt/boorn-brothers.html |title=First Wrongful Conviction: Jesse Boorn and Stephen Boorn |last=Warden |first=Rob |website=Center on Wrongful Convictions |publisher=Northwestern University Law School |date=October 10, 2013 |access-date=April 15, 2015}}</ref> the subject of several books and still studied today.<ref>[http://murderbygasslight.blogspot.com/2010/04/dead-alive.html Murder by Gaslight: The Dead Alive]. Murderbygasslight.blogspot.com (April 11, 2010). Retrieved on 2014-04-12.</ref>

[[Orvis]] is a family-owned retail and mail-order business specializing in high-end [[fly fishing]], hunting and sporting goods. Founded in Manchester in 1856 by [[Charles F. Orvis]] to sell fishing tackle, it is the oldest mail-order retailer in the United States.<ref name="manchester-vt.gov">{{cite web |url=http://www.manchester-vt.gov/content/town-manchester-history |title= Town of Manchester History &#124; Town of Manchester, VT|website=www.manchester-vt.gov |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320171353/http://www.manchester-vt.gov/content/town-manchester-history |archive-date=March 20, 2012}}</ref><ref>[[Orvis]]</ref>

[[Jake Burton Carpenter]], founder of [[Burton Snowboards]], perfected [[snowboard]] design in his garage in Manchester. The company operated out of Manchester until 1992, when it relocated to [[Burlington, Vermont|Burlington]].<ref name="manchester-vt.gov"/> Nearby Stratton Mountain was among the first ski resorts to allow snowboarding.

The town has three distinct state-recognized historic districts—the Depot district located on Highland Avenue and Elm Street, Bonnet Street, just north of Main Street, and Main Street itself.<ref name="manchester-vt.gov"/>

==Geography==
[[File:The Congregational Church in Manchester Village Vermont.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The Congregational Church in Manchester Village, Vermont]]
[[File:ViewOfManchesterVermont.jpg|thumb|right|''View of Manchester, Vermont'' by DeWitt Clinton Boutelle, 1870]]
Manchester is located in north-central Bennington County, lying between the [[Green Mountains]] to the east and the [[Taconic Range]] to the west. [[Equinox Mountain]], the highest summit in the Taconics, with an elevation of {{convert|3850|ft}}, is in the western part of the town. Manchester is drained by the [[Batten Kill]], Lye Brook, Munson Brook, Bromley Brook, and Bourn Brook. The Lye Brook Falls Hiking Trail, which leads to one of the highest waterfalls in Vermont, is a popular local attraction.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|109.4|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|109.1|sqkm|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.3|sqkm|order=flip|1}}, or 0.29%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US5000342850| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212163240/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US5000342850| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Manchester town, Bennington County, Vermont| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=April 25, 2014}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 1276
|1800= 1397
|1810= 1502
|1820= 1508
|1830= 1525
|1840= 1599
|1850= 1782
|1860= 1688
|1870= 1897
|1880= 1928
|1890= 1907
|1900= 1955
|1910= 2044
|1920= 2057
|1930= 2004
|1940= 2139
|1950= 2425
|1960= 2470
|1970= 2919
|1980= 3261
|1990= 3622
|2000= 4180
|2010= 4391
|2020= 4484
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 16, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 4,180 people, 1,819 households, and 1,156 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|99.0|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 2,456 housing units at an average density of {{convert|58.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.87% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.38% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.17% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.31% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.43% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.84% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.75% of the population.

There were 1,819 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] who were living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. Of all households 30.5% were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.81.

The population distribution by age for Manchester was 23.1% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $47,196, and the median income for a family was $59,191. Males had a median income of $36,453 versus $26,017 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $30,499. About 2.2% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Transportation==
Manchester is crossed by four highways, including one Super-2 freeway. They are:

* [[File:US 7.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 7 in Vermont|U.S. Route 7]] (Exit 4 serves the town)
* [[File:Vermont 7A.svg|20px]] [[Vermont Route 7A|Historic VT Route 7A]]
* [[File:Vermont 30.svg|20px]] [[Vermont Route 30]]
* [[File:Vermont 11.svg|20px]] [[Vermont Route 11]]
 	 	
[[Green Mountain Community Network]]'s Orange Line bus and [[Marble Valley Regional Transit District|MVRTD "The Bus"]] Manchester-Rutland Connector serve the town with public transit commuter connections to [[Bennington, Vermont|Bennington]] and [[Rutland (city), Vermont|Rutland]], respectively.<ref>[http://www.greenmtncn.org/regional.html Orange Line Schedule, Green Mountain Community Network, Inc.] Retrieved July 24, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www.thebus.com/routes/rt7commuter.htm Manchester Route, Marble Valley Regional Transit District.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825091521/http://www.thebus.com/routes/rt7commuter.htm |date=August 25, 2013 }} Retrieved July 24, 2013.</ref> The closest major airport is [[Albany International Airport]] in New York, although three daily round trip flights from Rutland to [[Boston]] are available via [[Cape Air]] from [[Rutland – Southern Vermont Regional Airport]].<ref>[http://www.flyrutlandvt.com/ Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616045007/http://www.flyrutlandvt.com/ |date=June 16, 2012 }} Retrieved July 24, 2013.</ref> [[Greyhound Bus Lines|Greyhound]], the national intercity bus system, also serves Manchester through Premier Coach's [[Vermont Translines]] with an intercity bus connection between [[Burlington, Vermont]] and [[Albany, New York]].<ref>[http://www.mychamplainvalley.com/story/d/story/new-vermont-bus-service-coming-soon/25356/WV93OVRBoUK9ju_ZcYIpEg New Vermont Bus Service Coming Soon] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006115006/http://www.mychamplainvalley.com/story/d/story/new-vermont-bus-service-coming-soon/25356/WV93OVRBoUK9ju_ZcYIpEg |date=October 6, 2014 }}, My Champlain Valley. Retrieved July 23, 2014.</ref><ref>[https://www.vttranslines.com/content/schedules/schedules.asp Bus Service VT NH NY], Vermont Translines. Retrieved July 25, 2014.</ref>

===Rail===

Manchester has several [[Amtrak]] [[passenger train]] connections within a one-hour drive. 
* [[Rutland station]] to the north, the closest, served by the ''[[Ethan Allen Express]]''
* [[Bellows Falls station]] to the east, served by the ''[[Vermonter (train)|Vermonter]]''
* [[Fort Edward station]] to the west, served by the ''[[Adirondack (train)|Adirondack]]'' and ''Ethan Allen Express''

[[Vermont Agency of Transportation|VTrans]] and [[New York State Department of Transportation|NYSDOT]] have shown interest in restoring passenger train service to Manchester on a new [[Amtrak]] route between [[Albany–Rensselaer station|Albany]] and [[Union Station (Burlington, Vermont)|Burlington]] via Rutland, also linking up nearby [[Mechanicville, New York]] and [[North Bennington, Vermont]]. The new train would share much of its route with the ''Ethan Allen Express'', likely running beyond Albany to [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|New York City]].<ref>{{cite web |title=New York – Vermont Bi-State Intercity Passenger Rail Study: Service Development Plan |url=https://vtrans.vermont.gov/sites/aot/files/planning/documents/planning/vt-ny.pdf |publisher=Vermont Agency of Transportation |access-date=July 29, 2021 |date=July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Vermont Rail Plan: Passenger Rail Forecasting Scenarios |url=https://vtrans.vermont.gov/sites/aot/files/planning/documents/Tech%20Memo%204_PassengerRailRidershipForecast_20210511.pdf |publisher=Vermont Agency of Transportation |access-date=July 29, 2021 |date=May 2021 |pages=8–10}}</ref> As of 2021, the idea is listed simply as a "potential initiative" in the Vermont Rail Plan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vermont Rail Plan |url=https://vtrans.vermont.gov/sites/aot/files/planning/documents/Vermont%20Rail%20Plan%205-20-2021%20Final.pdf |publisher=Vermont Agency of Transportation |access-date=July 30, 2021 |date=May 2021| pages=39–40}}</ref>

==Notable attractions==
Hildene, the summer home of [[Robert Todd Lincoln]] and Mary Lincoln, is a mansion in the Georgian Revival style completed in 1905 that is located southwest of Manchester Center.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home |url=https://hildene.org/ |access-date=September 11, 2001 |website=}}</ref> Robert Lincoln, the only child of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive into adulthood, served as Secretary of War to Presidents Garfield and Arthur, was appointed Minister (Ambassador) to Great Britain during the administration of President Benjamin Harrison, and later became general counsel and then president of the Pullman Company. The Hildene house and surrounding grounds are open to the public.

Also located in Manchester, at the base of Mount Equinox, is the Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC). In addition to hosting art exhibitions from its permanent collections and of visiting collections in its gallery facilities, SVAC conducts educational programs and provides facilities for performances and events in the arts. The permanent collection at SVAC includes the work of such regional artists as Ogden Pleissner, Jay Hall Conaway, Reginald Marsh, Guy Pene du Bois, [[Lorenzo Hatch]], Luigi Lucioni, Arthur Gibbs Burton, and Robert Strong Woodward.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Southern Vermont Arts Center |url=https://www.svac.org/ |access-date=September 18, 2023}}</ref>

==Media==
Like the rest of Bennington County, Manchester lies in the Albany–Schenectady–Troy television and radio media market.
 	 	
Manchester is home to [[alternative rock]] radio station [[WEQX]]'s studios. Their broadcast tower is on the summit of [[Equinox Mountain]], from which their callsign derives, enabling their signal to reach the northern and eastern [[Capital District, New York|Capital Region]] of New York's radio market area,<ref>[http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WEQX&service=FM&status=L&hours=U WEQX's Coverage Area.] Retrieved July 24, 2013.</ref> while also being able to reach the remainder of southern [[Vermont]], western [[Massachusetts]], and southwestern [[New Hampshire]].
 	 	
WVNK 91.1 FM, a [[Vermont Public Radio|VPR]] partner station, is also licensed to Manchester. 	

Print news is carried in the ''[[Manchester Journal]]'' and ''[[Bennington Banner]]''.

== Notable people ==
<!-- Note:
· Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here. This establishes notability.
· The article must mention how they are associated with Manchester (town), whether born, raised, or residing.
· The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited.
· Alphabetical by last name please.
· All others will be deleted.
-->
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Elfriede Abbe]], sculptor<ref name="Frog">{{cite web|title=Elfriede Abbe |work=Printmaking |publisher=Frog Hollow |url=http://www.froghollow.org/artist/elfriede-abbe |access-date=June 13, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723150932/http://www.froghollow.org/artist/elfriede-abbe |archive-date=July 23, 2011 }}</ref>
* [[Charles Augustus Aiken]], clergyman; president of [[Union College]]; professor at [[Princeton University]]
* [[Joseph Sweetman Ames]], physicist; president of [[Johns Hopkins University]]
* [[Frank C. Archibald (Vermont politician)|Frank C. Archibald]], [[Vermont Attorney General]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Bigelow |first=Walter J. |date=1919 |title=Vermont, Its Government 1919-1920 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x0kjAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA23 |location=Montpelier, VT |publisher=Historical Publishing Company |page=23}}</ref>
* [[Edmund Bennett]], judge and educator
* [[Myra Bradwell]], first American woman to become an attorney
* [[James M. Clarke]], US congressman
* [[Sarah Norcliffe Cleghorn]], poet and social activist
* [[Jeremiah French]], soldier, judge and political figure in Upper Canada
* [[Jonathan Goldsmith]], actor ("The Most Interesting Man in the World" from [[Dos Equis]] advertising)
* [[John Irving]], novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter
* [[Edward Swift Isham]], Chicago attorney and law partner of [[Robert Todd Lincoln]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Aldrich |first=Lewis Cass |date=1889 |title=History of Bennington County, Vt. |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofbenning1889aldr |location=Syracuse, NY |publisher=D. Mason & Co. |pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyofbenning1889aldr/page/539 539]–541 |ref={{sfnRef|''History of Bennington County, Vt.''}}}}</ref>
* [[Pierpoint Isham]], Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court{{sfn|''History of Bennington County, Vt.''|pages=539-541}}
* [[Robert Todd Lincoln]], first son of Abraham Lincoln
* [[Richard Wall Lyman]], president of [[Stanford University]]; president of the [[Rockefeller Foundation]]
* [[Ahiman Louis Miner]], US congressman
* [[Elizabeth Page (novelist)|Elizabeth Page]], author
* [[Benjamin S. Roberts]], Civil War general
* [[Daniel Roberts (attorney)|Daniel Roberts]], attorney and president of the [[Vermont Bar Association]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Ullery |first=Jacob G. |editor-last=Huse |editor-first=Hiram A. |date=1894 |title=Men of Vermont: an illustrated biographical history of Vermonters and sons of Vermont |url=https://archive.org/details/menofvermontillu00ulle/page/336/mode/2up |location=Brattleboro, VT |publisher=Transcript Publishing Company |pages=336–337 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
* [[Robert Roberts (American politician)|Robert Roberts]], mayor of [[Burlington, Vermont]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Dodge |first=Prentiss Cutler |date=1912 |title=Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tt2_3hTQxFMC&pg=PA301 |location=Burlington, VT |publisher=Ullery Publishing Company |pages=301–302 |via=[[Google Books]] |ref={{sfnRef|Dodge}}}}</ref>
* [[The Samples]], alternative rock band<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-samples-mn0000494016/biography|title=The Samples {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=November 5, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Clara Sipprell]], photographer
* [[Richard Skinner (American politician)|Richard Skinner]], jurist, US congressman, Governor of Vermont
* [[Joseph Dresser Wickham]], headmaster of [[Burr and Burton Academy]]
* [[Treat Williams]], movie and television actor
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[Manchester, Dorset and Granville Railroad]]
{{clear}}

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Manchester, Vermont}}
{{NIE Poster|Manchester (Vermont)|Manchester, Vermont}}
{{wikivoyage|Manchester (Vermont)|Manchester, Vermont}}
* [http://manchester-vt.gov/ Town website]
* [http://manchesterhistoricalsocietyvt.org Manchester Historical Society & Museum]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140604175446/http://manchestervermont.net/ Manchester and the Mountains Vermont] Regional Chamber of Commerce
* [http://newenglandtowns.org/vermont/manchester History of Manchester, Vermont] (1839)

{{Bennington County, Vermont}}
{{Vermont county seats}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manchester (Town), Vermont}}
[[Category:Manchester, Vermont| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Vermont]]
[[Category:County seats in Vermont]]
[[Category:Towns in Bennington County, Vermont]]