Bennington, Vermont

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Bennington, Vermont
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settlement_type = Town
motto =

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image_caption = The Bennington Battle Monument


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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Located in Bennington County, Vermont

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mapsize1 = 195px
map_caption1 = Location of Vermont within the U.S.A.
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Vermont
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Bennington
subdivision_type3 =
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established_title = Chartered
established_date = 1749
area_magnitude =
unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_total_km2 = 110.1
area_land_km2 = 109.9
area_water_km2 = 0.2
area_total_sq_mi = 42.5
area_land_sq_mi = 42.5
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1
area_water_percent =
population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_note =
population_total = 15737
population_density_km2 = 143.2
population_density_sq_mi = 370.9
population_blank1_title = Households
population_blank1 = 6162
population_blank2_title = Families
population_blank2 =
timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 42 |latm = 53 |lats = 28 |latNS = N
longd = 73 |longm = 12 |longs = 29 |longEW = W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 249
elevation_ft = 817
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 05201
area_code = 802
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 50-04825GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1462039GR|3
website =
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Bennington is a town located in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns (county seats) of the county, the other being Manchester [ [http://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/fullsection.cfm?Title=24&Chapter=001&Section=00003 Title 24, Part I, Chapter 1, §3] , Vermont Statutes. Accessed 2007-11-01.] GR|6. The population was 15,737 at the 2000 census. By population, Bennington is the largest town in Southern Vermont, the third-largest town in Vermont (after Essex and Colchester), and the sixth-largest municipality in the state (after Burlington, Essex, Rutland, Colchester, and South Burlington). Bennington is home to the Bennington Battle Monument, which is the tallest structure in the state of Vermont.

History

The site, chartered as a town in 1749, was settled in 1761 and named for Benning Wentworth, governor of New Hampshire, who issued the grant. The settlers were led by Capt. Samuel Robinson, who camped in the river valley on his return from the French and Indian War.

The town is known primarily for the Battle of Bennington, fought during the Revolutionary War (the battle was actually fought a few miles to the west in New York). On August 16 1777, Gen. John Stark’s 1,500 New Hampshire Militia defeated 800 troops of German mercenaries, local Loyalists, Canadians and Indians under German Lt. Col. Friedrich Baum. German reinforcements under the command of Lt. Col. Heinrich von Breymann looked set to reverse the outcome, but were prevented by the arrival of Seth Warner’s Green Mountain Boys; the Vermont militia founded by Ethan Allen.

There are three historic districts within the town today: Old Bennington, Downtown Bennington and North Bennington. Of these, Old Bennington is the original settlement, dating back to 1761 when Congregational Separatists arrived from Connecticut and Massachusetts. In the early 1800’s , Downtown Bennington started developing, and by 1854 the county’s population had reached 18,589.

In 1891, the Bennington Battle Monument was opened. The monument is a 306 foot high stone obelisk that is the tallest structure in Vermont. It is a popular tourist attraction.

Bennington has ready access to natural resources and waterpower, and a long history of manufacture, primarily within wood processing. The town is also recognized nationally for its pottery, iron, and textiles.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.5 square miles (110.0 km²), of which, 42.4 square miles (109.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.14%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 15,737 people, 6,162 households, and 3,863 families residing in the town. The population density was 370.9 people per square mile (143.2/km²). There were 6,574 housing units at an average density of 154.9/sq mi (59.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.96% White, 0.63% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.

There were 6,162 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were couples living together and joined in either marriage or civil union, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,706, and the median income for a family was $40,615. Males had a median income of $30,712 versus $22,411 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,290. About 11.1% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.1% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Youth sports

* Bennington is home to the 20 time defending State Wrestling Champions: the Mount Anthony Patriots. The Mount Anthony Patriots have won 20 consecutive Vermont State Wrestling Championships under the head coaching of Scott Legacy.Fact|date=April 2008 This is the New National record.Fact|date=April 2008

Attractions

* The Bennington Battle Monument
* The Grandma Moses Museum.
* The Park-McCullough Historic House, a well-preserved, 35-room, Victorian country house.
* Robert Frost's grave.
* Bennington College
* [http://www.oldfirstchurchbenn.org/ The Old First Church]
* Southern Vermont College
* [http://www.benningtonmuseum.com/ The Bennington Museum]

Notable residents

*Hiram Bingham, first missionary to introduce Christianity to the Hawaiian Islands
*Beatrice Boepple, actress
*James Fisk, Jr., financier
*Helen Frankenthaler, painter
*Simon Fraser, fur trader and explorer who charted much of what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia
*Robert Frost, poet
*Cynthia Gibb, actress and former model
*Milford Graves, free jazz drummer, percussion musician
*Horace Chapin Henry, Seattle businessman and founder of the Henry Art Gallery
*Stanley Edgar Hyman, literary critic
*Shirley Jackson, author
*Jamaica Kincaid, novelist
*Ray Magliozzi, co-host of NPR's weekly radio show, Car Talk, taught science at the Mount Anthony Union Middle School in Bennington for a few years
*Jules Olitski, painter
*Cody Pettibone, Major League Baseball player for the Boston Red Sox in the 1920s
*Jonathan Robinson, U.S. Senator from Vermont
*Moses Robinson, U.S. Senator from Vermont
*Mary Rogers, last woman executed by Vermont
*David Smith, sculptor of Abstract Expressionism mostly know for large steel abstract geometric sculptures
*Benjamin Swift, U.S. Senator from Vermont
*Isaac Tichenor, Governor of Vermont and also served as a jurist and a U.S. Senator
*Seth Warner, Captain of the Green Mountain Boys

ister city

*flagicon|NIC Somotillo, Nicaragua

ee also

*Bennington Free Library
*Bennington Triangle

References

External links

* [http://www.bennington.com/ Bennington Vermont Official Town Site]
* [http://www.benningtonfreelibrary.org/ Bennington Free Library Website]
* [http://www.benningtonbanner.com Bennington Banner, the daily newspaper]
* [http://www.bennington.edu/ Bennington College]
* [http://www.svc.edu/ Southern Vermont College]
* [http://www.strangenation.com.au/articles/vanish.htm "Vanishing Point," "Strange Nation" article about numerous inexplicable disappearances in Bennington, Vermont between 1920 and 1950]
* [http://www.mytownsquare.org/index.php/Bennington%2C_VT%2C_USA Recent events in Bennington, VT]
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