| Bethel, Vermont | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Old mill buildings in Bethel, Vermont | |
| Located in Windsor County, Vermont | |
| Location of Vermont within the U.S.A. | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Vermont |
| County | Windsor |
| Chartered | 1779 (Vermont) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 45.4 sq mi (117.7 km2) |
| • Land | 45.3 sq mi (117.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 573 ft (256 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 1,968 |
| • Density | 43.4/sq mi (16.8/km2) |
| • Households | 817 |
| • Families | 548 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 05032 |
| Area code(s) | 802 |
| FIPS code | 50-05800[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1462043[2] |
| Website | bethelvt.com |
Bethel is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,968 at the 2000 census. The town includes the locations of Bethel-Gilead, East Bethel, Lilliesville, Lympus (formerly Olympus), and West Bethel. Bethel is best known for being the source of Bethel White granite which has been used to build Union Station (Washington, DC) and the National Museum of Natural History. Bethel was the first town created by the independent Republic of Vermont in 1779 and was named after the biblical village of Bethel.
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 45.4 square miles (117.7 km2), of which 45.3 square miles (117.3 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.4 km2) (0.31%) is water.
Dudley Chase, a grantee, awoke in town one morning and told of having dreamed of the Biblical story of Jacob sleeping in a field with a stone for a pillow.[3] In the biblical story, Jacob had named the place Beth-el (House of God). Chase's associates were so impressed that they named the town the same.[4]
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,968 people, 817 households, and 548 families residing in the town. The population density was 43.4 people per square mile (16.8/km2). There were 956 housing units at an average density of 21.1 per square mile (8.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.82% White, 0.25% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.05% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.
There were 817 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,141, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $30,109 versus $21,829 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,577. About 7.9% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.
Residents of Bethel in grades K-6 attend Bethel Elementary School. Students in Grades 7-12 attend Whitcomb Junior/Senior High School, which is part of the Windsor Northwest Supervisory Union (#50) and serves the towns of Bethel, Granville, Hancock, Pittsfield, Rochester, and Stockbridge.[5]
Bethel is mentioned in the 2007 film I Am Legend as a fortified colony of uninfected survivors from a "cancer cure" virus that mutates and becomes a pandemic, killing over 90% the human populace of the world in 2009.
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