Stowe, Vermont

Stowe, Vermont
—  Town  —
Stowe Town Hall, on Main Street
Stowe, Vermont
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Vermont
County Lamoille
Government
 • Type Board of Selectmen
Area
 • Total 72.7 sq mi (188.4 km2)
 • Land 72.7 sq mi (188.2 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation 968 ft (295 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 4,339
 • Density 59.7/sq mi (23.1/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 05672
Area code(s) 802
FIPS code 50-70525[1]
GNIS feature ID 1462219[2]

Stowe is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,339 at the 2000 census. Tourism is a significant industry.

Contents

History

Stowe was founded in March 1763 by Oliver Luce and his family.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 72.7 square miles (188.4 km2), of which 72.7 square miles (188.2 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km2) (0.10%) is water. By area, it is the second-largest town in the state of Vermont (after Chittenden in Rutland County).

Stowe lies in a broad, fertile valley between Mount Mansfield and other peaks of the Green Mountains to the west, and the Worcester Range or "Hogback" Mountains to the east. The Waterbury River (or Little River, as it is presently known) with its main east and west branches and various tributaries, flows southward and, above Waterbury Center, empties into the large reservoir created by the flood control dam. From there the "Little River" flows southward and eventually empties into the westward flowing Winooski River west of the Village of Waterbury.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 4,339 people, 1,905 households, and 1,129 families residing in the town. The population density was 59.7 people per square mile (23.1/km2). There were 2,728 housing units at an average density of 37.5 per square mile (14.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.51% White, 0.28% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population.

There were 1,905 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.

Economy

There has been some manufacturing in Stowe, such as the Tubbs Snowshoe factory, but they closed in 2009 and moved their manufacturing overseas.

Personal income

The median income for a household in the town was $52,378, and the median income for a family was $64,700. Males had a median income of $37,788 versus $31,689 for females. The per capita income for the town was $35,474. About 3.7% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.[1]

Tourism

Stowe is host to an arts and crafts shows, a balloon festival, and many other special events. The weekend-long British Invasion event is held annually in Stowe during the third week of September. The Stowe Theater Guild, along with Hyde Park Opera House, and the Waterbury Festival Players, combine to offer theatrical productions each Summer.

The 2007 Fed Cup Semifinals between the United States team (coached by Zina Garrison) and Russia took place in Stowe on hard courts in July. Vania King, Lisa Raymond, Meilen Tu and Venus Williams made up the team for the U.S. A 4100 capacity stadium was built at Topnotch Resort.[3]

Skiing

At 4,393 feet (1,339 m), Mount Mansfield is Vermont's highest mountain and is a ski area with terrain suitable for intermediate to expert skiers. The famous "Front Four" trails (National, Lift Line, Starr and Goat) are the most challenging. The lower altitude Spruce Peak is suitable for beginners and intermediates.

Points of interest

Other activities

There are hiking facilities on and around Mount Mansfield, and Smugglers' Notch State Park, such as the Long Trail, all of which are operated by the Green Mountain Club. There are rock climbing and ice climbing activities.

There is mountain biking in the area. Besides public trails, there are private trails at the Trapp Family Lodge.

Stowe Recreation Path

The Stowe Recreation Path, is a recreation trail[4] that runs 5.3 miles (8.5 km), and was completed in 1989 at a total cost of $680,000. The Stowe Recreation Path has received several awards and honors.[5]

Education

There are three public schools in town: Stowe Elementary School, Stowe Middle School, and Stowe High School.

Stowe Land Trust

Stowe Land Trust has conserved 25 properties and over 3,000 acres (12 km2), many of which are available to the public. One is Wiessner Woods, conserved by the trust in 1992 through a donation from the Wiessner family.[6]

Media

Radio station WCVT; is licensed to Stowe, and programs a classical music format.

HGTV's 2011 Dream Home is located in Stowe.[7]

Notable people

Gallery

References

  1. ^ a b c "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ Official site for the Fed Cup in Stowe
  4. ^ Map of Path, SuperPages.com
  5. ^ "History of the Stowe Recreation Path", Town of Stowe
  6. ^ Stowe Land Trust: Wiessner Woods
  7. ^ HGTV

External links