Chelsea, Vermont

Chelsea is a town in and the shire town[3] (county seat)[4] of Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,238 at the 2010 census.

Chelsea, Vermont
Town
Orange County Court House in Chelsea, Vermont
Located in Orange County, Vermont
Location of Vermont with the U.S.A.
Coordinates: 43°59′22″N 72°27′46″W
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Orange
Chartered	1781 (Vermont)
Communities	Chelsea Chelsea West Hill
Area
• Total	39.9 sq mi (103.4 km^2)
• Land	39.9 sq mi (103.4 km^2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.1 km^2)
Elevation	840 ft (256 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,238
• Density	31.3/sq mi (12.1/km^2)
• Households	495
• Families	324
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	05038
Area code(s)	802
FIPS code	50-13525[1]
GNIS feature ID	1462069[2]
Website	Chelsea Vermont Official Town Website

Geography

Chelsea is located in a river valley in Central Vermont. The First Branch of the White River travels through the valley and the town. Located in the center of town are two commons

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.9 square miles (103.4 km²), of which 39.9 square miles (103.4 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km²) (0.05%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	239		—
1800	897		275.3%
1810	1,327		47.9%
1820	1,462		10.2%
1830	1,958		33.9%
1840	1,959		0.1%
1850	1,958		−0.1%
1860	1,757		−10.3%
1870	1,526		−13.1%
1880	1,462		−4.2%
1890	1,230		−15.9%
1900	1,070		−13.0%
1910	1,074		0.4%
1920	1,087		1.2%
1930	1,004		−7.6%
1940	1,013		0.9%
1950	1,025		1.2%
1960	957		−6.6%
1970	983		2.7%
1980	1,091		11.0%
1990	1,166		6.9%
2000	1,250		7.2%
2010	1,238		−1.0%
2014 (est.)	1,245	[5]	0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

Chelsea Public School enrolls Kindergarten through 12th grade

Chelsea Public Library

As of the census[7] of 2010, there were 1,238 people, 541 households, and 334 families residing in the town. Of the 541 household 117 had children under the age of 18 living within them.

The racial makeup of the town was 96.1% White, 0.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

The median age of residents is 48.3. The median household income is $49, 500. 89.2% of adults have earned a high school diploma or higher level of education. 17.9% of individuals live below the poverty line.

History

The town was founded on August 4, 1781. It was originally called Turnersburgh after settler Bela Turner. In 1788 the townspeople of Turnersburgh approved a bill to rename the town Chelsea.

The first small school houses were established in the early 1800s. By 1845 there were 18 school houses operating around the town. In 1852 the Chelsea Academy was built in the village district. The Chelsea Academy burnt in 1870. In 1913 the “new” Chelsea High School building was built, this building still houses the Chelsea Public School today.[8]

Historic Sites

In 1983 the village of Chelsea was placed on the National Register of Historical Places.[9]

Chelsea has two other structures listed on the National Register:

• The Congregational Church of Chelsea[10]
• Moxley Covered Bridge[11]

Figure, the original Morgan Horse,[12] is buried in Chelsea

Barn Quilt Trail

In 2018 The Chelsea Arts Collective led a project to create a barn quilt trail in Chelsea. Barn quilts are painted pieces of plywood. Designs are often geometric and resemble the patchwork of a quilt.[13]

Interesting Facts

The following movies were filmed (either fully or partially) in Chelsea:[14]

• The Last Stand Farmer (1976)
• The Gift of Love (1983)
• Vermont is for Lovers (1992)
• A Stranger in the Kingdom (1997)

Notable people

• John L. Bacon, Chelsea and Hartford banker and State Treasurer
• Daniel Buck, US representative in the 4th States Congress
• Daniel Azro Ashley Buck, raised in Chelsea, US representative for Vermont in the 18th and 20th United States Congress
• David Whitney Curtis, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
• William Hebard, resided in Chelsea, US representative for Vermont in the 31st and 32nd United States Congress
• F. Ray Keyser Sr., Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
• F. Ray Keyser Jr., born and raised in Chelsea, 72nd governor of Vermont
• William A. Palmer, resided in Chelsea, US senator in the 15th and 16th United States Congress, 13th governor of Vermont
• William Freeman Vilas, born in Chelsea, United States Postmaster General, United States Secretary of the Interior, US senator for Wisconsin
• Stanley C. Wilson, resided in Chelsea, 62nd governor of Vermont
• John Young, born in Chelsea, US representative in the 24th and 27th United States Congress, 15th governor of New York

Footnotes

1. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. Title 24, Part I, Chapter 1, §10, Vermont Statutes. Accessed 2007-11-01.
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
5. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Archived from the original on 2015-05-23. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
7. Bureau, U.S. Census. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
8. Committee from the Chelsea Historical Society (1984). Chelsea, Vermont 1784-1984. Barre, Vermont: Northlight Studio Press.
9. "Search Results". npgallery.nps.gov. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
10. "Search Results". npgallery.nps.gov. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
11. "Search Results". npgallery.nps.gov. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
12. "'Justin Morgan Trail' Honors Man and Horse | The Herald of Randolph". www.ourherald.com. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
13. Jones, Rachel Elizabeth. "Chelsea Arts Collective Launches Barn Quilt Project". Seven Days. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
14. "Movies Filmed in Vermont". Vermont Folklore, Myths, Legends, Ghost Stories & More. Retrieved 2018-09-21.

Further reading

• John Moore Comstock, Chelsea: The Origin of Chelsea, Vermont and a Record of its Institutions and Individuals. n.c.: n.p., 1944.
• Chelsea Historical Society, Inc., A History of Chelsea, Vermont 1784–1984. (Chelsea Historical Society, Inc., 1984).

External links

• Chelsea Vermont Official Town Website