Bradford, Vermont facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bradford, Vermont
Town
Main Street
Located in Orange County, Vermont
Bradford, Vermont Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Orange
Chartered	1770
Communities	Bradford Bradford Center
Area
• Total	29.9 sq mi (77.4 km2)
• Land	29.8 sq mi (77.2 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	425 ft (263 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,790
• Density	93/sq mi (36.1/km2)
• Households	1,028
• Families	692
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	05033 (Bradford) 05040 (East Corinth)
Area code(s)	802
FIPS code	50-07375
GNIS feature ID	1462046
Website	bradford-vt.us

Bradford is a friendly town in Orange County, Vermont, in the United States. In 2020, about 2,790 people lived there. Bradford is special because it's right on the edge of Vermont, next to the Connecticut River and the state of New Hampshire. It's also a busy place for shops and businesses that serve many nearby towns.

History of Bradford, Vermont

View of the Bradford library around 1915

Bradford was first called Wait's River Town or Waitstown. This name honored Joseph Wait, a member of a famous group called Rogers' Rangers.

The town was once part of Gloucester County, New York before Vermont became a state. In 1770, New York officially created the town. It was named Mooretown after Sir Henry Moore, 1st Baronet, who was the governor of New York at that time.

Later, on October 23, 1788, the people living there asked for a new name. The Vermont General Assembly renamed it Bradford. This new name probably came from Bradford, Massachusetts. Bradford has always been an important place for businesses and industries in the area.

Geography and Nature

Bradford covers about 29.9 square miles (77 km²) of land and a small amount of water. The Waits River flows through Bradford. It heads southeast until it joins the Connecticut River. The Connecticut River forms the eastern border of the town.

The land in Bradford goes from low areas near the river to gentle hills and valleys. It also has a mountain called Wright's Mountain, which is about 1,822 feet high. This mountain is near the border with Newbury.

Bradford shares its borders with other towns:

• Newbury to the north
• West Fairlee and Fairlee to the south
• Corinth to the west

Across the Connecticut River to the east is Piermont, New Hampshire. The Piermont Bridge, built in 1928, connects Bradford and Piermont. Bradford is part of a larger area called the Upper Valley. This region is around the Connecticut River in Vermont and New Hampshire.

People of Bradford

In 2010, there were 2,797 people living in Bradford. There were 1,281 households, which are groups of people living together. About 692 of these were families.

The average age of people in Bradford was 40 years old.

• 26.2% of the population was under 18 years old.
• 15.6% of the population was 65 years or older.

Schools and Learning

Bradford has two public schools for younger students:

• Bradford Elementary School teaches students from kindergarten through 6th grade.
• Oxbow High School is for students in grades 7 through 12.

Next to Oxbow High School is the Riverbend Career and Technical Center. This center helps adults learn job skills. In the 2017–2018 school year, Bradford Elementary had 242 students. Oxbow/Riverbend had about 373 students. Bradford Elementary only serves students from Bradford. However, Oxbow/Riverbend also welcomes students from nearby towns.

The main office for the Orange East Supervisory Union, which manages several schools, is in Bradford. You can also find a branch of Central Vermont Basic Education here. They offer classes to help people with reading, writing, math, and computer skills. They also help people learn English, prepare for U.S. citizenship, and earn high school diplomas.

Getting Around Town

Major roads cross through Bradford:

• Interstate 91
• U.S. Route 5
• Vermont Route 25 and Vermont Route 25B

You can also travel by bus with Stagecoach Transportation. They offer bus service to places like Hanover, New Hampshire, and White River Junction, Vermont. They also have a "Circulator Route" for shopping and other places in the local area. You can even get individual rides for doctor appointments.

Fun Places to Visit

A beautiful view from Wright's Mountain

Bradford has many beautiful views! You can see the Connecticut River Valley, the Waits River Valley, and even the White Mountains. The view from Wright's Mountain is especially nice.

Here are some other interesting places in Bradford:

• Bradford Village Historic District is a special area with old buildings. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Today, it has popular restaurants, a general store, and shops.
• Bradford Academy/Woods School Building is an old building from 1893. It now holds the town government offices, the police department, and the Bradford Historical Society.
• Bradford Public Library is a beautiful building designed by Lambert Packard and built in 1895.
• Old Church Theater is a theater that puts on family-friendly plays in the summer. It's in a building from 1793. Local people act, direct, and help with everything behind the scenes.
• Wright's Mountain/Devil's Den Town Forest has over 500 acres of protected land. It has more than 10 miles of trails for walking, biking, and other outdoor fun. It was named a National Scenic Trail in 2018.
• The Space on Main is a non-profit place that opened in 2017. It's a shared workspace, a place to create things, and a spot for events and art shows.
• Waits River Falls (also called Bradford Falls or Bradford Dam) is a scenic waterfall on the Waits River. It's next to the Boch Park picnic area.
• Elizabeth's Park is a playground with a cool wooden castle, picnic grills, and an ice skating rink in winter.
• Statue of Rear Admiral Charles Edgar Clark is a statue honoring a famous person from Bradford. He was the captain of the battleship USS Oregon during the Spanish–American War.

Famous People from Bradford

A frozen waterfall in Waits River

Many interesting people have connections to Bradford:

• Charles C. P. Baldwin and William Barron were both United States Marshals for Vermont.
• John Putnam Chapin was born in Bradford and later became the mayor of Chicago.
• Charles Edgar Clark was born in Bradford. He was a brave captain of the battleship USS Oregon during the Spanish–American War.
• Herbert Thomas Johnson was a top leader of the Vermont National Guard.
• Thomas Herbert Johnson was an expert on the famous poet Emily Dickinson.
• Emily Rebecca Page was a poet who lived much of her life in Bradford.
• Ursula Bailey Marvin was a planetary geologist and author who worked for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
• Philena McKeen was the principal of Abbot Academy in Massachusetts.
• Ned O'Gorman was a poet and educator who spent some of his youth in Bradford.
• Albert Sleeper was born in Bradford and later became the 29th governor of Michigan.
• Alexander Lucius Twilight was born in Bradford. He was the first African American to earn a degree from an American college.
• Abel Underwood was a U.S. Attorney for Vermont and a judge.
• John H. Watson was the Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court.
• James Wilson was the first person in America to make globes, and he lived in Bradford.
• Jay Wright is a poet who lives in Bradford.

See also

In Spanish: Bradford (Vermont) para niños