Manchester, Vermont facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Manchester, Vermont
Town
Bennington County Courthouse in Manchester Village
Manchester, Vermont
Manchester, Vermont Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Bennington
Named for	Robert Montagu, 3rd Duke of Manchester
Communities	Manchester Manchester Center Manchester Depot Barnumville Richville
Area
• Total	42.2 sq mi (109.4 km2)
• Land	42.1 sq mi (109.1 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation	899 ft (281 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,484
• Density	106/sq mi (41.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	05254 05255 (Manchester Center)
Area code(s)	802
FIPS code	50-42850
GNIS feature ID	1462142

Manchester is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two "shire towns" (like a county seat) for the county. In 2020, about 4,484 people lived there.

Within Manchester, you'll find Manchester Village and Manchester Center. Manchester is a popular place for tourists, especially those from New York and Connecticut. Visitors enjoy shopping at outlet stores and exploring local shops and restaurants.

History of Manchester

View of Manchester in 1913

Ye Olde Tavern around the 1920s

Manchester was one of several towns created in 1761 by Benning Wentworth. He was the colonial governor of New Hampshire. Governor Wentworth often named new towns after important English nobles. He hoped these nobles would take a special interest in the towns named after them. Manchester was named after Robert Montagu, 3rd Duke of Manchester.

The first settlers arrived in 1764, and the town was officially set up in 1784. The land was better for raising animals than for growing crops. By 1839, about 6,000 sheep lived in the pastures and hills.

Other businesses grew in Manchester, including iron mines, marble quarries, and lumber companies. When the railroad arrived, it brought tourists from big cities like New York City. People were attracted to Manchester's old buildings and beautiful mountain views. After the Civil War, Manchester became a wealthy resort area, and it still is today.

Between 1812 and 1819, Manchester became famous for the Boorn–Colvin case. This case is known as "America's first wrongful conviction murder case." It has been written about in many books and is still studied today.

Orvis is a family-owned company that started in Manchester in 1856. It was founded by Charles F. Orvis to sell fishing gear. Today, it sells high-quality fly fishing, hunting, and sports equipment. It is the oldest mail-order company in the United States.

Jake Burton Carpenter, who started Burton Snowboards, made his snowboard designs perfect in his garage in Manchester. His company worked out of Manchester until 1992. Then, it moved to Burlington. Nearby Stratton Mountain was one of the first ski resorts to allow snowboarding.

Manchester has three special historic areas. These are the Depot district, Bonnet Street, and Main Street.

Geography of Manchester

The Congregational Church in Manchester Village, Vermont

View of Manchester, Vermont by DeWitt Clinton Boutelle, 1870

Manchester is in the middle of Bennington County. It sits between the Green Mountains to the east and the Taconic Range to the west. Equinox Mountain is the tallest peak in the Taconics, reaching about 3,850 feet high. It is located in the western part of Manchester.

Several streams and rivers flow through Manchester. These include the Batten Kill, Lye Brook, Munson Brook, Bromley Brook, and Bourn Brook. The Lye Brook Falls Hiking Trail is a popular spot. It leads to one of Vermont's highest waterfalls.

The town covers a total area of about 109.4 square kilometers (42.2 square miles). Most of this area, about 109.1 square kilometers (42.1 square miles), is land. Only a small part, about 0.3 square kilometers (0.1 square miles), is water.

Population and People

In 2000, there were 4,180 people living in Manchester. There were 1,819 households, and 1,156 families. The population density was about 99 people per square mile.

Most of the people in Manchester were White (97.87%). There were also smaller groups of African American, Native American, Asian, and other races. About 1.75% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 28.5% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.26 people. The average family had 2.81 people.

Getting Around Manchester

Manchester has four main highways:

• U.S. Route 7 (Exit 4)
• Historic VT Route 7A
• Vermont Route 30
• Vermont Route 11

Public transportation is available through the Green Mountain Community Network's Orange Line bus. The MVRTD "The Bus" Manchester-Rutland Connector also serves the town. These buses connect Manchester to Bennington and Rutland.

The closest major airport is Albany International Airport in New York. However, you can also fly from Rutland – Southern Vermont Regional Airport to Boston with Cape Air. Greyhound also serves Manchester. It connects Burlington, Vermont, and Albany, New York.

Train Travel

Manchester is about an hour's drive from several Amtrak train stations.

• Rutland station is to the north. The Ethan Allen Express train stops here.
• Bellows Falls station is to the east. The Vermonter train stops here.
• Fort Edward station is to the west. The Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express trains stop here.

There is interest in bringing passenger train service back to Manchester. This new Amtrak route would go between Albany and Burlington through Rutland. It would also connect nearby Mechanicville, New York, and North Bennington, Vermont. This new train would likely continue to New York City. As of 2021, this idea is being considered for Vermont's rail plans.

Places to Visit in Manchester

Hildene is the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln and Mary Lincoln. Robert Todd Lincoln was the only child of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln to live to be an adult. He was a Secretary of War and an ambassador. Hildene is a beautiful mansion built in 1905. You can visit the house and its grounds.

The Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC) is also in Manchester, at the base of Mount Equinox. SVAC shows art from its own collection and from other artists. It also has educational programs and places for performances and events. The art collection at SVAC includes works by artists like Ogden Pleissner and Reginald Marsh.

Media and News

Manchester is part of the Albany–Schenectady–Troy television and radio market.

The alternative rock radio station WEQX has its studios in Manchester. Its broadcast tower is on top of Equinox Mountain, which is where its callsign comes from. This allows its signal to reach parts of New York, southern Vermont, western Massachusetts, and southwestern New Hampshire.

WVNK 91.1 FM, a VPR partner station, is also licensed to Manchester.

You can read local news in the Manchester Journal and Bennington Banner newspapers.

Famous People from Manchester

See also

In Spanish: Manchester (Vermont) para niños