Chester, Vermont

Chester, Vermont
Town
Shops along Main Street (Vermont Route 11)

Location in Windsor County and the state of Vermont.
Chester, Vermont
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 43°17′17″N 72°36′54″W / 43.28806°N 72.61500°W / 43.28806; -72.61500Coordinates: 43°17′17″N 72°36′54″W / 43.28806°N 72.61500°W / 43.28806; -72.61500
Country United States
State Vermont
County Windsor
Area
  Total 55.9 sq mi (144.9 km2)
  Land 55.7 sq mi (144.2 km2)
  Water 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2)
Elevation 823 ft (251 m)
Population (2010)
  Total 3,154
  Density 56/sq mi (22/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes 05143-05144
Area code(s) 802
FIPS code 50-13675[1]
GNIS feature ID 1462070[2]
Website chestervt.gov

Chester is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,154 at the 2010 census.

History

The town was originally chartered by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth as Flamstead in 1754.[3] The terms of the charter were not met and the town was re-chartered as New Flamstead in 1761.[4] In 1766, a patent was issued by New York that changed the name of the town to Chester, after George Augustus Frederick, the Earl of Chester and the eldest son of King George III.[5][6] Later, the governing authority of Chester reverted to the 1761 charter by an act of the Vermont legislature, although it left the name "Chester" in place. 2011 was thus the 250th anniversary of the town.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 55.9 square miles (144.9 km2), of which 55.7 square miles (144.2 km2) is land and 0.27 square miles (0.7 km2), or 0.46%, is water.[7]

Williams River in Chester, Vt

The Williams River is a tributary of the Connecticut River. It has 3 branches which come together as a central river and run through Chester. [8] Chester, VT residents, use it extensively for recreation; especially fishing and swimming. The banks, covered bridges, waters and nearby homes suffered major damage during Hurricane Irene and years passed as the land and water worked to heal itself.[9] Many ask the question, "why was Vermont hit so hard by Hurricane Irene when it is nowhere near the ocean?" The Williams River is 25 miles long and drains an area of 117 square miles. Most of the basin had very poor drainage due to the rugged, hilly land with steep slopes, and this resulted in the extreme destruction of the Williams River and surrounding lands during Hurricane Irene.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.
1790981
18001,87891.4%
18102,37026.2%
18202,4935.2%
18302,320−6.9%
18402,305−0.6%
18502,001−13.2%
18602,1266.2%
18702,052−3.5%
18801,901−7.4%
18901,787−6.0%
19001,775−0.7%
19101,7840.5%
19201,633−8.5%
19301,6662.0%
19401,7404.4%
19501,98113.9%
19602,31817.0%
19702,3712.3%
19802,79117.7%
19902,8321.5%
20003,0447.5%
20103,1543.6%
Est. 20143,092[10]−2.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

As of the census[1] of 2010, 3,154 people resided in Chester, with 1,793 housing units.[12] In 2010, Chester had 510 residents 14 years old and younger; 205 15 to 19; 277 20 to 29; 298 ages 30 to 39; and 418 ages 40 to 49. Our 0-49 age group makes up 53.2% of the Chester population. Of the entire population, 17.6% is 50 to 59 years old, 13.1% is 60 to 69; 7.6% is between 70 and 79 and 5.2% is 80 and older.

As in 2000, the majority of town residents in 2010 are female (1,638 to 1,516 male today compared to 1,574 to 1,470 10 years ago). In 2010, 1,262 of the women and 1,117 of the men are older than 19.

Like most Vermont towns, Chester is predominantly white (3,076 of 3,154). Chester is 97.5% white (down slightly from 98.8%) while Vermont as a whole is 95.3% white. Chester's non-Caucasian population, however, has more than doubled, from 38 residents in 2000 to 78 in 2010.

The Native America/Alaskan population has risen from 3 in 2000 to 16 in 2010, while Chester’s Asian population has risen from 7 to 15 and its Hispanic populace grew from 21 in 2000 to 35 in 2010. In the meantime, the number of African-American residents dropped from 10 in 2000 to 7 in 2010. And the number of residents claiming more than one race more than doubled, from 17 in 2000 to 37 in 2010.

As of the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the town was $39,417, and the median income for a family was $47,083. Males had a median income of $32,744 versus $26,114 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,661. About 3.8% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Old train station

Chester is served by Vermont Route 103, Vermont Route 10, Vermont Route 11 and Vermont Route 35. Although Interstate 91 does not pass through the town, it is served by exit 6 in nearby Rockingham.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

Chester hosts The Chester Fall Festival on the Green in September,[13][14] and the Winter Carnival in February.[15]

The Big Buzz Chainsaw Carving Festival is an annual event in the Chester Vermont area. The Big Buzz is re-occurring Columbus Day Weekend and features Chainsaw carvers from across the country an often around the world working and displaying their works.

Artists working in Chester

Barre Pinske

Chester, VT is home to artist Barre Pinske's studio/gallery. Barre Pinske began working with wood on a lathe with his Grandfather at age 6 in Rural Minnesota. Throughout his career he has been a pioneer in the art of chainsaw carving winning contests, developing tools, processes and producing events. Pinske had a carved bear and eagle gifted to the Russians by the U.S. Pentagon under Ronald Regan during the nuclear disarmament talks, He has been extensively collected by Steven Tyler, all Aerosmith members and has piece called Man and his Music in the entry of Prince's Paisley Park Museum in Chanhassen, MN. Pinske is well known for his Folk Art chainsaw carvings including widely collected chainsaw carved wooden bears but has a much broader scope of work. He creates abstract art, unique furniture, paintings, and cast's branches in resin creating countertops, bowls and tables. Barre Pinske has been featured on CNN Headline News, in USA Today Weekend, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, Cape Cod Times, regional publications and Tv news programs too numerous to mention. Since 2009 Pinske has produced an annual event called The Big Buzz Chainsaw Carving Festival in the Chester area. The Big Buzz, is re-occurring Columbus Day Weekend and features carvers from across the country an often around the world. The event includes a quick carve event which Pinske is credited to having been his brain child in the early 1980's. In a Quick Carve Artist's create works of art in and hour after which the works are auctioned off to the public supporting the event and the artists. The Quick Carve event has become a staple at carving festivals around the world.

Rich Koonz


I have been a full time chainsaw artist for over 10 years. One day I watched my friend carve a bear and bird house in my front yard. I said, "I can do that! Show me how to do a bear."

He was very insistent that we start with a bird house. I knew I could do that, but he was not going to take my word on that. So I carved one and it came out great. So, I said, "Now show me how to do a bear."

Well, my bear was nothing great, but he was special in his own way! With lots of practice I got better and better.

Take a look at the photo gallery to see some of the carvings I have made. Everything from 3" mini bears to 30' totem poles! I do demonstrations at a variety of fairs and carving events. Check out the Events page for more details.

My wife and I, along with our two kids moved from NY to Vermont in 2016 for an opportunity to open our first gallery. We are starting out with a display on the front porch. We have a lot of work to do, but we look forward to expanding soon. Please stop on by to see our ever-changing inventory of chainsaw carvings.

Tourism

Chester is famous for its Stone Village Historic District and Chester Village Historic District. Both districts are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.[16] The Stone Village section is located along Vermont Route 103 in North Chester, across the Williams River from Chester Center. It is known for the many houses made of local granite. The Chester Factory Village has homes that were built between 1750-1924, and includes Victorian, Colonial Revival and Federal style architecture. Both areas are popular tourist destinations.[17]

Registered historic sites:

  • Chester Village Historic District — Roughly bounded by Lovers Lane Brook, Maple St., Williams River, Middle Branch & Lovers Lane (added September 8, 1985)
  • Greenwood House — VT 103 (added December 1, 1985)
  • Jeffrey House — North St. (added July 13, 1974)
  • Stone Village Historic District — Both sides of VT 103 (added June 17, 1974)

Media

The Chester Telegraph, an online newspaper, is based in Chester, and was founded in 2011. It grew out of the website www.chestervermont.org, which was funded by USDA Rural Development. The Telegraph focuses on local news in Chester.[18][19]

Notable people

Dollar General proposal

In 2011 and 2012, Chester residents gained notoriety for their fight against a proposed Dollar General store. The Chester Telegraph covered the issue, which was also picked up statewide by Vermont Public Radio and The New York Times.[27] In February 2014, the Vermont Environmental Court ruled that a Dollar General could be built in Chester.[28][29]

References

  1. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. "History of Chester" (PDF). Chester.gov. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  4. Aldrich, Lewis Cass and Holmes, Frank R. (1891). History of Windsor County, Vermont. D. Mason & Company. p. 33.
  5. "Profile for Chester, Vermont, VT". ePodunk. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  6. "There Goes the Neighborhood: A Walking Tour of Chester andIt's Historic Stone Village" (PDF). Your Place in Vermont. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  7. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Chester town, Windsor County, Vermont". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  8. "The Williams River and it's Watershed" (PDF).
  9. PIERRE-LOUIS, Kendra. "Five Years After Hurricane Irene, Vermont Still Striving for Resilience".
  10. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  12. "Chester in 2010: A Snapshot - The Chester Telegraph". The Chester Telegraph.
  13. "A list of Vermont Fall Foliage Events Festivals for the 2013 Season". Foliage Vermont. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  14. "Chester Fall Festival". Chester Fall Festival. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  15. "Chester, Vermont Winter Carnival 2014". Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  16. "VERMONT - Windsor County - Historic Districts". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  17. "About Chester". Chester Vermont. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  18. "About The Telegraph". The Chester Telegraph. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  19. "Chester Vermont". The Chester Telegraph. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  20. "BALDWIN, Melvin Riley, (1838 - 1901)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  21. "BEAMAN, Fernando Cortez, (1814 - 1882)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  22. "Former Iraq administrator Bremer now a painter". CNN. March 5, 2009. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  23. "Donald J. Cram - Facts". Nobelprprize.org. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  24. "Anna Dewdney". Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  25. Keller, Scott (2004). Marine Pride: A Salute to America's Elite Fighting Force. Citadel Press. p. 217.
  26. Patterson, James A. (2012). James Robinson Graves: Staking the Boundaries of Baptist Identity. B&H Publishing Group. p. 7.
  27. "Vermont Towns Have an Image, and They Say Dollar Stores Aren't Part of It". The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  28. "Environmental Court OK's Dollar General with conditions". The Chester Telegraph. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  29. "DRB upholds Dollar General OK, clarifies findings". The Chester Telegraph. Retrieved March 3, 2014.


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