Lowell, Vermont
| Lowell, Vermont | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Located in Orleans County, Vermont |
|
 Location of Vermont with the U.S.A. |
|
| Coordinates: 44°47′42″N 72°26′58″W / 44.79500°N 72.44944°WCoordinates: 44°47′42″N 72°26′58″W / 44.79500°N 72.44944°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Vermont |
| County | Orleans |
| Chartered | February 7, 1791 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 56.1 sq mi (145.2 km2) |
| • Land | 56.0 sq mi (145.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 996 ft (287 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 738 |
| • Density | 13.2/sq mi (5.1/km2) |
| • Households | 270 |
| • Families | 204 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 05847 |
| Area code(s) | 802 |
| FIPS code | 50-40525 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1462137 |
Lowell is the westernmost town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 738 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 56.1 square miles (145.2 km2), of which 56.0 square miles (145.1 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km2) (0.11%) is water.
Circa 400 million years ago, large and slow moving upheavals formed the serpentine rock and the asbestos fiber which sometimes accompanies serpentine. This serpentine comprises Brown's Ledges at the Lowell-Westfield border. A rare fern species, Adiantum viridimontanum, grows which can tolerate the high nickel content of serpentine. Serpentine also contains iron, so much so that some rocks can be magnetized. This affects where cell towers can be placed in town. The iron oxide gives the color brown to "Brown's Ledges."
The major Baie Verte fault line runs through Lowell. The Burgess branch of the river follows the fault with serpentine rocks on one side and nonserpentine rocks on the other.
The Lowell (chrysotile) quarry on Belvidere Mountain was the last asbestos mine to operate in the Eastern U.S. It closed in 1993.
Lowell was chartered in 1787 by Governor Thomas Chittenden to John Kelley in 1787, for whom it was named Kellyvale. The first people other than the Native Americans to come to Lowell was in 1778 when the area was surveyed, preparatory to Col. John Hazen constructing a road to Canada for military purposes. This road was abandoned at what is now named Hazen’s Notch on Route 58.
The first settlers were Major Caldwell and family from Barre, Massachusetts in 1806. The town was formally organized in 1812, the same year the first school began with twelve students.
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