Randolph, Vermont
| Randolph, Vermont | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Downtown Randolph
|
|
 Located in Orange County, Vermont |
|
 Randolph, Vermont
|
|
| Coordinates: 43°57′07″N 72°39′54″W / 43.9520°N 72.6650°WCoordinates: 43°57′07″N 72°39′54″W / 43.9520°N 72.6650°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Vermont |
| County | Orange |
| Chartered | 1781 (Vermont) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 47.9 sq mi (124.1 km2) |
| • Land | 47.9 sq mi (124.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 694 ft (420 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 4,583 |
| • Density | 101.4/sq mi (39.2/km2) |
| • Households | 1,769 |
| • Families | 1,144 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 05041 (East Randolph), 05061 (Randolph Center), 05060 |
| Area code(s) | 802 |
| FIPS code | 50-58075 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1462182 |
| Website | Town website |
Randolph is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,853 at the 2000 census, making Randolph the largest town in Orange County. The town is a commercial center for many of the smaller, rural farming communities that surround it.
When the area was originally settled there were three villages—Randolph Center, East Randolph and West Randolph. What is now the central village of the current town had previously been the village of West Randolph.
Vermont granted the town on November 2, 1780, when the New Hampshire settlers could not locate the original grantees, whose patents were issued by New York. It was chartered on June 29, 1781 to Aaron Storrs and 70 others, and was originally named "Middlesex."
The town was first settled circa 1778, when Vermont was an unrecognized state whose government existed in defiance of the government of New York, which claimed Vermont was a part of New York. To encourage recognition of the state by the United States, the town was renamed in honor of Edmund Randolph.
With productive soil for cultivation, farming became an intensive industry. By 1830, when the population reached 2,743, between twelve and thirteen thousand sheep grazed its pastures. Randolph was noted for its good butter, cheese and mutton.
Two branches of the White River provided water power for watermills. By 1859, the town had three gristmills, one oil mill, and one carding mill. In 1848, the Vermont Central Railroad opened service through the town. Randolph's prosperity during the Victorian era endowed it with some fine architecture, including the Second Empire Randolph Railroad Depot and Renaissance Revival Kimball Public Library.
...
Wikipedia