Brandon, Vermont, United States

🇺🇸 Brandon is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States.

History On October 20, 1761, the town of Neshobe was chartered to Capt. Josiah Powers. In October 1784, the name of the town was changed to Brandon by an act of the legislature.

Brandon is a study in early American architecture and Vermont history. When the first settlers came to the area in the mid-1770s, they established the village of Neshobe. The area was rich in natural resources with excellent farmland along the rivers and abundant supplies of timber and minerals. The town flourished during the 1800s with several industries relying on the key resources of waterpower, iron ore and marble. The coming of the railroad in 1849 enabled the manufacture and shipping of iron-based products such as the Howe scale, as well as Brandon paints, wood products and marble.

During its century of rapid growth, Brandon Village evolved a unique village plan. The historic Crown Point military road came through Brandon to connect Lake Champlain to the Atlantic coast. In the ensuing decades, government and individuals developed commercial streets at the core which radiated out from the greens lined with residences leading to farms, mines and quarries in the town. Pearl and Park streets were laid out to be suitable for militia training, resulting in broad, tree-shaded streets with deep front yards.

Statesman Stephen A. Douglas was born in Brandon, and his birthplace is now the Brandon Museum as well as the town's Visitor Center. Douglas returned in 1860 to inform a crowd that Brandon was a good place to be born and leave.

Thomas Davenport, proclaimed by some to have invented the electric motor, was born and lived in Brandon.

As the early industries began to decline, dairying, stock breeding and tourism became increasingly important and ensured the economic survival of Brandon in the 20th century. The establishment of the Brandon Training School in 1915 was a significant event, providing many employment opportunities for area residents. At its height, the Training School served over 600 Vermont residents. Changes in policy and social service practices led to closing the facility in November 1993. The campus, now called Park Village, is used for a variety of purposes including residential, industrial, and institutional uses.

Brandon's historic downtown, with its entire core of 243 buildings, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Personal income The median income for a household in the town was $35,810, and the median income for a family was $42,455. Males had a median income of $27,949 versus $22,576 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,516. About 7.3% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Arts Proclaimed by the governor as the "Art and Soul" of Vermont, Brandon is home to renowned folk artist Warren Kimble and over 50 other local artists. There is also a mix of local wineries, folk artists, fabric artists, computer artists, workers in traditional decorative arts, watercolor, jewellery, pottery, glass, sculpture, print makers, a historic barn refurbished into a functioning opera house, and photographers.

Education Brandon is home to Neshobe Elementary school (Pre-K to 6) and Otter Valley Union High School (7–12).

Before the Union High School was constructed, local students attended Brandon High School. Brandon High School was built in 1916 but the school had been in operation since the 19th century. Brandon High School closed in 1961 when Otter Valley Union High School opened. The time that Brandon High School closed was during a wave of consolidation that swept rural areas during the second half of the 20th century. There have since been efforts to convert the old school building into apartments or condominiums.

Improvement projects Beginning in the spring of 2017, a project named "Segment 6" was initiated, promising "improved streetscape, new traffic pattern, buried wires, better parking, beautiful parks, modern and safe downtown sidewalks, benches, decorative streetlights, and a 21st century underbelly".