Barre ( ) is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,923 at the 2020 census, making it the 3rd largest municipality in Washington County and the 16th largest municipality in Vermont. Popularly referred to as "Barre Town", the town of Barre almost completely surrounds "Barre City", which is a separate municipality. The original town now known as Barre was first chartered in 1780 as the Town of Wildersburgh. In 1793 the name Wildersburgh was unpopular with the inhabitants and the name of the town was changed to Barre. In 1895 the City of Barre was incorporated and separated from the town of Barre, and both continue to exist as separate municipalities.

Geography

thumb|left|[[Rock of Ages Corporation|Rock of Ages Quarry, VT, from the southwest]]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.7&nbsp;square miles (79.5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 30.6&nbsp;square miles (79.4&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.1&nbsp;square mile (0.1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (0.16%) is water. Barre is the self-proclaimed "Granite Center of the World". Initially established with the discovery of vast granite deposits at Millstone Hill soon after the War of 1812, the granite industry and the town itself saw a boom with the arrival of the railroad. The fame of this vast deposit of granite, which some geologists say is long, wide and deep, soon spread to Europe and Canada. Large numbers of people migrated to Barre from Italy, Scotland, Spain, Scandinavia, Greece, Lebanon, Canada, and a number of other countries. The population increased from 2,060 in 1880, to 6,790 in 1890, to 10,000 in 1894. Millstone Hill and the nearby Barre Town Forest are now the site of a recreational, wooded trail network, where the mining holes and grout piles are still peppered throughout.

Government

Barre Town is represented by Francis "Topper" McFaun (R) and Robert LaClair (R) in the Washington-2 district of the Vermont House of Representatives. It is represented by Ann Cummings (D-Montpelier), Anthony Pollina (P-Middlesex) and Andrew Perchlik (D-Montpelier) in the Washington district of the Vermont Senate.

Local government

All governmental authority of the Town rests with the citizens of the Town, who exercise their powers in Town meeting and/or Town elections, and to whom the elected and appointed officers of the Town are ultimately responsible. Except as otherwise provided in the Town Charter, all the powers of the Town shall be entrusted to and exercised by a Selectboard composed of five members chosen by the voters of the Town. Three members shall be elected for terms of three years, and two members shall be elected for terms of two years. The Selectboard shall discharge all the duties conferred or imposed upon selectboards by law, including the duties of sewer commissioners, Board of Liquor Commissioners, Local Board of Health, and any similar ex officio duties. The Town Manager is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Town and is appointed by the Selectboard.

  • Selectboard – Paul White (Chair), Norma Malone (Vice-Chair), W. John "Jack" Mitchell, Bob Nelson, and Justin Bolduc.
  • Town Manager – Carl Rogers
  • Town Clerk – Tina Lunt

Communities

  • "Barre City" is incorporated separately from the Town ("Barre Town").
  • East Barre is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) located near the eastern border of the town at the intersection of U.S. Route 302 and Vermont Route 110 next to the Jail Branch of the Winooski River.
  • Graniteville, a CDP near the southern border of the town, is home to the Rock of Ages E.L. Smith Quarry, the world's largest deep hole quarry. It was used as a backdrop in Batman & Robin and Star Trek.
  • South Barre is an unincorporated village and CDP located south of the City of Barre, along Vermont Route 14 and the Stevens Branch of the Winooski River.
  • Websterville is an unincorporated village and CDP.

Demographics

thumb|left|200px|[[Nichols House (East Barre, Vermont)|Nichols House, East Barre, Vermont.]]

As of the census and the Montessori School of Central Vermont.

Notable people

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  • Jodi Cilley, film producer, educator and entrepreneur
  • Lui Collins, singer-songwriter (folk)
  • Madelyn Davidson, Vermont State Treasurer
  • A. Clarke Dodge (1834–1916), Wisconsin businessman and politician
  • Norman Dubie, poet
  • D. C. Jarvis (1881–1966), physician
  • Miranda July, performance artist, musician, writer, and film director
  • Dave Moody, NASCAR commentator
  • Katherine Paterson, Newbery Award-winning author of books for children
  • Tracey Poirier, Vermont National Guard brigadier general
  • Helen Bonchek Schneyer, folk musician

See also

  • Isaac Barré

References

  • Town of Barre official website
  • Vermont Granite Museum