Charleston is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2020 census. The town contains two unincorporated villages: East Charleston and West Charleston.

History

thumb|upright|left|The Plymouth Congregational Church on [[Vermont Route 105|VT Rte 105 in East Charleston]]

Native Abenakis told of how a large pond "ran away" similar to Runaway Pond in the 1780s before the area was explored by the descendants of Europeans.

Commodore Abraham Whipple was given a grant to the town, along with 50–60 of his shipmates. He called it "Navy". Abner Allen, from Barton, Vermont, was the first settler in 1803.

In 1825, the town of Navy changed its name to Charleston, presumably after a naval battle that had occurred off Charleston, South Carolina.

During the Civil War, Charleston furnished 121 enlisted men, 35 of whom were killed in action or died from the effects of wounds or disease contracted while in the service.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the town had a number of mills. The population hit a high of 1700.

A round barn (not uncommon for the time and place) was erected in Charleston in 1908. It was possibly the largest such structure in New England. The barn burned to the ground in 1918, though the large stone foundation can still be seen along the Ten Mile Square Road.

A series of fires destroyed East Charleston May 18, 1921, and West Charleston on the following day.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 38.6&nbsp;square miles (100.0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 37.5&nbsp;square miles (97.1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 1.1&nbsp;square miles (2.9&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (2.93%) is water.

The Clyde River is the largest stream in the town. It flows into Charleston, in a northwesterly direction nearly through its center. Falls are found on the river, especially in the western part of town, where it drops more than in , but its current is generally slow.

Echo Lake, situated in the easterly part of the town, receives the waters of Lake Seymour in Morgan, and through that the waters of Holland Pond. Echo Lake is one mile (1.6&nbsp;km) from East Charleston. It is one mile (1.6&nbsp;km) and a half long and one mile (1.6&nbsp;km) wide. General Whitelaw gave it the name of Echo Pond because when any sound was produced in its vicinity, it reverberated in various directions, producing a series of echoes.

Pensioners Pond is the next in size, and was so named because of the pension of a revolutionary soldier who employed its water power.

Toad Pond is above Pensioners Pond, near the great swamp on the Brownington line. Broadway Pond is near the Morgan line.

The southwest part of town is delimited from its neighbor, the town of Brownington, by Chilafoux Road, which runs northwest-southeast, for about half its length.

Demographics

As of the census

  • Town Clerk – Teri Gray
  • Town Budget – $1,000,234

The proposed budget of $1,000,234, $935,659 of which was allocated to road maintenance, cemetery maintenance, and selectboard operations was approved at the town meeting March 7, 2023.

School District

  • Member, North Country Union High School Board – Peter Moscovites
  • School Board Chair – Nancy Tessier
  • Member, School Board – Jason Brueck, East Charleston; Bill McMaster (2009)
  • Number of students – 100 (current and projected)
  • Number of students in 2004 – 128
  • School Budget for 2023 – $2,664,868

The Elementary school had 70% of the students qualified for free or reduced lunches. This was the highest percentage in the county in 2011.

Notable people

  • Benjamin Hunkins, pioneer and Wisconsin territorial and state legislator, was born in Charleston
  • Robert Mills, Particle physicist; died in East Charleston, Vermont in 1999

References

  • Official website