Dummerston is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,865 at the 2020 census. It is home to the longest covered bridge still in use in Vermont. Its borders include three main villages: Dummerston Center, West Dummerston, and East Dummerston.

History

thumb|left|East Dummerston in 1913

Dummerston was part of the Equivalent Lands—several large sections of land given to settlers in the early eighteenth century. It lies on a tract given to the Connecticut Colony about 1715 by the Province of Massachusetts Bay as compensation for land mistakenly awarded by the latter to its settlers. In 1716, the town was auctioned to a consortium (which included William Dummer, lieutenant governor of Massachusetts), and named Dummerston. On December 26, 1753, the town was chartered as a New Hampshire grant and renamed Fulham by Governor Benning Wentworth. But when the grant was renegotiated, it reverted to Dummerston.

The many brooks and streams flowing into the West River provided the area with water power. Dummerston had five gristmills, five sawmills, one slate manufacturer, and one shop for making rakes. Raising sheep across the many hills was an important occupation. By 1859, the town had a population of 1,645. The Vermont Valley Railroad passed through Dummerston.

There was a covered bridge that was built in 1812, and it moved to Old Sturbridge Village in 1946.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.8&nbsp;square miles (79.8&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 30.6&nbsp;square miles (79.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.2&nbsp;square mile (0.6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (0.71%) is water. Dummerston is bounded by the Connecticut River, and the West River flows through the town.

The town is crossed by Interstate 91 (Exit 4 serves the town and the exit sits on the border of Dummerston and Putney), U.S. Route 5 and Vermont Route 30. It is bordered by Brattleboro to the south, Marlboro and Newfane to the west, with Putney and Brookline to the north. Chesterfield, New Hampshire lies across the Connecticut River from it.

Demographics

As of the census One of its most famous selectmen was Motel 6 spokesmodel and author Tom Bodett, who served on the selectboard as of 2013.

The Town of Dummerston also supports various municipal services including the West Dummerston Volunteer Fire Department, a highway department and a municipal library, the Lydia Taft Pratt Library. The West Dummerston Fire Department provides primary firefighting and first-response emergency medical services to the town and mutual aid to surrounding communities. The town’s highway department, headed by a Highway Foreman, is responsible for the maintenance of town roads and related infrastructure. The Lydia Taft Pratt Library, established in 1914 by a donation from Lydia Taft Pratt, who was a former citizen and teacher in Dummerston. After a vote of the residents, it became the town’s public library, located in West Dummerston and governed by a Board of Trustees.

Sites of interest

thumb|Built in 1872, the [[West Dummerston Covered Bridge has a floor length of 267 feet (81 m)]]

Dummerston has several interesting sites within its borders.

The longest covered bridge that is still in use in the state of Vermont is the West Dummerston Covered Bridge. Built in two spans which rest on a central pier, the bridge boasts a combined length of 267 feet along the floor. The gable ends overhang the floor at each end of the bridge by two feet; therefore, along the top of the trusses, the bridge is 271 feet long.

Dummerston is home to the 1,009 acre Black Mountain Conservation Area. Black Mountain rises abruptly from the West River into a horseshoe-shaped ridge. The mountain has a summit of 1,280 feet.

Author Rudyard Kipling made Dummerston home, building a house that he named Naulakha. It was there that he wrote his famous story, The Jungle Book, and invented the sport of Snow Golf. Naulakha is now a museum available for overnight stays. The house is a National Historic Landmark.

The Dummerston Grange periodically hosts the Vermont Theatre Company.

Notable people

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  • George Aiken, U.S. senator and 64th governor of Vermont
  • Tom Bodett, author and spokesman
  • Peter Diamondstone, lawyer and politician
  • Robert J. Flaherty, filmmaker and producer, husband of Frances H. Flaherty
  • Frances H. Flaherty, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter
  • Rudyard Kipling, English author
  • Ronald Read, American philanthropist and investor
  • Charles Sweetser, U.S. congressman

References

  • Town of Dummerston, Vermont
  • Lydia Taft Pratt Library
  • Black Mountain Conservation Area 2015 land acquisition