Northfield is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The town lies in a valley within the Green Mountains and has been home to Norwich University since 1866. It contains the village of Northfield, where over half of the population lives. The town's total population was 5,918 at the 2020 census.

History

Northfield was chartered in 1781.

Northfield, was settled between 1785 and the 1820s by Yankees from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and older Vermont towns. The period saw the development of four distinct villages: South Village, Center Village, Factory Village, and Northfield Falls. South Village, with numerous small businesses, became the first to have a distinct identity. Center Village followed, where the first post office, town clerk’s office, and churches were established, coming to serve as Northfield's social and political center. Factory Village (now the village of Northfield), named for the woolen mill, developed next. Lastly, Northfield Falls thrived by the late 1820s.

Initially centered around farming and barter, Northfield's economic activities diversified. Potash production thrived until about 1814, after which Elijah Paine's woolen mill became a major employer. Wool prices declined in the 1840s, but Charles Paine, Elijah Paine's son and president of the Vermont Central Railroad constructed the railroad through town and established its headquarters in Northfield. Hundreds worked for the line. In 1852, the railroad changed ownership and gradually moved to St. Albans, causing the town's population to decline. In 1889, the first granite shed was built. More were constructed, and by the outbreak of World War I, over 525 people were employed in the granite sheds. Later, the granite industry faced challenges, leading to closures, and by 1954, only the Rock of Ages plant was left. The last plant, Cetrangolo Finishing Works, was closed in 1999.

The geographic center of Vermont is located within the town, with markers on the university campus of the geographical and magnetic centers.

Climate

Northfield has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb).

Demographics

As of the census

Northfield is part of Paine Mountain Union School District and has two schools: Northfield Elementary School and Northfield Middle/High School.

thumb|left|Winter at Norwich University, the town's main employer, located just south of downtown

Landmarks

Northfield has five covered bridges. Three covered bridges—Upper Cox, Lower Cox, and Northfield Falls—cross Cox Brook and Dog River within a quarter mile of each other on Cox Brook Road. Just below those bridges, the Slaughterhouse Covered Bridge crosses the Dog River. The Stony Brook Covered Bridge, constructed in 1899, is the last kingpost truss covered bridge built on a Vermont public highway.

Media

Published locally is the Northfield News & Transcript. It is a weekly newspaper and was established in 1878 by George Richmond.

Economy

The town's largest employer is Norwich University, followed by Cabot Hosiery Mills.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Bus

Northfield is served by Green Mountain Transit Agency's commuter route 93 between Montpelier and Northfield.

Roads

  • 20px Vermont Route 12 – Northfield to Montpelier. Northfield to Brookfield.
  • 20px Vermont Route 64 – Northfield to Williamstown.

Notable people

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  • Ida A. T. Arms, missionary, educator, and temperance leader
  • Henry M. Bates, Vermont State Treasurer
  • Murdock A. Campbell, United States Army Major General and Adjutant General, Vermont National Guard
  • John P. Connarn, Vermont House of Representatives, Vermont Attorney General, and Judge
  • Beatrice Corliss, first woman mayor of Gloucester, Massachusetts and member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
  • Reginald M. Cram, United States Air Force Major General and Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard
  • Joseph H. Denny, Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives and President pro tempore of the Vermont State Senate
  • Alonzo Jackman, Norwich University professor and Brigadier General of the Vermont Militia in the American Civil War
  • Hollis Latham, Wisconsin state legislator and farmer (born in Northfield)
  • William B. Mayo, Medical doctor and politician
  • George Nichols, Secretary of State of Vermont and president of Norwich University
  • Charles Paine, president of the Vermont Central Railroad and 15th governor of Vermont
  • Charles Plumley, congressman from Vermont
  • Frank Plumley, congressman from Vermont
  • Francis V. Randall, Union Army officer during the American Civil War
  • Susanne R. Young, Vermont Attorney General beginning in June 2022

See also

  • Central Vermont Railway
  • Central Vermont Railway Depot (Northfield, Vermont)
  • Northfield Savings Bank

References

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  • Town of Northfield official website