Pittsfield is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 504 at the 2020 census.

History

thumb|left|upright|A Pittsfield [[farmhouse ]]

Granted on November 8, 1780, the town was chartered on July 29, 1781, to Samuel Wilcox and 129 others. Pittsfield was named after Pittsfield, Massachusetts, which itself had been named in honor of William Pitt. It was first settled in 1786. The town proved suitable for grazing livestock because of its mountainous terrain. Indeed, in the 19th century, humorists attributed the invention of the one-legged milking stool to Pittsfield, "...as a means of conquering a stern difficulty."

The Farmhouse pictured in this 1915 Postcard to the left still stands

and was converted in 1960 to The Fleur De Lis Lodge, for travelers and

skiers to stay. Six rooms remain in the original farmhouse, while

seven more rooms were added to the new section above the great room.

Pittfield was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. Set among the Green Mountains, Pittsfield is drained by the Tweed River, a tributary of the White River.

The town is crossed by Vermont Route 100.

Demographics

As of the census

  • Charles Herbert Joyce, US congressman
  • Chelsea Marshall, Former US Ski Team Member, grew up in Pittsfield
  • Joe De Sena, resides in Pittsfield

References

  • Town of Pittsfield official website
  • Roger Clark Memorial Library
  • Pittsfield Historical Society
  • Pittsfield Snowshoe Race
  • Virtual Vermont – Pittsfield, Vermont