Pomfret is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 916 at the 2020 census.

History

The town was named after the Earl of Pomfret. Pomfret was chartered in 1761 by Benning Wentworth, who was the governor of New Hampshire. The first settler (1770) was Bartholomew Durkee, who came from Pomfret, Connecticut. Pomfret was called "New Pomfret" at first because most of the people who settled there came from the town in Connecticut.

One of the earliest ski tows in the United States was established at South Pomfret in 1934, and became known as Suicide Six. Now called Saskadena Six, it has developed into a small ski resort with a moderate-size lodge, a quad chairlift installed in 2017, and large snowmaking capabilities.

In 1976, then-cardinal Karol Wojtyla visited North Pomfret during the summer for a vacation. He later became Pope John Paul II and was canonized a saint.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.5&nbsp;square miles (102.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 39.4&nbsp;square miles (102.0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.1&nbsp;square mile (0.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (0.15%) is water. The Ottauquechee River flows along a portion of the southern boundary of the town. The Pomfret town hall is located in the center of town, on the watershed divide between the White River (North Pomfret) and the Ottauquechee River (South Pomfret). The Appalachian Trail crosses the town from southwest to northeast.

Demographics

As of the census

  • William Arkin, political commentator, activist and journalist
  • Judah Dana, U.S. senator from Maine
  • Rush Hawkins, Union general in the American Civil War
  • Luke S. Johnson, leader in the Latter Day Saint movement
  • Lyman E. Johnson, leader in the Latter Day Saint movement
  • Crosby P. Miller, US Army brigadier general
  • Scott Milne, businessman and 2014 Republican gubernatorial candidate
  • Joe Perry, guitarist for Aerosmith
  • John C. Sherburne, Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
  • Dana Stone, Vietnam War journalist and photographer
  • John Throop, early resident of Pomfret, militia officer, and judge
  • Phineas White, United States Representative

References

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