Searsburg is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 126 at the 2020 census.

Energy development

Searsburg is the home of a six-megawatt wind turbine farm owned by Green Mountain Power. The town officers have supported the electrical generating station consisting of 11 towers atop a ridgeline. The project is also an education and research facility for wind generation in the cold, northeast U.S. climate. There is a new wind project planned near the existing Searsburg Wind Energy Facility. Iberdrola Renewables proposed a 30 megawatt project, which consists of 15 turbines in Searsburg and Readsboro, on U.S. Forest Service land.

Geography

Searsburg is located in southeastern Bennington County in the Green Mountains of Vermont. It is bordered to the north and east by Windham County. The town is traversed by Vermont Route 9, also known as the Molly Stark Trail. The highway leads east to Brattleboro and west to Bennington.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.59%, is water. The town is drained by the Deerfield River, a tributary of the Connecticut River.

Demographics

As of the census

  • In 1996, the town gave 45 percent to Clinton, with Perot polling at a significantly above-average 39 percent, and with Republican Bob Dole coming in a distant third.
  • In 2000, Libertarian Harry Browne won Searsburg with 51%. Democrat Al Gore received 40%, and Ralph Nader received 9%. Republican George W. Bush received no votes. Browne's victory was particularly unusual, because he polled at under half a percent statewide.
  • In 2004, however, third-party candidates received only 4 percent (one vote each for Nader and Libertarian Michael Badnarik). Democrat John Kerry defeated Bush, 30 votes to 22.
  • In 2008, Searsburg was one of only three towns in Vermont to vote in favor of John McCain over Barack Obama (32–26).

References

  • History of Searsburg Vermont