Tunbridge, Vermont

Tunbridge is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the town population was 1,337. The town consists of three village centers, all situated on Vermont Route 110 in the valley of the first branch of the White River. The three settlements are named North Tunbridge (also known locally as "Blood Village"), Tunbridge Village ("Market") and South Tunbridge ("Jigger").

Historic sites

thumb|left|Hayward and Noble Mill, and Mill Bridge

The entire center of Tunbridge Village, including the fairgrounds, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Officially the district listing is "Roughly, along VT 110 and adjacent rds. including Town Rd. 45 and Spring and Strafford Rds."

Tunbridge has five covered bridges (all listed on the National Register)

Cilley Bridge – southwest of Tunbridge Village (off Howe Lane from VT 110)
Flint Bridge – North Tunbridge on Bicknell Hill Road (off VT 110)
Larkin Bridge – North Tunbridge on Larkin Road (off VT 110)
Howe Bridge – South of Tunbridge Village (entering on VT 110) at Belknap Road
Mill (or Hayward & Noble or Spring Rd.) Bridge —in the Village, west side of VT 110 on Spring Road

Tunbridge also has two other structures are individually listed on the National Register:

Hayward & Kibby (or Hayward & Noble) Mill – on Spring Road in Tunbridge Village
South Tunbridge Methodist Episcopal Church

Tunbridge World's Fair

The historical antecedent of the Tunbridge World's Fair can be traced to the town's charter, which therein authorized the establishment of two annual fairs when the population of the town reached fifty families.

It wasn't until 1867 that, after a succession of fairs in Orange County starting in 1847, the Tunbridge Agricultural Society was organized and staged a fair at the Elisha Lougee Farm in North Tunbridge. At the 1867 fair, Vermont's former Lieutenant Governor Burnham Martin referred to the fair as a "little World's Fair". Lewis Dickerman adopted the phrase and used it in the 1868 publicity handbills and the Tunbridge fair has since used the name.

In 1875, the Union Agricultural Society assumed the sponsorship of the fair and moved its location to the present fairgrounds in the center of Tunbridge.

In 1894, the fair joined the National Trotting Association, and for many years has maintained the only remaining grass race track in Vermont.

The annual fair continues to this day with demonstrations of farming and agricultural traditions and culture, working antique displays, horse and ox pulling, horse racing, cattle and horse shows, junior exhibits, floral and 4-H exhibits, contra dancing, gymkhana, and many free shows.

Geography and geology

thumb|Tucker's Barn, Tunbridge Vermont

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.8 square miles (115.9 km2), of which 44.7 square miles (115.9 km2) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.04%) is water.

The First Branch of the White River running north to south divides Tunbridge into two nearly equal parts. Two mineral springs exist in the town, one of which is a white sulphur spring located on "Spring road," one and a half miles from Tunbridge Center; this spring was once valued for its medicinal properties.

The highest points of land are Brocklebank Hill at 2100+ ft near the northern boundary with Chelsea, Old Hurricane Hill at 1900+ ft in the northwestern part near East Randolph, and East Hill at 2112 ft near the Strafford line. The soil is well-drained and was formed in Wisconsin-age glacial till, its average depth is around 20 to 40 inches. Typical composition of the soil: a surface layer of very dark brown, partially decomposed organic material; a subsurface layer of gray fine sandy loam; upper subsoil of dark brown fine sandy loam and subsoil of brown channery fine sandy loam. The rocks underlying Tunbridge are entirely of the calciferous mica schist formation, with a small bed of granite, syenite and protogine in the northeastern part.

<blockquote>No. 9 of the Acts of 1985, effective March 27, 1985, designated the Tunbridge Soil Series as the official State Soil. The Tunbridge series (course-loamy, mixed, frigid Typic Haplothrod) consists of moderately deep to bedrock, well drained soils. It was selected from among more than 160 different soil series in the state. As it is a typical "hill farm" and "sugarbush" soil, the Tunbridge series well represents the soil resources of Vermont. A soil formed in loamy glacial till, it has good potential for agriculture and forestry. As Professor Richmond Bartlett of UVM says, "It's the soil that makes Vermont hills greener than those either in New Hampshire or New York." ---From Office of the Secretary of State, Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual, Biennial Session, 1993–1994, p. 16.</blockquote>

Typical species of tree to be found in the landscape are white birch, yellow birch, American beech, red spruce, red maple, sugar maple, white ash, hemlock and white pine.

Demographics

As of the census

John O'Brien, film maker and director
Hyrum Smith, leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement
Joseph Smith Sr., father of Joseph Smith Jr. and first Presiding Patriarch in the Latter Day Saint movement
Samuel Harrison Smith, missionary
Fred Tuttle, farmer, movie actor, candidate for political office

Cemeteries

Dates represent years in use.

Button: 1780–present
Dickerman Hill: 1807–1934
Drew: 1814–1881
Durkee: 1812–1981
Hunt: 1802–present
Hutchinson: 1788–1923
Hutchinson Lot: 1844–1860
Kelsey Mt.: 1792–1921
Monarch Hill: 1814–1876
Mt. Pleasant: 1798–1982
Old Meeting House: 1816–1940
Ordway: 1813–1893
Riddall: 1818–1820
Smith: 1807–1881
South Tunbridge: ? - present
Spring Road (new): 1842–present
Spring Road (old): 1831–1885
Strafford Road: 1800–1968
Tunbridge Village: 1807–present
Ward Hill: 1804–1884
Whitney Hill: 1809–1915

References

External links

Tunbridge Vermont Official Town Website – Changed in early 2017
Tunbridge World's Fair official website
Bellwether Films, Producers of "The Tunbridge Trilogy"
Tunbridge Then and Now – Landscape change program at UVM