Vergennes is a city located in the northwest quadrant of Addison County, Vermont, United States. The municipality is bordered by the towns of Ferrisburgh, Panton, and Waltham. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,553. It is the smallest of Vermont's 10 cities in terms of population, though the city of Winooski has the smallest area. It was the first city chartered in the state of Vermont and is the only city in Addison County.
History
Vergennes was settled in 1766 by Donald MacIntosh. It was established as a city in 1788,
Here, Thomas Macdonough built and armed the fleet that defeated the British on Lake Champlain during the War of 1812. The Monkton Iron Company (which was at the time the largest iron works in the nation) manufactured the fittings for Macdonough's fleet, as well as most of the cannon shot used by the United States Army in the north. The ore used was mined in nearby Monkton. , , , and were built or refitted in Vergennes as a part of that fleet.
Organizers chose a city form of municipal government in anticipation of developing the area as an industrial center. The Otter Creek Falls provided power for mills and factories, and the close access to the Lake Champlain waterway was ideal for transportation both north and south. Industry boomed in the late 19th century; in particular, shipping connected to the Champlain Canal and wood-finishing related to lumber imported from Canada. As railways supplanted and bypassed the canal system, manufacturing declined in the city. A railroad spur from Ferrisburgh to the base of the falls proved a failure, as the grades were too steep for practical operations. Commercial decline continued in the 20th century, narrowing down to a few surviving companies. In the early years of the 21st century, a group of civic boosters and merchants improved the downtown area along Main Street and reconnected the city to its waterways. The resulting development, catering to tourists and transients, is hampered by centralization of land ownership and escalation of commercial rents.
In July 2022, Vergennes was reconnected to the national passenger rail network when Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express began serving Ferrisburgh–Vergennes station. The city had last seen passenger service in 1953, when the Rutland Railroad discontinued the Green Mountain Flyer (New York City - Montreal).
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which (4.0%) is covered by water.
Otter Creek flows north through the town. In the middle of town is a waterfall, with a large basin that occasionally floods.
Demographics
thumb|Vergennes Police Department
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Vergennes had a population of 2,553. The median age was 43.7 years. 18.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 85.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.0 males age 18 and over.
There were 1,134 households in Vergennes, of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.7% were married-couple households, 17.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 2,352 || 92.1%
|-
| Black or African American || 30 || 1.2%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 16 || 0.6%
|-
| Asian || 15 || 0.6%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 1 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 20 || 0.8%
|-
| Two or more races || 119 || 4.7%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 54 || 2.1%
|}
2010 census
As of the census
The gallery Northern Daughters, which opened in 2016, closed in 2023.
Education
Vergennes has four schools: Vergennes Union Elementary School, Vergennes Union High School, Champlain Valley Christian School, and Northlands Job Corps Center, the former Vermont Industrial School, later known as the Weeks School, which served as an orphanage and juvenile-delinquent home until the late 1970s, in the same facility. Additionally, Vergennes is served by the Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center, which provides career and technical education programs for high school students and adult learners, preparing them for success in the workforce and beyond.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Vermont Route 22A runs through the city, and makes a junction with U.S. Highway 7 on the northern outskirts of Vergennes.
Amtrak's daily Ethan Allen Express train serves Ferrisburgh–Vergennes station, just north of the city. Other stops on the route include Burlington, Middlebury, Rutland, Albany, and New York City.
Notable people
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- Stephen Bates (1842–1907), sheriff of Vergennes for 25 years and the first Black sheriff in Vermont history
- Joseph K. Edgerton, US congressman from Indiana
- Frank L. Fish, associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
- Jabez G. Fitch, U.S. marshal for Vermont
- Margaret Foley, sculptor
- Ethan A. Hitchcock, US army officer and author
- Roswell Hopkins, Secretary of State of Vermont
- Charles B. Lawrence, chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court
- Jeff Pidgeon, American screenwriter, animator and voice actor at Pixar
- John Pierpoint, chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
- Henry Porter, pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers, Brooklyn Grays, and Kansas City Cowboys
- Daniel H. Pulcifer, Wisconsin state assemblyman and mayor of Shawano, Wisconsin
- Samuel Strong, militia officer and mayor of Vergennes
- Enoch Woodbridge, chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
- Frederick E. Woodbridge, US congressman and mayor of Vergennes