Williston is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Originally rural and laid out with many farms, in recent decades it has developed into a thriving suburb of Burlington, Vermont's largest city. As of the 2020 census, Williston's population was 10,103, an increase of over 1,000 since the 2010 census. Williston is one of Vermont's fastest-growing towns and has become a major retail center for the Burlington area as well as much of central and northern Vermont. The town has a National Register Historic District in its unincorporated central village.

History

thumb|left|alt=brick Congregational church in Williston, Vermont in winter|Williston Congregational Church

The town was chartered in the New Hampshire Grants in 1763 as a grant from Governor Benning Wentworth of the colony of New Hampshire. It was named for Samuel Willis, a New York merchant who was one of the original 65 grantees, though he never visited the town.

A private, boarding high school, Pine Ridge, was founded in 1968 to serve learning-disabled students. It closed in 2009.

The town is notable for its well-preserved central collection of brick 19th-century civic and religious buildings, including the "old Brick Church" of 1832, considered one of Vermont's finest country Gothic churches; the former Universalist Church, now the Town Hall, of 1860; the former Methodist Church of 1848, now the Town Annex; the former Town Hall, of around 1840; and the Federated Church of 1867, formerly the Methodist Episcopal Church, designed by Boston architect John Stevens. On the western side of the town, bordering South Burlington, is Vermont's largest mercantile development, with numerous "big box" stores and other commercial activity.

The town was also the home of several generations of the Chittenden family, for whom the surrounding county, Vermont's most populous, is named. Several original Chittenden family homes still stand. Thomas Chittenden, president of the Vermont Republic and the state's first governor, lived in Williston and is buried in the central cemetery, with a prominent memorial.

Events

During the night of July 7, 1984, an Amtrak Montrealer train with 287 people aboard hit a landslide and derailed, killing five people and injuring about 200. The accident triggered one of Vermont's most intensive emergency responses, but the final victims were not rescued until the end of the day.

Geography

Williston is in central Chittenden County, bordered on the north by the Winooski River. The city of South Burlington is to the west. According to the United States Census Bureau, Williston has an area of , of which is land and , or 1.65%, is water.

As of the census has several big-box stores and chain restaurants not found elsewhere in Vermont.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates a large law enforcement center in Williston.

thumb|left|alt=Williston Central School building in summer|Williston Central School

Education

Williston has two schools: Allen Brook School (pre-K–2) and Williston Central School (3–8).

The Williston school district is part of the Champlain Valley School District. Its students of high school age attend Champlain Valley Union High School, which it supports through taxation. Pine Ridge School, a boarding and day school that served students with learning disabilities and behavioral issues, was in Williston from its founding in 1968 until its closure in 2009.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Bus service is provided by Chittenden County Transportation Authority. It brings residents and workers to South Burlington and Burlington, the system's central locations.

Major routes

Interstate 89 passes through Williston from east to west, though it is signed north–south. There is an interchange just south of downtown.

U.S. Route 2, also known as Williston Road, passes through town from east to west. Williston's historic village is along U.S. 2 in the center of town.

Vermont Route 2A provides a north–south route through town, connecting it to Hinesburg and Essex Junction. Much of the town's retail development, including nearly all its big-box stores, is along 2A, which runs through western Williston and intersects with I-89 and U.S. Route 2.

Notable people

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  • Edwin Atwater, Canadian businessperson and politician
  • James Edmund Burke, mayor of Burlington, Vermont
  • Lucius E. Chittenden, attorney who served as Register of the U.S. Treasury during the American Civil War
  • Martin Chittenden, U.S. congressman and governor of Vermont
  • Thomas Chittenden, founder of the Republic of Vermont and first governor of Vermont
  • Ben Cohen, entrepreneur and co-founder of Ben & Jerry's
  • Bart Farley, professional soccer player and coach
  • Jerry Greenfield, entrepreneur and co-founder of Ben & Jerry's
  • Raul Hilberg, Austrian-born historian and leading scholar on the Holocaust
  • Bradley J. LaRose, US Marshal for Vermont
  • Virginia V. Lyons, member of the Vermont Senate
  • Ross Miner, figure skater and skating coach
  • Haviland Smith, retired CIA officer and former station chief
  • Russell S. Taft, chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court

See also

  • Vermont locations by per capita income

References

  • Town of Williston official website