Plainfield, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Plainfield is a town
in Washington County
, Vermont
, United States
. The population was 1,286 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 21.0 square miles (54.5 km2), of which 21.0 square miles (54.4 km2) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.19%) is water.
of 2000, there were 1,286 people, 487 households, and 317 families residing in the town. The population density
was 61.2 people per square mile (23.6/km2). There were 520 housing units at an average density of 24.8 per square mile (9.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.42% White, 0.78% African American, 0.86% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.39% from other races
, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.40% of the population.
There were 487 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were couples living together and joined in either marriage
or civil union
, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,750, and the median income for a family was $42,813. Males had a median income of $30,789 versus $29,750 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $17,980. About 7.6% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.
towns by the numbers (size, population, etc.) it has a distinct flair which sets it apart from most surrounding communities. Goddard College
attracts a liberal
, educated population that at one time made up a significant portion of the townspeople. Goddard alumni include members of the band Phish
, David Mamet
, Piers Anthony
, one time State Historian H. Allen Soule Jr., and abstract artists including Robert M. Fisher
and James Gahagan
.
The town currently has two restaurants, one located in the village center with NY-style pizza
http://www.positivepie.com/ppie_2009/plainfield.php; the other a quaint cafe on US Route 2. The village
also has a reasonably priced community food co-op http://www.plainfieldcoop.com/ open to non-members and featuring local products, The Blinking Light Gallery http://www.blinkinglightgallery.com/ an artists cooperative art gallery
, a used bookstore, and a community maintained flower garden, all within several hundred feet of each other. The town has a unique public library, the Cutler Memorial Library http://cutlerlibrary.org, located at 151 High Street (Route 2).
Plainfield's atmosphere is distinct from popular tourist destinations in Vermont
such as Stowe
, and Woodstock in that its commercial activity is generated primarily by local residents. There are a number of active local groups such as the Plainfield Historical Society http://www.plainfieldhistory.org/ and the Plainfield Area Community Association http://plainfieldaca.ning.com/, which sponsor community activities, like the annual Old Home Days.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Washington County
Washington County, Vermont
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 59,534; Vermont's third-most populous county after Chittenden County and Rutland County. Its shire town is Montpelier, the state capital. The center of population of Vermont is located in Washington...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,286 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Plainfield is located at 44°16′41"N 72°25′37"W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 21.0 square miles (54.5 km2), of which 21.0 square miles (54.4 km2) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.19%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,286 people, 487 households, and 317 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 61.2 people per square mile (23.6/km2). There were 520 housing units at an average density of 24.8 per square mile (9.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.42% White, 0.78% African American, 0.86% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.39% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.40% of the population.
There were 487 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were couples living together and joined in either marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
or civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,750, and the median income for a family was $42,813. Males had a median income of $30,789 versus $29,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $17,980. About 7.6% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
Although Plainfield is similar to many other rural New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
towns by the numbers (size, population, etc.) it has a distinct flair which sets it apart from most surrounding communities. Goddard College
Goddard College
Goddard College is a private, liberal arts college located in Plainfield, Vermont, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Goddard College currently operates on an intensive low-residency model...
attracts a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
, educated population that at one time made up a significant portion of the townspeople. Goddard alumni include members of the band Phish
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
, David Mamet
David Mamet
David Alan Mamet is an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter and film director.Best known as a playwright, Mamet won a Pulitzer Prize and received a Tony nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross . He also received a Tony nomination for Speed-the-Plow . As a screenwriter, he received Oscar...
, Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.Many of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best...
, one time State Historian H. Allen Soule Jr., and abstract artists including Robert M. Fisher
Robert M. Fisher
Robert Miles Fisher , was an American abstract artist in oils, watercolor, charcoal, and welded sculpture.-Biography:...
and James Gahagan
James Gahagan
James Gahagan was an American abstract expressionist painter and one of the premier American colorists. He was an Associate Director of the Hans Hofmann School and created, with Hoffman, two major mosaic murals in New York City....
.
The town currently has two restaurants, one located in the village center with NY-style pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
http://www.positivepie.com/ppie_2009/plainfield.php; the other a quaint cafe on US Route 2. The village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
also has a reasonably priced community food co-op http://www.plainfieldcoop.com/ open to non-members and featuring local products, The Blinking Light Gallery http://www.blinkinglightgallery.com/ an artists cooperative art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
, a used bookstore, and a community maintained flower garden, all within several hundred feet of each other. The town has a unique public library, the Cutler Memorial Library http://cutlerlibrary.org, located at 151 High Street (Route 2).
Plainfield's atmosphere is distinct from popular tourist destinations in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
such as Stowe
Stowe, Vermont
Stowe is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,339 at the 2000 census. Tourism is a significant industry.-Geography:...
, and Woodstock in that its commercial activity is generated primarily by local residents. There are a number of active local groups such as the Plainfield Historical Society http://www.plainfieldhistory.org/ and the Plainfield Area Community Association http://plainfieldaca.ning.com/, which sponsor community activities, like the annual Old Home Days.
Notable people
- Piers AnthonyPiers AnthonyPiers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.Many of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best...
, writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres. - Mary AzarianMary AzarianMary Azarian is an American woodcut artist and children's book illustrator. In 1999 she won the Caldecott Medal for her book, Snowflake Bentley, a picture book of the life of Wilson Bentley....
, woodcut artist and children's book illustrator. - William H. MacyWilliam H. MacyWilliam Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
, actor, teacher, and director, in theater, film, and television. - David MametDavid MametDavid Alan Mamet is an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter and film director.Best known as a playwright, Mamet won a Pulitzer Prize and received a Tony nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross . He also received a Tony nomination for Speed-the-Plow . As a screenwriter, he received Oscar...
, playwright, screenwriter, director, poet, essayist and novelist. - Page McConnellPage McConnellPage Samuel McConnell is an American multi-instrumentalist most noted for his work as a songwriter and keyboardist with the American rock band Phish....
, pianist, organist, and keyboardist for PhishPhishPhish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
. - Dennis MurphyDennis Murphy (musician)Dennis Murphy was a composer, musician, instrument maker, artist, and playwright.Dennis Murphy was one of the fathers of American gamelan . Lou Harrison credits Murphy as being the first North American to build gamelan instruments...
, composer, musician, instrument maker and artist. - Archie SheppArchie SheppArchie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...
, jazz saxophonist. - Thomas YamamotoThomas YamamotoThomas Yamamoto was an American artist.Born in Alameda, California, Thomas Yamamoto majored in art at UC Berkeley. His instructors included John Haley and Erle Loran, who worked with Hans Hoffman. To some degree they influenced his future work.In the 1930s, Tom was active in the art scene of the...
, artist. - Bread and Puppet TheaterBread and Puppet TheaterThe Bread and Puppet Theater is a politically radical puppet theater, active since the 1960s, currently based in Glover, Vermont...
, artists-in-residence at Goddard CollegeGoddard CollegeGoddard College is a private, liberal arts college located in Plainfield, Vermont, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Goddard College currently operates on an intensive low-residency model...
.