Hardwick

Hardwick is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,920 at the 2020 census. Hardwick is drained by the Lamoille River and its tributaries, flowing west to Lake Champlain. The town was granted by the Vermont General Assembly on November 7, 1780. It was chartered on August 19, 1781, to Danforth Keyes and 66 others, some of whom were from Hardwick, Massachusetts. The predominant business following the Civil War was granite quarrying, especially after the Portland & Ogdensburg Railway opened service through the town. Buildings around the country made with Hardwick granite include the Pennsylvania State Capitol, Chicago City Hall, and the 1914 Post Office in Washington, D.C. The decline of the "architectural granite" industry in the 1920s and 1930s left Hardwick in economic depression. In 2011, the office manager of the municipal electric department was accused of embezzling $1.6 million over a period of 12 years. The FBI investigated, and she was charged in federal court and found guilty.Hardwick has a total area of 39.0 square miles (101.1 km²), of which 38.6 square miles. (100.0 km²) is land and 0.39 square mile (1.0km²), or 1.02% is water. The CDP (town center) of Hardwick had a population of 1,269 at the 2010 census.

History

Hardwick was granted to Danforth Keyes and 66 others on November 7, 1780. Permanent settlement began in 1793 when several families named Norris arrived from New Hampshire. By 1859, when the population reached 1,402, the town had several sawmills and gristmills on the Lamoille River. By 1906, 1,200 people were employed in the industry, which was led by the Woodbury Granite Company. Buildings made with Hardwick granite include the Pennsylvania State Capitol, Chicago City Hall, and the 1914 Post Office in Washington, D.C. The decline of the "architectural granite" industry in the 1920s and 1930s left Hardwick in economic depression. Hardwick Village disincorporated in 1988 and merged with the town. In 2011, the office manager of the municipal electric department was accused of embezzling $1.6 million over a period of 12 years. The FBI investigated, and she was charged in federal court and found guilty. In 2013, Hardwick was named one of the best places to live in the U.S. by CNN.com. The town is located on the banks of the Londonderry River, which runs through the center of Vermont. It is the site of the Hardwick and Woodbury Railroad, which brought granite from the quarries to the finishing shops, and Hardwick became known as the "Building Granite Center of the World" Hardwick has a population of 1,400.

Geography

Hardwick is the westernmost town in Caledonia County, Vermont. It is drained by the Lamoille River and its tributaries, flowing west to Lake Champlain. The town is crossed by Vermont Route 14, Vermont Route 15, and Vermont Route 16. Hardwick has a total area of 39.0 square miles (101.1 km²), of which 38.6 sq miles (100.0 km²) is land and 0.39 sq mi (1.0km²) of water. The highest point in Hardwick is Jeudevine Mountain in the northern corner of the town, at 1,831 feet (558 m) above sea level. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town has a population of 1,788. The CDP (town center) of Hardwick, Vermont, has a residents density of 1.46 per square mile (3.77 per km²). Hardwick was named after the Hardwick River, which runs through the town and empties into the lake. It was named for Hardwick Lake, which is located in the town's eastern part. The name Hardwick comes from a local Native American word for the same name, "hardwick" (pronounced "hard-wick" or "wick"). The town's name is derived from Hardwick Mountain, which was once a popular destination for mountain bathers, and is now used as a tourist destination for the town. It has been named after Hardwick Creek, which flows through the center of town.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,174 people, 1,216 households, and 854 families residing in the town. The population density was 82.4 people per square mile (31.8/km²) The racial makeup of the town was 97.89% White, 0.06% African American,0.82% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0,19% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 11. 9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there are 92.9 males. Forevery 100 females age 18 and over, there is 89.3 males. The town is located on the U.S.-Mexico border and was once part of the state of New Mexico. It is now part of New Hampshire and is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The U.N. campus is located in the city of Chapel Hill and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has a population of 1,407, and the town has a history of being the site of several battles between Native Americans and Native Americans.

Economy

The median income for a household in the town was $33,636. About 10.5% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line. Several agribusinesses active in and around Hardwick, employing techniques of sustainable agriculture, have added an estimated 75-100 jobs to the area. The Vermont Food Venture Center, a "shared-use kitchen incubator for value-added and specialty food producers," should generate the equivalent of 16 full-time jobs when fully operational. A gathering of the Society for Creative Anachronism has been an annual event. On the last weekend in May, there is a Memorial Day parade, craft fair, and running race. The town is home to the Vermont State Museum and the Vermont Museum of History and Science, which is open to the public. It is also the home of the American Museum of Natural History, which was founded in 1872. The museum is located on the former site of the town's first post office, which opened in 1875. It was later moved to its current location in 1876. The U.S. National Park Service has a museum in Hardwick. It has been the site of a World War II-era interpretive center, and a museum of American history and culture, as well as a museum for the Vermont History and Culture. The state museum has been open since 1876, and is now home to a museum and museum of the history of the state.

Historic places

The town contains five places on the National Register of Historic Places. Hardwick is located in the central part of Hardwick County. The town is home to the Hardwick Village Historic District. The Hardwick Town Hwy. 10 Historic District was added on October 30, 1993. The downtown Hardwick village historic district was added in 1982. It is located on Main, Church, Maple and Mill Sts. and Brush St. in the downtown area. The building at 143 Highland Ave. was added to the N.N.R.P.S. list on May 6, 2000. It was added again on April 10, 2004, and it is on the list of Historic Districts in Hardwick, along with three others. The district includes a building on Main Street, which was added July 22, 1979, and a school on Brush St., which is also on the N NNPS list. The Historic District includes a church on Main St. and two other buildings on Brush Street, both of which were added on July 30, 1982, and one on July 23, 1982. The historic district also includes a house on Mill St. that was built in the early 20th century. It has been listed on the NRPS list since 1982 and is part of the Downtown Hardwick Historic District, which is listed as a historic district. The village also has a building at Main and Brush Streets that is listed in the NNRPS list of historic districts, which has been added since 1982.

Government

The town owns 225 feet (69 m) of shoreline on Caspian Lake in Greensboro. The 2.4 acres (0.97 ha) has been used for recreation since 1927. As a result, they pay taxes to Greensboro on land worth $644,000. The Vermont State Legislature passed a bill near the end of its 2013 calendar exempting Caspan Lake Public Beach from state taxes. The bill "appears to solve recent questions between Greensboro and Hardwick regarding taxation of the Public Beach," according to the town's attorney. The town owns the Hardwick Electric Department. The federal government granted the town $492,000 in 2008 to upgrade the water system for fire-fighting purposes after a 2005 fire gutted the Bemis block. This was overlooked until 2012, when a bill was passed exempting the town from taxes on the land. The state legislature passed the bill in 2013, and the town has paid no taxes for the past two years. It is unclear whether the town will pay taxes on this land in the future, or if it will be exempt from taxes in the first place, as the bill was not passed until 2012. It's unclear if Greensboro will ever be able to use the land for public recreation again, as it is currently used for firefighting purposes. It was used in the 2005 fire that gutted Bemis Block, which is owned by the town. The fire was caused by a faulty water distribution system, which the town was unable to fix.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Hardwick, Caledonia County, Vermont = 93.1. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 60. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 89. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Hardwick = 3.1 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 2,920 individuals with a median age of 37.4 age the population grows by 1.42% in Hardwick, Caledonia County, Vermont population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 76 residents per square mile of area (29.2/km²). There are average 2.57 people per household in the 1,253 households with an average household income of $44,823 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.60% of the available work force and has dropped -0.54% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 32.32%. The number of physicians in Hardwick per 100,000 population = 165.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Hardwick = 44.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 125.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 159. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 159. 76 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 54, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Hardwick, Caledonia County, Vermont which are owned by the occupant = 63.11%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 48 years with median home cost = $99,300 and home appreciation of -12.28%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $20.13 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $8,338 per student. There are 9.5 students for each teacher in the school, 174 students for each Librarian and 190 students for each Counselor. 5.29% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 8.68% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.05% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).