for: Bennington, Vermont (disambiguation)

Bennington is a town located in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns (county seats) of the county, the other being ManchesterGR: 6. The population was 15,737 at the 2000 census. By population, Bennington is the largest town in Southern Vermont, the third-largest town in Vermont (after Essex and Colchester), and the sixth-largest municipality in the state (after Burlington, Essex, Rutland, Colchester, and South Burlington). Bennington is home to the Bennington Battle Monument, which is the tallest structure in the state of Vermont.

History

The site, chartered as a town in 1749, was settled in 1761 and named for Benning Wentworth, governor of New Hampshire, who issued the grant. The settlers were led by Capt. Samuel Robinson, who camped in the river valley on his return from the French and Indian War.

The town is known primarily for the Battle of Bennington, fought during the Revolutionary War (the battle was actually fought a few miles to the west in New York). On August 16 1777, Gen. John Stark's 1,500 New Hampshire Militia defeated 800 troops of German mercenaries, local Loyalists, Canadians and Indians under German Lt. Col. Friedrich Baum. German reinforcements under the command of Lt. Col. Heinrich von Breymann looked set to reverse the outcome, but were prevented by the arrival of Seth Warner's Green Mountain Boys; the Vermont militia founded by Ethan Allen.

There are three historic districts within the town today: Old Bennington, Downtown Bennington and North Bennington. Of these, Old Bennington is the original settlement, dating back to 1761 when Congregational Separatists arrived from Connecticut and Massachusetts. In the early 1800's , Downtown Bennington started developing, and by 1854 the county's population had reached 18,589.

In 1891, the Bennington Battle Monument was opened. The monument is a 306 foot high stone obelisk that is the tallest structure in Vermont. It is a popular tourist attraction.

Bennington has ready access to natural resources and waterpower, and a long history of manufacture, primarily within wood processing. The town is also recognized nationally for its pottery, iron, and textiles.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.5 square miles (110.0 km²), of which, 42.4 square miles (109.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.14%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR: 2 of 2000, there were 15,737 people, 6,162 households, and 3,863 families residing in the town. The population density was 370.9 people per square mile (143.2/km²). There were 6,574 housing units at an average density of 154.9/sq mi (59.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.96% White, 0.63% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.