Talk:St. George, Vermont

copyvio information

(this information used to be in a history section in the main article but it is a copy vio from here http://town.williston.vt.us/gen/history.htm ) if anyone wants to attempt a rewrite, I think that would be great Jessamyn 20:59, 16 February 2006 (UTC)

The town was chartered by Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire on August 18, 1763. At that time the grantees were under the impression that they had a full-sized town of six miles square. But Williston and Burlington had been chartered earlier and their northern boundaries were indisputedly the Winooski River. This left Shelburne and St. George, both chartered the same day, with a piece of land six to seven miles wide at Lake Champlain but narrowing in a triangular fashion as it moved inland. St. George was left with only 2200 acres, not the 23,040 originally called for. In 1848 a small piece of land was taken from Shelburne and added to St. George to give it 2304 acres.

St. George was named after King George of England and St. George. Joshua Isham came from Colchester, Connecticut and was the first settler in St. George. The year was 1784. The first town meeting was held on March 9, 1813.

St. George has always been an agricultural town. There were no mills or industry of any significance. From 1838 to 1901 St. George had a post office. The Red Schoolhouse, built in 1852, had students in it until 1965. It has seen town dances, church services, and even the fabrication of mattresses for town residents by the Home Demonstration Group during World War I. The schoolhouse was also used for town meetings. It is now used for a polling place and public hearings.

In the early 1970's St. George attracted some national attention with its development plan. In an effort to avoid becoming just an area of suburban housing, some land was purchased to be the site of a town center that would include offices, shops, and small industries. A design competition was held. The winning plan was chosen from ten designs submitted by architectural firms. It was a unique way to go about planning and building a The original plan has undergone several changes and the first construction has started.

Today St. George is a suburb of Burlington. There are several housing developments and a trailer park. The Rocky Ridge Golf Course is located in St. George. Town meetings are held in the club house of the golf course. The 1980 population was 677.

St. George is bounded on the north and east by Williston, on the west by Shelburne, and on the south by Hinesburg. Part of the town borders on Lake Iroquois. The highest point in town is Mt. Pritchard at 11 60 feet. During the 1940's there was an active lumber camp on the mountain. Ruins of the buildings can still be seen.