# Brookfield, Vermont

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Town in Vermont, United States

Brookfield, Vermont Town Brookfield Old Town Hall Located in Orange County, Vermont Coordinates: 44°01′25″N 72°35′50″W / 44.02361°N 72.59722°W / 44.02361; -72.59722 Country United States State Vermont County Orange Chartered 1781 Settled 1779 Organized 1785 Communities Brookfield Brookfield Center East Brookfield West Brookfield Area • Total 41.7 sq mi (107.9 km2) • Land 41.4 sq mi (107.2 km2) • Water 0.27 sq mi (0.7 km2) Elevation [1] 1,247 ft (380 m) Population (2020) • Total 1,244 • Density 30/sq mi (11.6/km2) • Households 475 • Families 351 Time zone UTC-5 (EST) • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT) ZIP Codes 05036 (Brookfield) 05060 (Randolph) 05041 (East Randolph) 05679 (Williamstown) Area code 802 FIPS code 50-09325[2] GNIS feature ID 1462054[1] Website brookfieldvt.org

**Brookfield** is a [town](/source/New_England_town) in [Orange County](/source/Orange_County%2C_Vermont), [Vermont](/source/Vermont), United States. It was created by Vermont charter on August 5, 1781. The population was 1,244 at the [2020 census](/source/2020_United_States_Census).[3] Brookfield is best known for its [floating bridge which spans Sunset Lake](/source/Sunset_Lake_Floating_Bridge) buoyed by pontoons. The bridge, which is the only floating bridge east of the [Mississippi River](/source/Mississippi_River), was originally built in 1820 by Luther Adams and his neighbors. Sunset Lake is also the site of an annual ice harvesting festival. Brookfield boasts that it has Vermont's oldest continually operating library dating back to 1791. In 2006, Brookfield was one of the first American towns to have its citizens pass a resolution [endorsing the impeachment of](/source/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush) President [George W. Bush](/source/George_W._Bush). As of September 2010, the floating bridge was closed for repairs. Work began in 2014, and was completed May 2015. There was a celebration from May 23–24, 2015, to memorialize the event. Governor Peter Shumlin attended, and cadets from Norwich University provided traffic control.

The town's modest village center is listed on the [National Register of Historic Places](/source/National_Register_of_Historic_Places) as the [Brookfield Village Historic District](/source/Brookfield_Village_Historic_District).

## Geography

According to the [United States Census Bureau](/source/United_States_Census_Bureau), the town has a total area of 41.7 square miles (107.9 km2), of which 41.4 square miles (107.2 km2) is land and 0.3 square mile (0.7 km2) (0.65%) is water.

## Demographics

Historical population Census Pop. Note %± 1790 419 — 1800 988 135.8% 1810 1,384 40.1% 1820 1,507 8.9% 1830 1,677 11.3% 1840 1,789 6.7% 1850 1,672 −6.5% 1860 1,521 −9.0% 1870 1,269 −16.6% 1880 1,239 −2.4% 1890 996 −19.6% 1900 996 0.0% 1910 1,008 1.2% 1920 860 −14.7% 1930 761 −11.5% 1940 808 6.2% 1950 762 −5.7% 1960 597 −21.7% 1970 606 1.5% 1980 959 58.3% 1990 1,089 13.6% 2000 1,222 12.2% 2010 1,292 5.7% 2020 1,244 −3.7% U.S. Decennial Census[4]

As of the [census](/source/Census)[2] of 2000, there were 1,222 people, 475 households, and 351 families residing in the town. The [population density](/source/Population_density) was 29.5 people per square mile (11.4/km2). There were 602 housing units at an average density of 14.5 per square mile (5.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.63% [White](/source/White_(U.S._Census)), 0.16% [African American](/source/African_American_(U.S._Census)), 0.16% [Native American](/source/Native_American_(U.S._Census)), 0.98% [Asian](/source/Asian_(U.S._Census)), and 1.06% from two or more races. [Hispanic](/source/Hispanic_(U.S._Census)) or [Latino](/source/Latino_(U.S._Census)) of any race were 0.08% of the population.

There were 475 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were [married couples](/source/Marriage) living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,515, and the median income for a family was $51,071. Males had a median income of $34,464 versus $24,258 for females. The [per capita income](/source/Per_capita_income) for the town was $21,502. About 2.5% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the [poverty line](/source/Poverty_line), including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

## Notable people

- [Donald M. Hooper](/source/Donald_M._Hooper), [Secretary of State of Vermont](/source/Secretary_of_State_of_Vermont)[5]

- [Jay Hooper](/source/Jay_Hooper_(politician)), member of the [Vermont House of Representatives](/source/Vermont_House_of_Representatives)[6]

- [Ben Jickling](/source/Ben_Jickling), member of the Vermont House of Representatives[6]

- [Edward Koren](/source/Edward_Koren), (1935 - April 14, 2023) Cartoonist, writer, illustrator

- [George Washington Morse](/source/George_Washington_Morse), [Seventh-day Adventist](/source/Seventh-day_Adventist_Church) Pioneer[7]

- [Cassius Peck](/source/Cassius_Peck), [Union Army](/source/Union_Army) recipient of the [Medal of Honor](/source/Medal_of_Honor), member of the [Vermont legislature](/source/Vermont_legislature)[8]

- [Myron W. Reed](/source/Myron_W._Reed) (1836–1899), Congregationalist minister and political activist[9]

- [Orange Scott](/source/Orange_Scott) (1800–1847), Methodist reformer and abolitionist

- [Ruel P. Tolman](/source/Ruel_P._Tolman) (1878–1954), painter, photographer, printmaker and curator

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-gnis_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-gnis_1-1) [U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Brookfield, Vermont](https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/1462054)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-GR2_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-GR2_2-1) ["U.S. Census website"](https://www.census.gov). [United States Census Bureau](/source/United_States_Census_Bureau). Retrieved January 31, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Census - Geography Profile: Brookfield town, Orange County, Vermont"](https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US5001709325). Retrieved December 28, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["U.S. Decennial Census"](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 16, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** *["Biography, Donald M. Hooper"](https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/246655/A-259.pdf) (PDF). *Vermont State Archives*. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. Retrieved January 18, 2017.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Freese_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Freese_6-1) Freese, Alicia (November 30, 2016). ["In With the New: Two College-to-Statehouse Reps Prepare to Serve"](https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/in-with-the-new-two-college-to-statehouse-reps-prepare-to-serve/Content?oid=3854770). *Seven Days*. Burlington, VT.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Gomide, Jonathan (2020). [*Morse, George Washington (1816–1909)*](https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/assets/pdf/article-89TR.pdf) (PDF). Silver Spring, MD: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. p. 1.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Carleton, Hiram (1903). [*Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont*](https://books.google.com/books?id=EmbLSJZgij4C&pg=PA272). New York, NY: Lewis Publishing Company. p. 272 – via [Google Books](/source/Google_Books).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** "Myron W. Reed is Dead," *Chicago Chronicle,* January 31, 1899, unspecified page. Copy preserved in *The Papers of Eugene V. Debs, 1834-1945* microfilm edition, reel 9.

## External links

- Media related to [Brookfield, Vermont](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Brookfield,_Vermont) at Wikimedia Commons

- [http://www.virtualvermont.com/towns/brookfield.html](http://www.virtualvermont.com/towns/brookfield.html)

- [Article title](https://archive.today/20130222143020/http://www.travel-vermont.net/2008/05/brookfield-and-its-floating-bridge/)

v t e Municipalities and communities of Orange County, Vermont, United States Shire town: Chelsea Towns Bradford Braintree Brookfield Chelsea Corinth Fairlee Newbury Orange Randolph Strafford Thetford Topsham Tunbridge Vershire Washington West Fairlee Williamstown Map of Vermont highlighting Orange County Villages Newbury Wells River CDPs Bradford Chelsea Fairlee Randolph Williamstown Other communities North Thetford Post Mills South Strafford West Newbury Vermont portal United States portal

Places adjacent to Brookfield, Vermont Northfield Williamstown Washington Roxbury Brookfield, Vermont Chelsea Braintree Randolph Tunbridge

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Brookfield, Vermont](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookfield%2C_Vermont) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookfield%2C_Vermont?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.