Holland, Vermont, New England USA

About Holland, Vermont

Orleans County
Chartered: October 26, 1779 (Vermont Charter)
Area: 24,769 Acres = 38.7 Square Miles [ Size Rank: 149* ]
Coordinates (Geographic Center): N 44° 58′ W 72°00′
Altitude: 1,405 feet ASL
Population (US Census, 2010): 629 [ Population Rank: 204* ]
Population Density (persons per square mile): 16.3 [ Density Rank: 214* ]
Full Census Info: Town County State

*Area, Population and Density rankings refer to Holland’s relative position among Vermont’s 255 civic entities (9 cities, 242 towns, 4 gores and grants). Complete rankings are here.

One of several towns granted to Timothy Andrews (sometimes Andrus). The Vermont Legislature made several grants to Andrews and his associates in 1779, but without stipulating actual sites. It was 1787 before the specific locations were agreed upon; the charters were then written and backdated to 1779. This practice is seen several times in connection with towns in northern Vermont, and it always makes for trouble in interpreting boundary descriptions, because the points of reference given in the legislative grants often no longer existed at the time the charters were back-dated.

The most commonly accepted story about the origin of Holland’s name is that the town was named for Holland, Massachusetts, which in turn was named for Lord Holland, Charles James Fox (1749-1806), who won America’s love with his eloquent defense of her rights in the years just before the outbreak of the Revolution. While it is, in fact, possible that the Vermont town was named for the Massachusetts one, the second half of the story is incorrect. Charles James Fox never was Baron Holland. He missed out on the title because he was only the second son of Henry Fox (1705-74), the first Baron; the title went to his elder brother, Stephen, from whom it then went to Stephen’s son, another Henry. Therefore, if the Massachusetts town was indeed named for Lord Holland, it was to honor the first Henry, who was a distinguished statesman in his own right.

It seems more probable that the Vermont Holland (and perhaps also the Massachusetts one) was named for Samuel Holland, who was the King’s Surveyor General of all the colonies north of Virginia. In 1770 he did the official survey of New Hampshire and, since what has come to be Vermont was then considered by many people to be a part of New Hampshire, he must have been well known to most Vermonters. In 1775 Holland went to Canada and served there for nearly fifty years in the same capacity as he had in the American colonies. The Vermont town of Holland is on the Canadian border near where Samuel Holland lived and worked, so it seems highly probable that the town may have been named for him. In passing, it should be noted that Holland was one of many Tories who later claimed redress from Vermont for land that the state confiscated during the Revolution.

In the interval between the grant for the town and the actual writing of the charter, Holland was known by the designation Number 4, given to it by Vermont Surveyor General Whitelaw; it was also referred to as Elysiana (sometimes Elisiana), the name that Andrews apparently wanted to have given to the town. The latter name was taken from Elysium, the legendary home of Greek heroes and the virtuous dead (sometimes also known as the Isles of the Blest), but it apparently was rather too fanciful for stolid Vermont legislators.

Activities & Points of Interest

Goings-on in and near Holland
Calendar of Events provided by the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing.

Holland Historical Society

Orleans County Historical Society

Contact Info

Emergency Services (Statewide): 911
Hospital: North Country Hospital & Health Care (Newport) 802-334-7331

Town Clerk: Diane Judd 120 School Road Derby Line, VT 05830
802-895-4440
M T Th 8-4:30; Sat by appt.

Schools

Holland Elementary School 802-895-4455

Neighboring Towns

This is a basic geographic reference, intended to show relative location of adjacent towns. Directional accuracy is limited to 16 compass points. There isn’t even the slightest suggestion that one can necessarily travel directly from one town to the next (as in “You can’t get there from here”).

Quebec, Canada

Derby

Holland

Warners Grant

Morgan

Utilities

Notes about utilities:

  • One electric or phone company indicates that company serves the entire town. More than one of either indicates each serves different areas of town.
  • A listed cable company MIGHT mean the entire town is covered, but not necessarily. More than one listed indicates each serves different areas of town.
  • Unless your area is one served by Vermont’s only gas utility, your only option is bottled gas (any dealer).
    Electric Vermont Electric Co-op 800-832-2667
    Telephone Fairpoint 866-984-2001

 
 

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