Thetford, Vermont, New England USA
About Thetford, Vermont
Orange County
Chartered: August 12, 1761 (New Hampshire Grant)
Area: 28,436 Acres = 44.43 Square Miles [ Size Rank: 72* ]
Coordinates (Geographic Center): N 43° 49′ W 72°14′
Altitude: 600 feet ASL
Population (US Census, 2010): 2,588 [ Population Rank: 69* ]
Population Density (persons per square mile): 58.2 [ Density Rank: 73* ]
Full Census Info: Town County State
*Area, Population and Density rankings refer to Thetford’s relative position among Vermont’s 255 civic entities (9 cities, 242 towns, 4 gores and grants). Complete rankings are here.
Among the grantees, several of whom were from Hebron, Connecticut, we find Alexander Phelps, who helped Dr. Eleazar Wheelock found Dartmouth College (he ultimately married Wheelock’s daughter) and Samuel Phelps, who married Lydia Morey, whose brother Samuel invented the steamboat.
For some time it was said that Thetford was named for the English town of Thetford, one-time capital of the kings and bishops of East Anglia, birthplace of Thomas Paine. Recently, however, it has become accepted that it was probably for one of Benning Wentworth’s relatives, Augustus Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, Earl of Arlington and Euston, Viscount Thetford and Baron Sudbury. Wentworth used all of Fitzroy’s titles in naming towns in Vermont and New Hampshire. The deafeat (by one vote) of Fitzroy’s proposal to offer certain concessions to the colonies certainly hastened the Revolution.
Thetford has an unusual distinction: the six different post offices established there are all still in service. The main Thetford office (located at what is usually known as Thetford Hill) was opened in 1797. The second office was established as Post Mill Village in 1822, and ran under that name until 1839, when the name was changed to just Post Mills. In 1863 it was changed again to Post Mill Village, and in 1898 it was changed back for the last time to Post Mills. Although the form of the name changed several times, there never has been any doubt about its source. Eldad Post built the first gristmill and sawmill there very early in the town’s settlement, and in 1782 he sold the mills to his sons, Aaron and Israel. During the next hundred years the village became a busy manufacturing community, with a linseed oil mill, fulling mills, a fishing rod factory, a furniture making shop and a blacksmith shop.
ctivities & Points of Interest
Goings-on in and near Thetford
Calendar of Events provided by the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing.
Covered Bridges (With Google Maps and satellite images):
Sayers Union Village
Click Here for a map of all bridges in Orange County.
Contact Info
Emergency Services (Statewide): 911
Hospital: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (Hanover, NH) 603-650-5000
Town Clerk: Tracy Borst PO Box 126 Thetford Ctr, VT 05075
802-785-2922
M 6-8 p.m., T-Th 8-4; F 8-12 (Oct-May 1 only)
Churches, Ministries, Charitables
United Church of Christ : United Church of Christ (Post Mills)
United Church of Christ : United Church of Christ
United Methodist : North Thetford Federated (North Thetford) 802-333-4429
United Methodist : Timothy Frost Memorial (Thetford Center) 802-785-2167
Schools
Orange East Supervisory Union 802-222-5216
Thetford Academy 802-785-4805
Thetford Elementary School 802-785-2426
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”).
Thetford
New Hampshire
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 Green Mountain Power 888-835-4672
Telephone Fairpoint 866-984-2001