Bellows Falls | |
|---|---|
 Bellows Falls in the early spring, viewed from Fall Mountain in New Hampshire | |
 Interactive map of Bellows Falls | |
| Coordinates:43°8′0″N72°26′38″W / 43.13333°N 72.44389°W /43.13333; -72.44389 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Vermont |
| County | Windham |
| Town | Rockingham |
| Incorporated | 1909 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.39 sq mi (3.59 km2) |
| • Land | 1.37 sq mi (3.55 km2) |
| • Water | 0.019 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 312 ft (95 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,747 |
| • Density | 2,005.1/sq mi (774.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 05101 |
| Area code | 802 |
| FIPS code | 50-04225[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1456381[3] |
| Website | Official website |
Bellows Falls is anincorporatedvillage located in the town ofRockingham inWindham County,Vermont, United States. The population was 2,747 at the2020 census.[4] Bellows Falls is home to theGreen Mountain Railroad, aheritage railroad; the annual Roots on the River Festival;[5] and the No Film Film Festival.[6]
The community was settled in 1753 by colonists ofEnglish descent, who called itGreat Falls.[7] Later the settlers renamed the town for Colonel Benjamin Bellows, a landowner,[8][9] but kept the nameGreat Falls for the waterfall, a translation of their Abenaki name, "Kitchee pontegu."[7] In 1785, ColonelEnoch Hale built at the falls the first bridge over theConnecticut River. It was the only bridge across the river until 1796, when another was built atSpringfield,Massachusetts.[10] The bridge was later replaced. Two bridges currently link Bellows Falls to New Hampshire: the New Arch Bridge (also called the Church Street Bridge), which replaced theArch Bridge in 1982, and the Vilas Bridge.[11]
TheBellows Falls Canal, one of the first canals built in the United States, was dug by a British-owned company from 1791 to 1802. The original canal was 22 feet wide and four feet deep, and had 9locks, each 75 feet long and 20 feet wide, which allowed shipping to go around Great Falls by being lifted 52 feet (16 m) around thegorge. River traffic declined after railroads were built to theConnecticut Valley in 1849, and by 1858 the canal had become used exclusively for water power to run thepaper mills which became established there. In 1874 the canal was enlarged to 75 feet wide and 17 feet deep. By 1908 it was delivering 15,000horsepower to the mills. When the mills replaced water power with electrical power, the canal was widened again in 1927–28 to 100 feet, and the water was used to powerturbines to generate electricity. The canal's bottom was lined with concrete, and the sides secured with rip-rap set in concrete. Afish ladder allowssalmon to continue upstream at times when the bulk of the river's flow is diverted to the canal. The canal is now part of the Bellows Falls Downtown Historic District.[12][13][14]
In 1802, entrepreneurs built the firstpaper mill in Windham County. Tworailroads converged in 1849 at Bellows Falls, helping it develop into a majormill town. By 1859, a woolentextile mill was operating, in addition to factories that produced furniture,marble,sashes andblinds,iron castings,carriages, cabinetware, rifles,harness, shoe pegs andorgans.[15]
The years of industry created wealth in the town, and substantial Victorian houses and mercantile buildings were constructed. Bellows Falls today attracts visitors throughheritage tourism based on its historicVictorian architecture. The commercial town center, along with the canal, the bridges spanning it, and several neighborhoods of houses, were listed ashistoric districts on theNational Register of Historic Places, as were individual landmarks such as thehistoric railroad station and theAdams Gristmill Warehouse.[16][17]
The village is located within the town ofRockingham. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2), all land. Bellows Falls is bounded on the east by theConnecticut River.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 697 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,229 | 219.8% | |
| 1890 | 3,092 | 38.7% | |
| 1900 | 4,337 | 40.3% | |
| 1910 | 4,883 | 12.6% | |
| 1920 | 4,860 | −0.5% | |
| 1930 | 3,930 | −19.1% | |
| 1940 | 4,236 | 7.8% | |
| 1950 | 3,881 | −8.4% | |
| 1960 | 3,831 | −1.3% | |
| 1970 | 3,505 | −8.5% | |
| 1980 | 3,456 | −1.4% | |
| 1990 | 3,313 | −4.1% | |
| 2000 | 3,165 | −4.5% | |
| 2010 | 3,148 | −0.5% | |
| 2020 | 2,747 | −12.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] | |||
As of thecensus[2] of 2000, there were 3,165 people, 1,329 households, and 782 families residing in the village. Thepopulation density was 2,286.1 people per square mile (885.5/km2). There were 1,443 housing units at an average density of 1,042.3/sq mi (403.7/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.28%White, 0.35%African American, 0.16%Native American, 0.51%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.22% fromother races, and 1.45% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 1,329 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were couples living together and joined in eithermarriage orcivil union, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $29,608, and the median income for a family was $45,688. Males had a median income of $29,137 versus $22,340 for females. Theper capita income for the village was $15,276. About 5.6% of families and 12.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.
One of Bellows Falls' cultural attractions is theBellows Falls Petroglyph Site:petroglyphs on large boulders, located just downstream of the bridge.[19]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Municipalities and communities ofWindham County, Vermont,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  | |
| Villages | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | § Disincorporated ‡ This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
