Editing Westmore, Vermont

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
<!-- Infobox begins. Additional parameter fields maybe available at Template:Infobox settlement -->
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Westmore, Vermont
|other_name               =
|native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname                 =
|settlement_type          = Town
|motto                    =
|image_skyline            = Lake_Willoughby%2C_Westmore%2C_Vermont%2C_2015.jpg
|imagesize                =
|image_caption            = Westmore, Vermont (Mount Pisgah, Lake Willoughby, Mount Hor)
|image_flag               =
|flag_size                =
|image_seal               =
|seal_size                =
|image_shield             =
|shield_size              =
|image_blank_emblem       =
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|image_map                = westmore_vt_highlight.png
|mapsize                  = 200px
|map_caption              = Located in Orleans County, Vermont
|image_map1               = Map of USA VT.svg
|mapsize1                 = 195px
|map_caption1             = Location of Vermont with the U.S.A.
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Vermont]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Vermont|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Orleans County, Vermont|Orleans]]
|subdivision_type3        =
|subdivision_name3        =
|subdivision_type4        =
|subdivision_name4        =
|government_footnotes     =
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|leader_title1            = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->
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|leader_title2            =
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|leader_title3            =
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|leader_title4            =
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|established_title        = Chartered
|established_date         = August 17, 1781
|area_magnitude           =
|unit_pref                =  Imperial
|area_footnotes           =
|area_total_km2           = 97.0
|area_land_km2            = 89.4
|area_water_km2           = 7.6
|area_total_sq_mi         = 37.5
|area_land_sq_mi          = 34.5
|area_water_sq_mi         = 2.9
|area_water_percent       =
|population_as_of         = 2020
|population_footnotes     =
|population_note          =
|population_total         = 357
|population_density_km2   = 4.0
|population_density_sq_mi = 
|population_blank1_title          = Households
|population_blank1                = 136
|population_blank2_title          = Families
|population_blank2                = 85
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|45|25|N|72|1|34|W|region:US-VT|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
|elevation_m              = 554
|elevation_ft             = 1170
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]s
|postal_code              = 05822 ([[Barton, Vermont|Barton]])<br/>05860 ([[Orleans, Vermont|Orleans]])
|area_code                = [[Area code 802|802]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 50-81700<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1462254<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
|website                  =
|footnotes                =
}}
<!-- Infobox ends -->

'''Westmore''' is a [[Vermont municipality|town]] in [[Orleans County, Vermont|Orleans County]], [[Vermont]], United States. The population was 357 at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US5001981700|title=Census - Geography Profile: Westmore town, Orleans County, Vermont|access-date=January 7, 2022}}</ref> making it the least populated and least densely populated town in the county. The town contains one unincorporated village clustered around [[Lake Willoughby]].<ref>[http://www.rootsweb.com/~vtgenweb/vttowns/VTtowns.htm Vermont Villages, Towns, Counties<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==History==

Originally named Westford, the town was chartered on August 17, 1781. Since [[Chittenden County, Vermont|Chittenden County]] had a town named [[Westford, Vermont|Westford]], in 1787 the name was changed to Westmore.

The first vacation house was built on the lake in 1860. It is known as the Cheney House, named after an owner in the late 19th century.<ref name="c090917">{{cite book | author = Gresser, Joseph |title = Cheney House for sale to highest bidder | publisher = the Chronicle | date = September 17, 2008}}</ref>

Westmore never attracted many settlers. The town's peak population was in the census year of 1880 with 485 people.

Before he became famous, [[Robert Frost]] camped here in the summer of 1909 with his family.<ref>{{cite news | title=Celebrating Robert Frost | work=The Old Stone House Bulletin | publisher=Orleans County Historical Society | location=Brownington, Vermont| pages= 1 | date=Spring 2009 }}</ref>

Songadeewin Camp for girls was located here from 1921–1975.<ref>Not to be confused with a camp of the same name operating on Lake Dunmore starting in 1999. Songadeewin on Lake Willoughby was run by the Keewaydin Camps LTD conglomerate, Songadeewin on Lake Dunmore is run by the Keewaydin Foundation.</ref>

Electricity became available at the south end of the lake, from West Burke, {{circa|1934}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |first=Eleanor Badenberger |last=Rybecky |date=August 2008 |title=Pisgah Lodge at Willoughby Lake |journal=Vermont's Northland Journal |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=6 }}</ref>

In 1970, the state of Vermont acquired {{convert|7600|acre}} as part of Willoughby State Forest, which included the Cheney House.<ref name="c090917"/>

Nudity is legal throughout Vermont,<ref>though public disrobing is not</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2006/08/23/law_of_nature_prevails_in_vermont | work=The Boston Globe | first=Brian | last=MacQuarrie | title=Law of nature prevails in Vermont | date=August 23, 2006}}</ref> though in 2007–2008, the town discussed whether to ban nudity, aimed at sunbathers on the south beach of Lake Willoughby.<ref>[http://news.aol.com/story/_a/vermont-nude-beach-sparks-controversy/20080617063209990001 aol news] retrieved June 17, 2008</ref>

Having closely approximated the state's voting percentages for governor, in 2006, and president in 2004, Westmore was considered one of six "bellwether" towns for the 2008 general election.<ref>{{cite book | author = Remsen, Nancy |title = Towns to watch | publisher = Burlington Free Press | date = November 2, 2008}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 37.5&nbsp;square miles (97.0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 34.5&nbsp;square miles (89.4&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 2.9&nbsp;square miles (7.6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (7.85%) is water.

One of the town's most prominent features is [[Lake Willoughby]]. The relatively young 12,000-year-old glacier-carved lake is flanked on the east by [[Mount Pisgah (Vermont)|Mount Pisgah]] {{convert|2752|ft|m|0}} and the west by [[Mount Hor (Vermont)|Mount Hor]] {{convert|2654|ft|m|0}}. The mountains, which have hundreds of feet of rock cliffs, are located in the Willoughby State Forest and the cliffs have been designated a [[National Natural Landmark]]. In recent decades, several [[peregrine falcons]] have been found there.

Local mountains also include Goodwin {{convert|2936|ft|m|0}}, Bald {{convert|3316|ft|m|0}}, Hedgehog {{convert|2201|ft|m|0}}, Haystack {{convert|2713|ft|m|0}}, and Bartlett {{convert|2047|ft|m|0}}.

The town has a local weather recording and reporting station.<ref>[http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KVTWESTM1 Westmore Weather Station Data]</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1810= 126
|1830= 132
|1840= 122
|1850= 152
|1860= 324
|1870= 412
|1880= 480
|1890= 395
|1900= 390
|1910= 331
|1920= 287
|1930= 224
|1940= 224
|1950= 210
|1960= 179
|1970= 195
|1980= 257
|1990= 305
|2000= 306
|2010= 350
|2020= 357
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref name="VTHistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.vermonthistory.org/explorer|title=Vermont History Explorer|access-date=August 7, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 306 people, 133 households, and 90 families residing in the town.  The [[population density]] was 8.9 people per square mile (3.4/km<sup>2</sup>).  There were 530 housing units at an average density of 15.4 per square mile (5.9/km<sup>2</sup>).

There were 133 households, out of which 20.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 58.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 36.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.5 males.

==Economy==

===Personal income===
The median income for a household in the town was $27,375, and the median income for a family was $38,333. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $18,958 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $14,522.  About 7.8% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 25.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 3.8% of those 65 or over.

===Tourism===
The town is first in the county with the highest percentage of second home ownership. The county is tied for first in the state.<ref>The other county is [[Windham County, Vermont|Windham County]]</ref><ref>{{Cite news | first= Tena| last=Starr | title=Glover to study summer people's spending habits | publisher=the Chronicle | location=Barton, Vermont | pages= 10A | date=July 7, 2010 }}</ref>

Most of the tourism is around the lake and mountains, which have hiking and biking trails, some of which are associated with the [[Kingdom Trails]], and campgrounds. There is hiking, biking, fishing, ice fishing, camping, rock and ice climbing, canoeing and other boating forms, parasailing. Visitors dive from Devils Rock on the east shore of the lake.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}}

==Government==

===Town===

===School district===

High school students are sent to [[Lake Region Union High School]]. The town pays an assessment for this and elects a board member to the [[Orleans Central Supervisory Union]].

== Notable people ==

* [[Galen Hunter]] (1802–1872), pharmacist

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Westmore}}
{{Commons category-inline}}

{{Orleans County, Vermont}}
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[[Category:Westmore, Vermont| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Vermont]]
[[Category:Towns in Orleans County, Vermont]]