The Town of Shelburne (“Shelburn” in old records) was chartered on August 18, 1763. It was named for the Earl of Shelburne, a member of British Parliament who had championed the claim of New Hampshire to lands between the Connecticut River and Lake Champlain.
The Town was originally granted a total of 23,500 acres. However, a survey demonstrated that a large portion was found to overlap land claimed by Burlington, whose older claim took precedence. Burlington’s claim included part of Shelburne Point, but in 1794 the State Legislature returned that land to Shelburne. In 1848 an additional portion of land was given to the Town of St. George, leaving Shelburne a total of 14,272 acres.
Lyman Thayer, the 19th century town historian, stated that an Indian village and burying ground were located at the head of Shelburne Bay, near where the LaPlatte River and McCabes Brook, formerly known as Cogman’s Brook, converge.
The first recorded white settlers, Thomas Logan and John Potter (or “Pottier”), arrived in 1768. Potter settled at Shelburne Point and, with Logan, transported oak timber rafts to the Quebec market. On returning from a delivery to Quebec in 1775, they were murdered by their escorts.
By the time of the American Revolution, about ten families had settled in Shelburne near the lake. However, the problems with the British caused them to leave for points south. The Town did not begin to see resettlement until 1783. By the time the first town meeting was called in March 1789, twenty-four families resided in Shelburne. By 1791, the United States Census recorded a Town population of 389 people.
The earliest settlers were farmers. Lazel Hatch constructed the Town’s first sawmill east of the Shelburne Inn in 1784. With the construction of a log bridge across the LaPlatte River in 1785, Shelburne Falls became the Town’s first major activity center. A dam was soon built, and a sawmill was located on the river’s south side. In 1786 a dam was constructed on the Falls’ lower side, which was followed by the construction of a grist mill in 1789.
In 1789, the public road from Middlebury to Burlington (U.S. Route 7) was opened by Captain Benjamin Harrington. The access provided by this road created a locational advantage for the Village area that ultimately became the dominant village center.
In the 1790s, there were two distinct settlements — one taking advantage of water power at the Falls, the other capitalizing on the convergence of two main roads. In 1796, Benjamin Harrington built a hotel in the Village, and this helped to establish the pattern of the Falls as the manufacturing center and the Village as the center of commerce.
In the mid-1800s, the Falls’ area continued to grow with additional commercial enterprises. The Village contained two stores, a tannery, and a shoe shop, as well as a potash manufactory. The White Church (Congregationalist — completed in 1807) was used for Town Meetings.
Shelburne’s farmers were active in a variety of agricultural endeavors. In general, the Town’s western section, which enjoyed the moderating influence of Lake Champlain, was known for its fruit orchards, while the eastern part specialized in grain production. Shelburne’s location on Lake Champlain and its connections to outside markets helped a shift from self-sufficient family farming to commercially oriented farming.
Following the War of 1812, Shelburne played a significant part in the growth of commerce on Lake Champlain with the addition of the shipyard at the end of Shelburne Point. In 1849 the Rutland Railroad stopped in the Village. It opened a far greater market for the farming community.
The farms gradually changed to dairy farming, producing cheese and butter for export. A very successful cheese factory was constructed as early as 1871 south of the Village on Falls Road. Another cheese factory served farmers in the Town’s northeast corner. In 1879, New England’s first butter creamery opened in Shelburne.
During the period 1880 to 1890, Shelburne’s population increased reflecting the impact of the establishment of the Webbs’ Shelburne Farms. When construction was completed, at about the turn of the century, Shelburne Farms provided less employment and population decreased temporarily.
The increased industrialization of America in the 20th century brought the ready availability of mass produced goods replacing support services previously found in small farming communities. Burlington developed as a regional center for Chittenden County, and much of Shelburne’s local manufacturing and commerce disappeared. The post-World War II economic growth in Chittenden County, and the increased popularity of suburban or country living, placed the Town in a markedly different context. Shelburne’s growth became more and more tied to that of the Burlington region and less and less to its original agricultural activities.
With the start of the 21st century, Shelburne’s commercial agricultural sector has shrunk to less than a handful of working dairy farms and orchards. The town’s larger employers include Shelburne Farms, Shelburne Museum, and the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, which are among Vermont’s premier visitor attractions. The 2010 census indicated the Town’s population has grown to more than 7,000 residents.
