Starksboro: there's nothing suburban about it
by Laurie Caswell Burke
A huge sense of community binds this small Vermont town of
1,600 people together. Vermont farmers, old hippies, natives,
flat-landers, conservatives and liberals call Starksboro home.
The common thread woven through this diverse community is that
most people genuinely get along and respect each others' differences.
Starksboro is a bedroom community situated approximately forty minutes from Burlington and about thirty minutes from Middlebury, a haven for those who work in these larger areas and want to return to a quieter pace. With only one paved road, Route 116 winds through lush farmland and the foothills of the Green Mountains and cuts through the center of Starksboro Village. Its town center is comprised of a village store, old town hall, fire department, post office, Baptist church, historic meeting house, and video store. The nearest restaurant is ten minutes away in Bristol.
Following the Revolutionary War, General John Stark was one of the original sixty proprietors. As a result of his prominence and since he was the most famous, Starksboro was named after him. It was rumored that he only visited once and camped out at a farm. Horrace Kellogg and George Bidwell were the first settlers coming from Connecticut in 1788.
Bertha's Book was recently published as a tribute to the hard
work of the late Bertha Hanson, who was "unofficially"
the town historian. It provides a rich portrayal of this town's
historical roots and wonderful tidbits of information. You can
go on a fascinating walking tour of Starksboro Village which includes
thirty eight different historical sites. All located along route
116.
Starksboro is a wonderful place to raise children. Robinson School is the town's only school, with 125 children, kindergarten through sixth grade. It's small enough to get well acquainted with the teachers and principal and parents are welcome to observe and participate. The small size offers the opportunity to really get to know people, and the numerous school activities spark lots of interest and family participation. Middle and high school students attend Mount Abraham Union in neighboring Bristol.
Several annual events organized by a variety of local groups
bring the town together throughout the year including the fire
departments popular chicken barbeque. The Halloween parade is
big enough to close route 116 for a few hours. The annual Sugar
on Snow party, ham dinner, annual plant and book sales all provide
opportunities to socialize. Bingo is Friday night. Starksboro
is a place where you rarely see a blue recycle bin on the road-side
because everyone congregates at the town dump to recycle and catch
up.
Starksboro residents value its rural nature and want to keep it that way. The town plan has set its sights on keeping the town rural, agricultural and community based. There are 7 dairy farms, 1 vegetable farm, at least 2 Christmas tree farms and a number of part-time beef producers. Lewis Creek Farm has some of the best produce around, so good that one local resident cut his garden down by a half so he could buy from the farm. There are a variety of small logging operations including a custom sawmill which makes it possible for a person to cut down a tree, have it sawed up into boards and bring the lumber home without ever leaving Starksboro.
South Starksboro resident Peter Kriesel characterizes the town well. "One of the wonderful aspects of Starksboro is that it's an economically and socially diverse community with small town values. There's nothing suburban about anyone who lives here." South Starksboro is referred to as "Up South".
There are great swimming holes in the New Haven river as well as numerous ponds. Hiking trails abound including the Jerusalem Trail off Chicken Lake Road which leads you to the top of Mount Ellen. There is also great birding as you head up hill from the village store. For tennis lovers, the Stark Mountain Tennis Association, which started in 1972, takes memberships and hosts two to three annual summer tournaments for its members. It's a great excuse to socialize and enjoy some delicious pot luck suppers as well as some good tennis.
Dan Dubenetsky and wife Alice live Up South with their two children, a pony, thirteen sheep, four chickens and ducks. Dan says fondly of his choice to make Starksboro his home, "There's not a day that goes by that I don't look out from my deck and feel very fortunate to live here. It's great to have such a close knit community of wonderful people to share such a beautiful rural landscape."