Shelburne

History

Shelburne was chartered by New Hampshire, August 18, 1763, to Jesse Hallock and 64 associates by governor Benning Wentworth. The name "Shelburne" or "Shelburn" was chosen to honor William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, a celebrated nobleman of the British parliament and Prime Minister. According to the charter, the town was to have an area of , or a tract a little over , but owing to a blunder on the part of the surveyors, it was shorn of a large portion of its possessions. From the beginning, Shelburne's economy was based on farming. With the clearing of land and burning of logs the town experienced a potash boom. A carding and fulling mill, a gristmill, a sawmill, and a blacksmith shop were erected on the La Platte River at Shelburne Falls. In 1811, a few Merino sheep imported from Spain led to an upsurge in sheep raising. Orchards and fruit growing became a major source of income for the farmers, with some 17,740 trees in 1880. Following the War of 1812, commerce on the lake expanded rapidly. The Lake Champlain Transportation Company established its shipyard at Shelburne Harbor and launched its first steamboat, the General Green, in 1825; this was followed by ten others before the Ticonderoga in 1906. In 1955, the Ticonderoga was moved overland to the Shelburne Museum, where it is now on display.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 46.06%, is water (primarily Lake Champlain, but also including Shelburne Pond in the eastern part of town).

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766)

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  41,626
• Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  35,880
• Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  32,180
• Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  30,373
• Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758)

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  27,653
• Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758)

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  27,023
• Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810)

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  24,832
• Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766)

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  23,939

Largest nearby schools

• Champlain Valley Union High School
  High · Hinesburg · 1,325 students · 14.1:1 ratio
• Essex High School
  High · Essex Junction · 1,208 students · 10.9:1 ratio
• Burlington High School
  High · Burlington · 987 students · 12.3:1 ratio
• Williston Schools
  Elementary · Williston · 942 students · 11.9:1 ratio
• South Burlington High School
  High · South Burlington · 843 students · 10.9:1 ratio
• Shelburne Community School
  Elementary · Shelburne · 736 students · 13.4:1 ratio
• Charlotte Central School
  Elementary · Charlotte · 707 students · 25.3:1 ratio
• Champlain School
  Elementary · Burlington · 548 students · 24.9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2025-10-14
  4 km NNW of Chazy, New York
• M 2.8 — 2024-07-29
  11 km SSW of Sainte-Martine, Canada
• M 2.5 — 2024-06-05
  10 km S of Franklin, Canada
• M 3.1 — 2020-05-06
  9 km SE of Bedford, Canada
• M 3.4 — 2020-01-13
  5 km SW of Franklin, Canada
• M 2.42 — 2014-02-07
  15 km NNW of Mooers, New York