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A−History
History · Charlotte

22% of Charlotte’s homes were built before 1940

More historic than 82% of U.S. towns · #47 of 71 in Vermont. What drives it

10 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 20 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1941 on and the census since 1790.

10on the National Register
22%homes built before 1940
5famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

About Charlotte’s history

How historic is Charlotte?

A−

More historic than 82% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
History grade

What drives Charlotte’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Charlotte is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #47 of 71 in Vermont. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Charlotte’s overall grade.
Founding eraNo founding year we can rely on, so the grade uses the other two–Homes built before 194022.4% of homes (±8.4) · typical VT town 22.4% · U.S. 8.4%B+National Register10 listings, 30 historic buildings, 76.6 per 10,000 residents · typical VT town 147 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 82%
NewerOlder
Vermont towns of 2,500+ (71)Ahead of 34%

Vermont towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Vermont town has 147 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Charlotte’s 76.6 sits near the middle of its state (51% of Vermont towns have fewer) while its 30 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.4 points).

Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Charlotte’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Lost villages4 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Charlotte, and 4 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Charlotte are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1830 and 1940, then grew 3-fold.Landmarks on the Register10 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Charlotte’s post office has been open since 1800. Four other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Charlotte
1800–today
East Charlotte
1875–1901
West Charlotte
1875–1879
Thompson Point
1899–1921
Cedar Branch
1902–1955
18001910today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Cedar BeachEast CharlottePrindle CornersWest Charlotte
6cemeteries and burying grounds inside Charlotte
BarberBradleyGrandviewMorningside Baptist ChurchMount CarmelThorp

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Start Charlotte’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Charlotte’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Charlotte, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,000180018501900195020001,702 in 1830Low: 1,082

Lost a third of its people between 1830 and 1940, then grew 3-fold.

24 censuses, 1790–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Charlotte’s Wikipedia page.

The story so far

Charlotte, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Charlotte yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Charlotte is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for Queen Charlotte, though unlike Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlottesville, Virginia, and other cities and towns that bear her name, the town's name is pronounced with the accent on the second syllable. The population of the town was 3,912 at the 2020 census.

Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 3,754 to 3,912 (+4%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Charlotte in 1886

Passages that mention Charlotte, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Legislature they were allowed three >-ears for its completion. The General Assembly passed an act on the 23d of October, 18 16, appointing Gideon Wing, of Monkton, Nathan Leavenworth, of Hinesburg, and Zadoch Wheeler, of Charlotte, a committee to lay out a stageroad from the court-house in Middlebu…
History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1886Read the page →
Read the text

Legislature they were allowed three >-ears for its completion. The General Assembly passed an act on the 23d of October, 18 16, appointing Gideon Wing, of Monkton, Nathan Leavenworth, of Hinesburg, and Zadoch Wheeler, of Charlotte, a committee to lay out a stageroad from the court-house in Middlebury through New Haven to the Methodist meeting-house in Monkton, thence to the Baptist meeting-house in Charlotte, and through Shelburne to the lower falls on Onion River, in the town of Burlington. On the 5th of November, 1816, Ezra Hoyt, of New Haven, Thomas D. Rood, of Jericho, and Charles

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Town of Charlotte. 549 Post-office. — Until about ten years ago there were but two offices in town, one at the Center, known as Charlotte, and the other at the station, called West Charlotte. The office at the Center was then removed to Baptist Four Corners and given the name of East Charlotte, whi…
History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1886 · page 549Read the page →
Read the text

Town of Charlotte. 549 Post-office. — Until about ten years ago there were but two offices in town, one at the Center, known as Charlotte, and the other at the station, called West Charlotte. The office at the Center was then removed to Baptist Four Corners and given the name of East Charlotte, while the office at the station was changed in name to Charlotte. It is not known exactly when a post-office was first established in town, but it was certainly before the beginning of the present century. The first postmaster that can be remembered was W. Barnes,

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Charlotte, 1800 to 2020

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1800Post officeThe Charlotte post office opens
  3. 1816Born hereFrances Titus is born here
  4. 1822Born hereJohn A. Kasson is born here
  5. 1838Born hereCyrus Pringle is born here
  6. 1848Born hereCaroline Yale is born here
  7. 1875Post officeThe East Charlotte post office opens
  8. 1875Post officeThe West Charlotte post office opens
  9. 1879Post officeThe West Charlotte post office closes
  10. 20th century
  11. 1901Post officeThe East Charlotte post office closes
  12. 1941On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  13. 21st century
  14. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 3,912
By decade

Charlotte, decade by decade

Today40 recent
CamelsHumpMT WesternFace2022CamelsHumpMT WesternFaceNeofavolus alveolaris2021Neofavolus alveolarisNeofavolus alveolaris2021Neofavolus alveolarisUS-7-Charlotte2018US-7-CharlotteCharlotteVT PublicLibrary2018CharlotteVT PublicLibraryCharlotteVT OldBrickStore2018CharlotteVT OldBrickStoreCharlotteVT MemorialMuseum2018CharlotteVT MemorialMuseumCharlotteVT McNeilHomesteadTavern2018CharlotteVT McNeilHomesteadTavernHarbor near Charlotte, Vermont, where the ferry that crosses Lake Champlain to Essex in New York State on the western s…2017Harbor near Charlotte, Vermont, where the ferry that …Harbor near Charlotte, Vermont, where the ferry that crosses Lake Champlain to Essex in New York State on the western s…2017Harbor near Charlotte, Vermont, where the ferry that …Harbor near Charlotte, Vermont, where the ferry that crosses Lake Champlain to Essex in New York State on the western s…2017Harbor near Charlotte, Vermont, where the ferry that …Clock art on a wall of the Old Brick Store2017Clock art on a wall of the Old Brick StoreLarge dairy barn and various silos at Nordic Farms2017Large dairy barn and various silos at Nordic FarmsThe old Thorp Barn, near Charlotte, Vermont, during its restoration2017The old Thorp Barn, near Charlotte, Vermont, during i…Farmland and distant view near Charlotte, Vermont2017Farmland and distant view near Charlotte, VermontLarge, distant barn near Charlotte, Vermont2017Large, distant barn near Charlotte, VermontCornfield and barn near Charlotte, Vermont2017Cornfield and barn near Charlotte, VermontCornfield near Charlotte, Vermont2017Cornfield near Charlotte, VermontUS7 CharlotteLakeChamplain ViewWest 201706012017US7 CharlotteLakeChamplain ViewWest 20170601MtPhiloVT PalmerLn2017MtPhiloVT PalmerLnMtPhiloVT PalmerLn 22017MtPhiloVT PalmerLn 2MtPhiloVT 12017MtPhiloVT 1US7 NB CharlotteVT CurveAhead W1-10R2016US7 NB CharlotteVT CurveAhead W1-10RUS7 CharlotteLakeChamplain ViewWest2016US7 CharlotteLakeChamplain ViewWestPease Mountain2016Pease MountainDewey School2016Dewey SchoolCharlotteVT CamelsHumpEast 201506242015CharlotteVT CamelsHumpEast 20150624CamelsHumpMT2015CamelsHumpMTCHAR MtAbe Meadow2015CHAR MtAbe MeadowCHAR MtAbe Meadow 12015CHAR MtAbe Meadow 1CamelsHumpMt fromCharlotteVT2014CamelsHumpMt fromCharlotteVTCamelsHumpMt fromCharlotteVT 12014CamelsHumpMt fromCharlotteVT 1Pink2011PinkNew England Meadow2011New England MeadowFlooding ^ Hurricane-Tropical Storm ^ Severe Storm - Charlotte, Vt. , October 16, 2011 -- A mobile hay wagon displays F…2011Flooding ^ Hurricane-Tropical Storm ^ Severe Storm - …Charlotte Fire Station2011Charlotte Fire StationPanoramic view in Cedar Beach, Vermont2009Panoramic view in Cedar Beach, VermontRout7VT2008Rout7VTVermont State Route F-52005Vermont State Route F-5Charlotte vt highlight2004Charlotte vt highlight
On the map

Charlotte on the map, 1941 to 1999

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Charlotte. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Charlotte on the 1941 USGS mapCharlotte on the 1980 USGS mapCharlotte on the 1999 USGS map1941Willsboro sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Charlotte.

On the National Register

10 historic places in Charlotte

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
10
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
30
each building in a district counts
first listed
1974
Holmes Creek Covered Bridge
Holmes Creek Covered BridgeSeguin Covered BridgeQuinlan's Covered BridgePorter Screen CompanyMcNeil HomesteadTavern on Mutton HillCharlotte Center Historic DistrictMount Philo State ParkSloop Island Canal BoatClemmons Farm
BuildingsDistrictsSitesStructures

Architectural styles listings

Federal3
Greek Revival2
Colonial Revival1
Gothic Revival1
Queen Anne1
Vernacular1
Holmes Creek Covered BridgeStructure
Seguin Covered BridgeStructure
Quinlan's Covered BridgeStructure
Porter Screen CompanyBuilding
McNeil HomesteadFederal
Tavern on Mutton HillFederal
Charlotte Center Historic DistrictGreek Revival
Mount Philo State ParkCCC State Park
All 10 listings
Sloop Island Canal BoatSite · listed 2022Clemmons FarmBuilding · listed 2025

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

5 famous people were born in Charlotte

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Cyrus PringleU.S. botanist, writer, tax resister and quaker · b. 1838
Caroline YaleAmerican specialized educator · b. 1848
John A. KassonMember of U.S House of Representatives and an A… · b. 1822
Frances TitusUS abolitionist and suffragist · b. 1816
Abel E. LeavenworthAmerican army officer · b. 1828
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Shelburne5 historic placesA−Hinesburg2 historic placesBMonkton3 historic placesB+Ferrisburgh6 historic placesA+

Questions about Charlotte’s history

How does Charlotte rank for history?

Charlotte is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #47 of 71 in Vermont. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Charlotte?

10 listings: 4 buildings, 2 historic districts, the Charlotte Center Historic District and the Mount Philo State Park, with 20 contributing buildings, 1 site, and 3 structures. 30 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Charlotte?

22% of Charlotte’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.4 points), against a typical 22% for a Vermont town; the median home was built in 1982.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (30), the Library of Congress (10), Wikidata (5), the National Register of Historic Places (10), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.