In the 19th century, the village was the economic center of the county. Prior to incorporation, the village had been known as "Barton Mills."
Tourists from Boston and New York arrived by train and could register in one of three major hotels.
The village was incorporated on November 21, 1874.
Fire permanently reshaped the village, starting with the 1883 destruction of the building on the site now occupied by the Pierce Building. The hotels were destroyed, mostly by fire, in 1967 and 1971.
The Pierce Block was built in 1885 and is still being used for commercial purposes, one of the few business buildings to survive the multitude of fires that the village has experienced.
In 1889, a waterworks was constructed using May Pond. Presumably sewage disposal was constructed concurrently.
An Indian burial ground was discovered during the excavation for the new Barton Academy in 1907. There is no record of what happened to those artifacts.
In 1907, a ballpark with 200 seats in the grandstand was constructed at the corner of Park and Elm Streets. A professional village team played there and won the professional state championship over rival Orleans in 1908.
There was heavy flooding in 1927 which severely damaged the village.
A fire on August 11, 1938, destroyed three business blocks. The fire ruined any hope of an industrial revival. The Orleans County Monitor commented that it dealt an "irreparable injury to a community struggling to maintain its position as a secondary business and trade center in Vermont."
Fires consumed buildings housing a butter tub factory, the Opera House, a cheese factory, and the Monitor building.
In the late 1970s, the federal and state governments stopped the village from dumping raw sewage into the Barton River. Barton's new treatment plant cost $3.6 million, 90% of which was paid for by state and federal governments. The village was not able to separate out its old storm sewers from the sewage system. This has caused subsequent problems during rainstorms.
The village contains three places on the National Register of Historic Places:
An article in the local paper inventoried businesses that had been closed with no expectation of reopening, these included 7 gas stations, an automobile franchise, and two restaurants. One of the problems it cited was the highest water and sewage rates in the county.
Government
In 2009, the village spent $474,557 on village operations alone, not including solely owned utilities.
The village maintains its own water system, obtaining water from Pensioner Pond, with, May Pond with, and the Barton Reservoir. The system serves 370 customers. Water rates are $10.61/; sewer rates are $16.90/. The rates are higher than surrounding towns because of the use of ground water rather than a well. In 2013, a user consuming of water monthly would pay about 3 cents per gallon. In 2010, the village received two grants totaling over $3.3 million, and two loans totaling over $1 million to upgrade its sewer and storm drainage system. The 2010 budget for the water department was $214,348. The budget for the waste water department was $318,657. Estimated annual consumption of water for 2015 ranged from for 284 current users.
Education
The village and surrounding area supports a graded school. In 2005, there were 171 students. 57.9% get free or reduced lunch. The effective spending per pupil was $11,197 in 2008. The average in Vermont was $11,548.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.4 square miles, of which 1.2 square miles is land and 0.2 square mile is water. Barton owns Pageant Park on Crystal Lake. This was briefly closed in May 2007 until late June 2007.
Demographics
Barton has lost 45% of its population since 1940, dropping from the largest village in Orleans County, to third. As of the census of 2000, there were residing in the village:
742 people
347 households, and
193 families.
The population density was 594.8/sq mi. There were 465 housing units at an average density of 372.7/sq mi. The racial makeup of the village was:
38.3% of all households were made up of individuals
27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them,
23.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older
12.1% had a female householder with no husband present
The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.81. In the village, the population was evenly spread out with
23.5% under the age of 18
8.0% from 18 to 24
25.6% from 25 to 44
22.4% from 45 to 64
20.6% who were 65 years of age or older
The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.
Economy
Personal Income
The median income:
per family - $32,625
Males - $27,115
per household - $21,607
Females - $18,750
The per capita income for the village was $13,670. Income below the poverty line:
Under age 18 - 39.0%
Older than 64 - 23.7%
Total Population - 23.2%
Families - 17.8%
Tourism
A golf course near the village has been rated by a golfing magazine as one of the "30 best deals" in the country. The 18-hole course costs $349/year to join.
Utilities and Communication
Cellphone
Barton Village receives Verizon and AT&T Mobility.
Electricity
Barton Village owns Barton Electric which generates some of its power hydroelectrically and serves not only the village but a large portion of the village side of Barton town, plus West Charleston, North Sutton and much of Westmore. It services 2100 customers. It owns two turbines on the Clyde River in West Charleston. Projected expenses for 2010 were $2,741,582.
Barton has a library which is open 19 hours a week over four days. It is a non-profit corporation. While the library is self-supporting with separate trustees, it does receive a grant from the town. Its operating income is $42,242. It contains 18,000 books and 35 serial subscriptions. One librarians is a paid professional. The assistants are all volunteers.
