Grand Isle Vermont Real Estate

Chartered: October 27, 1779 (Vermont Charter)
Land Area: 22,405 Acres / 35.01 Square Miles
Coordinates: 73°18’W 44°43’N
Altitude ASL: 160 feet
Population: (US Census, 2000): 1,955
Population Density: (persons per square mile): 55.8
Tax Rate: $2.057 (’04)
Equalized Value: $2,194,060 (’04)

One of four towns comprising Vermont’s “Lake Champlain Islands.”

Originally, Grand Isle, North Hero and South Hero were granted to Ethan Allen, Samuel Herrick and 363 other Revolutionary War veterans as a single town known as Two Heroes. Hamilton Child’s 1883 Gazetteer of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties says the name referred to Ethan and Ira Allen. However, Ethan and Herrick are named first in the grant, while Ira is considerably down the list after Jonas Fay, Thomas Chittenden and other founding fathers, many of whom were as respected as Ira.

In 1798, Two Heroes was divided into North Hero (the entire north island), Middle Hero and South Hero, the last two sharing the southern island and a representative to the legislature, hence they were not actually separate towns. This arrangement was not entirely satisfactory: in 1810, Middle Hero was given complete autonomy and renamed Grand Isle, which is what the French had originally called the whole island.

The fourth “Lake Champlain Islands” town (which does not otherwise figure in this story) is Isle La Motte.

Emergency Services (Statewide): 911
Hospital: Fletcher-Allen Health Care (Burlington) 802-656-2345
Town Clerk: Cheryl Vantine, 802-372-8830, PO Box 49 Grand Isle, VT 05458

Schools:

Grand Isle Supervisory Union 802-372-6921
Grand Isle Elementary School 802-372-6913