History of Sheffield

Sheffield, a hill town located in Northern Caledonia County, is one of three counties often referred to as Vermont's "Northeast Kingdom". The Town was chartered in 1793. With the arrival of the first settlers at that time, farming and logging provided the economic basis for the town's population during the first 150 years of its existence.


Jessie Gilbert, Vermont Surveyor, first laid out the town in the 1780s and it contained 24,000 acres, more or less. In 1792, the Vermont Legislature altered the boundaries of the Town by transferring 960 acres (+ or -) of land to the Town of Wheelock. In 1853, the Town's boundaries were altered again when 3000 acres (+ or -) of land were transferred to Barton. Then, in the 1960s, additional acreage was taken in order to construct a portion of the national interstate highway system, Interstate Highway 91. As a result of these transfers, Sheffield is now smaller in area than originally laid out--- approximately 20,900 (+ or -) of land.


The U.S. Census of 1800 shows a population of 171 people in Sheffield divided among 29 households. Following that modest figure, the population grew throughout most of the nineteenth century. The U.S. Census of 1880 shows a population of 884 people among 205 households--- the largest population to date. Thereafter, the population dropped steadily until 1967 when there were only 293 residents. Since that time, there has been a slow but consistent increase in population. The U.S. Census of 2000 shows a population of 726 people. The U.S. Census of 2010 reports a total population of 703 people in 283 households.

Town Plan Public Notice

By Erika Lavallee • November 15, 2024
Notice of Public Hearing The Sheffield Planning Commission hereby provides notice of a public hearing being held pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4384 for the purpose of hearing public comment regarding the proposed 2025 Sheffield Town Plan. The public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, December 18th, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in the Sheffield Town Clerk’s Office, located at 37 Dane Road, Sheffield, VT 05866 and via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85429690773?pwd=AqqLuT6BTHgyiG2mVqTDhMEPS3S3MD.1 . The purpose of the hearing is to receive public comment on the proposed Town Plan. Written comments can be submitted to Carolyn Crankshaw, Chair of the Sheffield Planning Commission, via email at planningcommission@sheffieldvt.org, or Jesse Noone, NVDA Regional Planner at jnoone@nvda.net. The proposed Plan will affect all areas in the Town of Sheffield. If approved, the plan will be sent to the Selectboard for hearing and then voted on by Australian Ballot for adoption at Town Meeting Day. The Town Plan is consistent with the goals established in 24 V.S.A. §4302, and the revisions do not alter the designation of any land area. The proposed Sheffield Town Plan includes all the required elements set forth in the Act [§4382]. Table of Contents: I. Overview II. Implementation Plan III. Introduction to Town IV. Community V. Land Use VI. Natural, Scenic, & Historic Resources VII. Housing VIII. Economic Development IX. Education X. Energy XI. Flood Resilience XII. Transportation XIII. Utilities & Facilities XIV. Evaluating the Plan XV. Appendix You can view the proposed plan online at https://www.sheffieldvt.org. Both physical & digital copies of the proposed Town Plan are available upon request from the Sheffield Town Clerk’s Office, located at 37 Dane Road, Sheffield, VT 05866, e-mail: sheffieldvttownclerk@gmail.com.
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