JERICHO: A QUIET BEDROOM COMMUNITY
Jericho, with a population of "almost" 5000, is a quiet bedroom community that is characterized by rural open spaces, a town square, general stores, and ever-present views of Mt. Mansfield. It's proximity to Essex and IBM makes Jericho a natural choice for those who want small town and country living that is only a short commute from work.
"I like it here because its pretty rural, yet still close to Burlington,"
sums up Noreen Hullstrung of Jericho.
You won't find supermarkets here; the town has three general stores and two convenience stores, several with gas pumps. You won't find malls or big business either. The town lists their businesses as: "a florist, a vet, hardware store, 2 video-rental stores, 3 restaurants, an auto parts & repair shop, truck dealership and 3 hair-care shops."
Jericho Center still looks much the same as it did 100 years ago, with
the same General Store, church, and town green. During the summer, you'll
find town sponsored evening concerts on the green. Jericho Center Market,
originally built in 1804, does a brisk business, offering goods ranging
from fishing tackle to hardware to fresh produce and meat. It still functions
as a post office for Jericho Center, too. (Jericho Center is listed in the
National Register of Historic sites as a very good example of a well preserved
early 19th century rural Vermont community focused on a village green.)
Hannah and Joseph Brown were the first set-tlers, coming to the "great wilderness" from Connecticut in 1773. The story of their struggle to establish their home includes not only clearing the fields and erecting log shelters for family and animals, but also capture by Indians who took them to Montreal in return for bounty from the British, years of imprisonment and eventual return to start again to build and work the land.
The town started in Jericho Center, then families moved by the river
with the opening of the mills in the early 1800's. The Chittenden Mill has
been a landmark in Jericho for over 100 years, perched atop a rocky gorge
which provided water power to turn the original millstones, grinding grain
(from the midwest) into flour and making gun powder during the Revolutionary
War. The mill was the state-of-the-art in its day, and was the first in
the east to switch to using rollers. Several other mills existed along Brown's
River, including a wood mill and chair caning factory. Today the Chittenden
Mill is open to the public and includes an art gallery, a craft shop, and
a museum displaying original milling machinery and photographs by "Snowflake"
Bentley, Jericho's most famous past citizen. A 12-acre park along the gorge
adjacent to the mill is an interesting spot for hiking, picnicking or just
enjoying the scenery.
Jericho was the home of Wilson A. Bentley, who studied and photographed snowflakes, ice crystals, dew and other water forms for nearly 30 years. His over 2,000 photomicro-graphs of snow have become world famous, making a collection of marvelous and unrivalled beauty and interest.
Despite being a "quiet" town, there's still plenty to do. Brown's River offers good trout fishing, and Smugglers Notch and Bolton Valley ski resorts - both family oriented resorts - are close by. Hikers will enjoy trekking up the back side of Mt. Mansfield, and West Bolton has a golf course. Horseback riding is available through several horse riding stables in Jericho as well as neighboring Underhill. And there's always Joe's Snack Bar in the summer, a favorite hangout of young and old.
The town sponsors a summer recreation program for children in grades K-8, and Jericho's youth league enables school age children to play baseball and softball throughout most of the year. The town also has a Community Center, which offers space for public use. Residents may use the space for birthday parties, family reunions, as a playgroup for toddlers, to offer a workshop or class, or just to play volleyball or basketball.
Donna Hannon, formerly of Jericho, says its a great town to raise a family in. "We've always been thankful that we moved there. We have four young children, and found that the community is really geared towards kids. And the school system is great... the classes are small -- between 15 to 20 children per class -- which is important for the quality of education. I liked the quality of the kids in the schools, too."
Most of Jericho's schools are along Rte. 15, which is the main route through the town, with the exception of Mount Mansfield Union High School, located on Brown's Trace Rd. in Jericho Ctr. The elementary school has 300+ students. The two middle schools, Browns River Middle School (Steam Mill Rd.), and Camel's Hump Middle School (Jericho Rd., Richmond) are shared by neighboring towns, and the highschool takes students from five neighboring towns.
Although dairy farms still exist in Jericho, much of the land has been developed for residential use. In her book "Without a Farmhouse Near", Deborah Rawson writes about the changes in Jericho and Underhill from a farming community to that of a "bedroom" community. The New Jericho-Underhill library, located by Browns River Middle School, is named after Ms. Rawson, an avid reader who passed away two years ago.