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Incorporated on September 22, 1761, Castleton is home to Castleton State College. Of institutions that are colleges today, Castleton is the oldest in Vermont and the 18th in the nation. The presence of the College makes Castleton the most populated town in Rutland County. The town is comprised of Hydeville, Bomoseen, and the Village of Castleton, the town’s historic center. Castleton is fortunate to have nine National Register districts: Crystal Haven, Eastern Lakeside, Southeastern Lakeside, Green Bay, Avalon Beach, Point of Pines, Hydeville, Castleton Corners, and Castleton Village. Route 30 runs alongside six-mile Lake Bomoseen, Vermont’s second largest lake, which is a haven for anglers, boaters, and swimmers alike. The town-operated Crystal Beach offers sandy beach swimming and facilities. In the summer on the town has concerts on the green, town auctions and shows held by the Castleton State College's fine and performing art departments.
The upland hills and mountains remain undeveloped due to their inaccessibility by town roads and the limiting influence of steep slopes and shallow soils. These areas are forested with trees of the northern hardwood association.
The Town of Castleton, approximately 42 square miles in area, is comprised of many distinct, notable areas- a traditional village, recreation area, Castleton Corners, the crossroads of major roads and the ancillary adjacent commerce where Route 30 intersects Route 4A and smaller centers, located along Lake Bomoseen such as Hydeville, Point of Pines, Avalon Beach, and Crystal Haven. Castleton is fortunate to have nine National Register districts: Crystal Haven, Eastern Lakeside, Southeastern Lakeside, Green Bay, Avalon Beach, Point of Pines, Hydeville, Castleton Corners, and Castleton Village. Published by the State Division for Historic Preservation, The Historic Architecture of Rutland County, details all of the historic districts and structures in Castleton. Listing over 100 sites, and providing photographs and detailed descriptions of many, this reference is highly recommended to anyone interested in finding out more about Castleton’s cultural heritage and historic architecture. Historically the farmsteads, slate industry and summer camps link Castleton to its past and remain tangible today.
Castleton Village, a mile-long, tree-lined Main Street with post office, town offices, commerce and 1940’s diner, and Castleton State College on a nearby side street, is a focus of activity. Well-maintained historic buildings, located in cohesive recognizable district, Castleton has a collection of over 100 outstanding examples of Federal, Gothic and Greek Revival residences, churches, and commercial buildings, many by master builder Thomas Royal Dake, has been listed almost in its entirety on the National and State Register of Historic Places. Several of its buildings were recorded in drawings for the Historic American Buildings Survey of 1937, now kept in the Library of Congress.
Castleton State College is a public, 4-year college offering a broad variety of educational opportunities. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in Vermont and the eighteenth oldest in the nation. It began as the Rutland County Grammar School, chartered by the Republic of Vermont in October 1787. It evolved to become, in turn, Vermont Classical High School, Castleton Academy, Castleton Seminary, Castleton Normal School, Castleton State Teachers College and, since 1961, a comprehensive state college. It is the home of the Castleton Summer Festival of the Arts and the Kosa International Percussion Festival, among other concerts, plays and dance troupe performances.
The Castleton Town Office, located on Main Street, is a two-story building built in segments between 1814-1834. The office houses the Town Manager, Town Clerk, Treasurer, Zoning Administrator, Listers, Health Officer, Tax Collector, and Police Department.
The Castleton Free Library, a two story building located on Maine Street, was established in 1897 by a group of interested citizens; it was incorporated in 1916. The town library has a book collection of over 13,000 volumes and an average annual circulation over the last 5 years of about 24,000 volumes. Both the elementary and high schools maintain libraries as well. The Castleton Free Library, maintaining an archive of historic letters, photographs and articles is also a great source of information about the town’s history.
In addition to the many fine homes of historical and architectural quality, there are a multitude of distinguished commercial and industrial structures, such as stores, unique barns and saw and grist mill sites.
The natural resources play an important role in Castleton’s image, appearance and attractiveness to town residents, seasonal homeowners, and tourists alike. Many rolling forested hills and mountains, quiet trails, and scenic rivers, ponds, and wetlands round out the town’s lush landscape.
Recreational resources include many outdoor recreation sites for walking, biking downhill and cross country skiing, swimming, boating, fishing, hundreds of snowmobile, hiking and biking trails and several golf courses. Exercise facilities and a swimming pool at Castleton State College are also available to Castleton residents. Castleton has several extensive land areas that are publicly owned. Lands under the jurisdiction of the state are Loves Marsh and Blueberry Hill Wildlife Management Areas, which are managed by the Fish and Game Department. Bomoseen State Park, located in West Castleton includes a large portion of Glen Lake. Part of the park also fronts on the Lake Bomoseen and is under the management of the Department of Forests and Parks. The Town of Castleton owns a town forest and short segment of shoreline in the Crystal Beach area.
