Derby Line
Location of the town of Derby in which the village is located.
Coordinates: 45°00′17.98″N 72°05′57.97″W / 45.0049944, -72.0994361
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Orleans County
Town	Derby
Area
- Total	0.7 sq mi (1.9 km²)
- Land	0.7 sq mi (1.9 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	1,056 ft (322 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	776
- Density	1,057.5/sq mi (408.3/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	05830
Area code(s)	802
FIPS code	50-17500[1]
GNIS feature ID	1457154[2]

Derby Line is a village of Derby in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 776 at the 2000 census.

The village is located upon the Canada-United States border and is contiguous with the district of Rock Island in the town of Stanstead, Quebec.

Notable buildings include the Haskell Free Library and Opera House.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.7 square miles (2 km²), all land.

The village is the northern terminus of both Interstate 91 and US 5.

History

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The village was incorporated in 1791.^[3]

Because of an erratic survey, the border separating Canada from the US was drawn incorrectly by the surveyors in the 18th century, above the 45th parallel which was the agreed boundary. Derby Line was founded based on that line, above the 45th parallel. The boundary was confirmed by treaty in 1847.

Front of the Haskell Free Library and Opera House

Derby Line is best known for the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, deliberately constructed on the international border and opened in 1904. The original owners were a binational couple; Mr. Carlos F. Haskell was an American businessman from Derby Line who owned a number of sawmills while Mrs. Haskell was born Canadian. The intent was that people on both sides of the border would have use of the facility, which is now a designated historic site. Patrons of the library from either side of the border may use the facility without going through border security.^[4]

In some places, the international border runs through individual homes, so that meals prepared in one country are eaten in the other. An entire tool-and-die factory, once operated by the Butterfield division of Litton Industries, is also divided in two by the border.

There are unusual ramifications living directly on the border of another country. For example, the Border Patrol has expressed a desire to close off streets which have historically run together with those of Stanstead. They are concerned about illegal immigration. In 2007, the village jointly met with the Mayor and Council of Stanstead in joint session in Quebec, to be addressed by the authorities. That is, the village trustee meeting was held in a foreign country, following Vermont procedural rules.^[5][6]

Derby Line shares water and sewer systems with Stanstead as well as emergency crews which respond to calls on both sides of the border.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 776 people, 329 households, and 225 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,057.5 inhabitants per square mile (408.3/km²). There were 364 housing units at an average density of 496.0 per square mile (192.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.78% White, 0.39% African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.64% Asian, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.13% of the population.

There were 329 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the village the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $33,966, and the median income for a family was $37,375. Males had a median income of $30,208 versus $21,667 for females. The per capita income for the village was $15,202. About 11.4% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.8% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Footnotes

See also

• Beebe Plain, Vermont
• Stanstead, Quebec

External links

• Partly in Vermont: A Borderline Case (Time)

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Orleans County, Vermont
Shire town: Newport
City	Newport
Towns	Albany | Barton | Brownington | Charleston | Coventry | Craftsbury | Derby | Glover | Greensboro | Holland | Irasburg | Jay | Lowell | Morgan | Newport | Troy | Westfield | Westmore
Villages	Albany | Barton | Derby Center | Derby Line | North Troy | Orleans
Unincorporated community	Beebe Plain

Coordinates: 45°0′17.98″N, 72°5′57.97″W