Pownal, Bennington County, Vermont Genealogy

United States Vermont  Bennington   Pownal

Brief History
Pownal was the first town Benning Wentworth granted after the French and Indian wars and it was chartered on January 8, 1760. Thomas and John Pownall were both listed on the charter but the final l in their name was left off and also left off of the name of the town in the charter.

Two Presidents taught school in Pownal at the beginning of their careers. Chester A. Arthur educated Pownal youth as did James A. Garfield. When Garfield was assassinated in 1881, Arthur succeeded him as President. A marker was placed near the North Pownal Congregational church in 1958 to note this fact.

Pownal was the site of Vermont's only racetrack. The racetrack was a horse track until 1976, when it then switched to greyhounds. It permanently closed in 1992.

Historical Data
The Vermont Historical Gazetteer is a 5 volume set of historical information by Abby Maria Hemenway with Volume I published in 1867 and Volume V completed in 1891 after her death. Also available online in PDF format at this link.

Town Histories
Pownal: A Vermont Town's Two Hundred Years and More, Joseph Parks, Pownal Bicentennial Committee, 1977.

Vital Records
FamilySearch Historical Records Collection has Vermont birth, death, and marriage records online.

Probate Records
The probate district for Pownal is Bennington. Bennington Probate Division 207 South St. Bennington, VT 05201 Phone: (802) 447-2705

City Directories
1880 - 1881 Pownal directory

Maps
1856 Map of Pownal

Cemeteries
The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Pownal. For location of cemeteries, see Cemeteries of Vermont, Bennington County, website at this link.

The Pownal Historical Scoiety has provided information and some grave stone inscriptions for several of these cemeteries at their website.


 * Carpenter Hill Yard Cemetery
 * Downs Cemetery
 * Dunn-Hill Card Cemetery
 * Edgar Rathburn Farm Cemetery
 * Eldred Cemetery
 * Gardner Cemetery
 * Joseph Barber Farm Cemetery
 * Lovett Cemetery
 * Mason Hill Cemetery
 * Morgan-Towslee Cemetery
 * North Pownal Yard Cemetery
 * Oak Hill Cemetery
 * Paddock-Peckham Cemetery
 * Perry Thomas Farm Cemetery
 * Potter Cemetery
 * Pownal Center Cemetery
 * Reuben Jepson Farm Cemetery
 * Sherman Yard Cemetery
 * Towlsey Cemetery
 * Woodward Cemetery
 * Woodland-J Wilcox Farm Cemetery

Churches
Pownal's church history from 1760 to 1840 - A Time for Building Churches Pownal from the book " A Vermont Town's Two Hundred Years And More." (Courtesy of the Pownal Historical Society)

Pownal Church History After 1840 - Courtesy of the Pownal Historical Society

Town Records
Digital images of Pownal Town records 1732-2005 are availble online at FamilySearch.

Marriages in Pownal,Vermont to 1850 - available on the Pownal Historical Society Website.

Deaths in Pownal, VT from 1921-1980 - available on the Pownal Historical Society Website.

The Family History Library has microfilm of original records from the Peru Town Clerks Office. These include Land records, 1750-1894; indexes to land records, 1760-1931, Town records, 1775-1903, and Records of births, marriages, and deaths, 1857-1994.

Pownal Town Clerk Mailing Address: P.O. Box 411 Pownal, VT 05261 Physical Address: 467 Center Street Pownal, VT 05261 Phone: (802) 823-7757 Email: powclerk@sover.net Website: http://www.pownal.org/TownOffice/TownOffice.html

Newspapers
Bennington Banner Newspaper

Libraries and Historical Societies
Solomon Wright Library 97 Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal, VT, 05261 Phone: (802) 823-5400 Email: pownal_pub@vals.state.vt.us Website: http://solomonwrightlibrary.org/

Pownal Historical Society Solomon Wright Public Library, Pownal, VT Mailing Address: PO Box 313, Pownal, VT 05261 Website: pownal.pbwiki.com Email: pownal@comcast.net Phone: (802) 823-5536 Contact: Ken Held, President, heldkw@comcast.net