St. J History
Town of St Johnsbury, Vermont
The town was originally granted in 1760 as part of the New Hampshire Grants and named Bessborough. It was regranted by Vermont in 1786 as Dunmore, and settled the same year.
An early settler was Dr. Jonathan Arnold, a member of the Continental Congress and author of Rhode Island's act of secession from the United Kingdom in May of 1776. Arnold left Rhode Island in 1787 and, with six other families, built homes at what is now the town center.
By 1791, the village had grown to 143 inhabitants, and the first town meeting took place in Arnold's home that year, where the name St. Johnsbury was adopted. According to local lore, Vermont founder Ethan Allen himself proposed naming the town St. John in honor of his friend Jean de Crèvecœur, a French-born author and agriculturist and a friend of Benjamin Franklin (he was known in the United States as J. Hector St. John). According to this account, de Crèvecœur suggested instead the unusual St. Johnsbury to differentiate it from Saint John, New Brunswick.
Information from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia VIA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Johnsbury,_Vermont
Announcements
Have you ever seen a public safety concern in St. J and wondered, "Who is the best person to reach out to for a solution?" Wonder no more - you can now reference the 2026 St. Johnsbury Citizens' Guide to Civic Aid! This handy flowchart offers guidance on the most efficient and appropriate points of contact for your public safety concerns. A high-resolution PDF is available for download from the Town's website (shortlink: tinyurl.com/stj-cgca-2026 ). Have a question about the Guide? Please reach out to Zoning & Planning Administrator Jack Thomas ( jthomas@stjvt.com ) for more info.
Public Safety Community Roundtables Meeting - Postponed The Town of St. Johnsbury would like to inform the community that the Public Safety Community Roundtables Meeting originally scheduled for November 18, 2026, has been postponed to January 2027 (exact date TBD). This change comes following requests from local business owners to reschedule the event until after the holidays so our business community can focus on preparations for a busy holiday season. We appreciate the broader community’s understanding and we look forward to welcoming residents, business owners, and community partners in January for interactive, future-shaping discussions about public safety concerns, ongoing initiatives, and opportunities to work together to strengthen our community. Thank you for your continued interest and participation. Stay tuned for a new date and additional details. In the meantime, please share your thoughts through our anonymous online Public Safety Input Form (link: https://tinyurl.com/safestj ). Thank you to all who have already shared input!
2026 Consumer Confidence Report
This report is a snapshot of the water quality the St. Johnsbury Water Filtration Plant and Public Works Dept. produced and delivered in 2026. Included are the details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state standards. We are committed to providing you with this information because informed customers are our best allies.
Click here
to view or download the
2026 Water System Consumer Confidence Report
.
Rental Housing Forms & Housing Study
Long Term Rental Registration Vacant Building Registration 2026-2027 Rental Housing Improvement Grant Application Rental Housing Improvement Program FAQs St. Johnsbury Housing Needs & Assessment Study Do you have a complaint? The Town of St. Johnsbury has a formal process to receive and address complaints. Please click on the link below to access our complaint form. Town of St. Johnsbury Complaint Form
