Sharon

Sharon

Sharon, town (township), Windsor county, east-central Vermont, U.S. It lies along the White River 29 miles (47 km) northeast of Rutland and is surrounded on three sides by high hills. Chartered in 1761, it received its biblical name from Sharon, Connecticut, which was founded in the 1730s during the religious revival known as the Great Awakening. A small lumbering and farming community, Sharon is known as the birthplace of Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon faith, who was born December 23, 1805, on an isolated farm in the township. His birthplace is marked by a monolith of polished Barre granite 38.5 feet (12 metres) high, each foot representing a year of his life (he died June 27, 1844). Area 40 square miles (103 square km). Pop. (2000) 1,411; (2010) 1,502.