These 11 Historic Villages In Vermont Will Transport You Into A Different Time
In Vermont, villages are named communities located within the boundaries of an incorporated town and may also be incorporated or unincorporated. Vermont is the only state in New England that has incorporated villages. The history is rich in these villages and we take great care in preserving their buildings and bridges, visiting them will bring you back in time. Whether or not you’re a history buff, anyone who loves Vermont is sure to enjoy!
Manchester Village was first settled in 1761 and through the middle of the 19th century it was primarily a crossroads village and the site of several taverns and inns. The village's first inn was built in 1769 on the property that is now the site of the Equinox House.
The Woodstock Village Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Around the village green and along the main road following the Ottauquechee River are a number of residential, commercial, and public buildings showcasing architectural development from the late 18th to late 19th centuries.
At the 2000 census, the population of Newfane was 116. Newfane is an incorporated village in the town of Newfane in Windham County, and most of the village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 as the Newfane Village Historic District.
In the Old Constitution House in 1777, the constitution of the Vermont Republic was drafted. The Windsor Village Historic District includes several dozen properties which were built in the 18th, the 19th, and in the beginning of the 20th centuries, and built in different architectural styles. The district has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since April 23, 1975. Pictured above is a postcard of Windsor Village in 1910.
This village has an excellent walking tour that will take you back in time. Stops include General Wait Home, The Old High School, and The Federated Church. Click here for the map.
Orleans is a village in the northwestern corner of Barton, Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 826 at the 2000 census, making it the largest village in Orleans County.
This village, originally known as Olcott Falls, is unique as an early planned community developed in part by Charles Wilder, owner of a local paper mill in the 1880s. One feature of Wilder's plan was an orderly street plan in which streets were laid out at right angles, with several of the streets named after trees. The village was renamed in honor of Charles Wilder in 1897. The postcard pictured was created between 1930-1945.
Jeffersonville is a village in the town of Cambridge with a population of 729 at the 2010 census (up from 568 at the 2000 census). The village was originally called Cambridge Center and the name was changed to Jeffersonville in 1827 to honor Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson Village was incorporated in 1897.
The Town of Montgomery was granted a charter by the Vermont General Assembly on March 15, 1780 and was named in honor of General Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War hero.
The Montgomery Historical Society was initially created to acquire and restore the St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Montgomery Village, but has maintained many buildings and bridges, including the Fuller Covered Bridge (pictured).
While the village may have been disincorporated in 1965, St. Johnsbury still has a wonderfully preserved history. In 1790 the village was home to 143 inhabitants, and the first town meeting took place in the home of Johnathan Arnold. According to local lore, Vermont founder Ethan Allen himself proposed naming the town St. Johnsbury in honor of his friend Jean de Crèvecœur, a French-born author and agriculturist and a friend of Benjamin Franklin.
Until 2007, the village of North Troy was unique for depending neither on the town constable nor the county sheriff for law enforcement but instead had a police force of its own. While it was not village policy to have fines as a money maker, the department did break even, earning $39,070.12 in fines and other revenue in 2006.
Which villages in Vermont transport you into the past? Let us know!
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