Atherton Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Atherton Farmstead
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| Location | 31 Greenbush Rd., Cavendish, Vermont |
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| Area | 43 acres (17 ha) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| MPS | Agricultural Resources of Vermont MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000119 |
| Added to NRHP | March 1, 2002 |
The Atherton Farmstead is a very old and important farm in Cavendish, Vermont. It's located at 31 Greenbush Road. The main house was built way back in 1785. This makes it one of the oldest houses in the area! It was also once a special kind of inn called a "tavern house." Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
About the Atherton Farmstead
The Atherton Farmstead is found in a quiet, rural part of northeastern Cavendish. It sits where Tarbell Hill and Greenbush Roads meet. The farm property covers about 43 acres (about 17 hectares) of land. Over 20 acres of this land are on the west side of Tarbell Hill Road.
What the Farm Looks Like
The main farm buildings are reached by a driveway near the road junction. The main house is a 1-1/2 story building. It's built in a style called "Cape style." This means it has a simple, rectangular shape with a sloped roof. It has a chimney in the middle and is covered with wooden siding called clapboard.
Inside the house, many original features from the "Federal style" are still there. This style was popular in the United States from about 1780 to 1830. North of the main house, there's a barn from the 1800s. Near Greenbush Road, south of the house, is a carriage shed built in the early 1900s.
A Look Back in Time
This area of Vermont was not settled until the late 1750s. This happened after the Crown Point Road was built in 1759-1760. British soldiers built this road. It was one of the very first roads in what is now Vermont. The Crown Point Road followed a path similar to the roads there today.
The Atherton Farm property was one of the first places settled in Cavendish. Around 1770, there was a building here that served as a tavern. A tavern was like a hotel and restaurant for travelers. The house you see today was likely built in the 1780s. It might have been built by Samuel Paine or Thomas Gilbert. It's possible they built it around an older log building that was already there.
The property was used as a working farm until the 1930s. After that, it became a summer home for people to visit during warmer months.
