Goodrich Four Corners Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Goodrich Four Corners Historic District
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 929-987 Union Village, 18 Pattrell & 694 Goodrich Four Corners Rds., Norwich, Vermont |
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| Area | 232 acres (94 ha) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 100004111 |
| Added to NRHP | June 26, 2019 |
The Goodrich Four Corners Historic District is a special old village area in northern Norwich, Vermont. It's like a time capsule showing how people lived and farmed in the 1800s. This district has many well-preserved buildings from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019 because of its important history.
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Welcome to Goodrich Four Corners!
This historic district covers about 232 acres (94 hectares). It is centered around a four-way road junction. This is where Union Village Road, Goodrich Four Corners Road, and Pattell Road meet. The area still looks much like it did in the 1800s.
A Look Back in Time
The town of Norwich was officially started in 1761. People began settling there in the 1770s. One of the first people to live permanently in Norwich was John Slafter. He was the son of Samuel Slafter, who helped start the town.
In the 1780s, John Slafter moved from the early town center. He settled in the area we now call Goodrich Four Corners. Three of the old farmhouses you can still see today were built by Slafter and other early settlers.
Farming Life in the Past
Farming was very important in this area. It was more successful here than in the nearby Connecticut River valley. The community grew in the 1800s as a small farming village.
Farmers first focused on raising sheep for wool. This was popular until the late 1800s. Then, the demand for wool went down. So, farmers changed to raising dairy cows for milk and cheese instead. Around the early 1900s, the Goodrich family took over one of the original farms. That's how the district got its name!
What You Can See Today
The Goodrich Four Corners Historic District has four main farmhouses. Three of these houses were built in the 1700s. They are surrounded by many barns and other farm buildings from the 1800s and early 1900s. These buildings show how farms used to operate.
The Root Schoolhouse
There is only one building in the district that wasn't used for farming. This is the Root School, built in 1937. It is a great example of a one-room schoolhouse. It is also listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places. Imagine all the kids who learned their ABCs and math in that very room!
