Grafton Public Library (Grafton, Vermont) facts for kids
|
Butterfield House
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
 |
|
 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 204 Main St., Grafton, Vermont |
|---|---|
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1811 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Part of | Grafton Village Historic District (ID10000171) |
| NRHP reference No. | 05000806 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | August 6, 2005 |
| Designated CP | April 7, 2010 |
The Grafton Public Library is a special place in Grafton, Vermont. You can find it at 204 Main Street. This library is inside a very old and beautiful building called the Butterfield House. This house was built a long time ago, in the early 1800s. It is so important that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a building that America wants to protect because of its history.
Contents
What Can You Do at the Grafton Library?
The Grafton Public Library offers many cool things for everyone. You can borrow books, movies, and music. If they don't have a book you want, they can often get it for you from another library!
Technology and Learning
The library has computers you can use. You can also print things there. If you have your own device, you can connect to their free wireless internet. They also have special online tools called databases. These databases help you find lots of information for school projects or just for fun!
The Butterfield House: A Look at Its History
The Butterfield House is a very interesting building. It stands on the south side of Main Street in the middle of Grafton village. It is a two-and-a-half story house. This means it has two full floors and a smaller half-floor space, usually under the roof.
Building Style and Features
The house is made of wood and has a pointed roof. Its outside walls are covered with clapboard siding. This is a common way to cover wooden houses. The bottom of the house sits on a strong granite foundation. The front of the house has five windows and a door in the middle.
The main entrance to the building is actually on its side, facing east. This entrance has a special porch with two floors. It has cool, round columns that hold up the roof. There's also a pretty metal railing on the second floor. The edges of the roof have fancy decorations called modillions. These look like small, scrolled brackets.
How Old Is the House?
Some parts of the Butterfield House are very old. A section at the back might have been there even before John Butterfield bought the property in 1811. This older part shows a style called Federal period.
The main part of the house looks the way it does today because of changes made in the 1860s. It might have started as a smaller, one-and-a-half story house. Then, a second floor was added. The house mixes two styles: Greek Revival and Italianate. These styles were popular in Vermont in the 1860s. The Butterfield House has been the town's library since the 1950s.
