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National Register of Historic Places listings in Orange County, Vermont facts for kids

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The National Register of Historic Places is a special list of places in the United States that are important to history. Think of it like a Hall of Fame for buildings, areas, and objects that tell us about the past! In Orange County, Vermont, there are 63 places on this list. One of them is even more special and is called a National Historic Landmark. These places help us remember and learn about the history of Vermont and the whole country.

Exploring Orange County's Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places helps protect buildings, sites, and objects that are important for their history, architecture, or what they mean to a community. When a place is on this list, it means it's recognized as a valuable part of our shared past.

Sometimes, a whole group of buildings or an area is important. These are called Historic Districts. They show how a town or neighborhood used to look and function.

A National Historic Landmark is an extra special place. It's recognized as being important to the history of the entire United States, not just a state or county. Orange County has one of these!

Historic Homes and Buildings

Orange County is home to many old and interesting buildings. Some of these were once homes, while others served important community roles.

Justin Smith Morrill Homestead

JSMorrill-House
The beautiful Justin Smith Morrill Homestead.

One of the most important places in Orange County is the Justin Smith Morrill Homestead in Strafford. This is the only National Historic Landmark in the county! It was the home of Justin Smith Morrill, a very important person from Vermont. He was a representative and senator who helped create the "Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Acts" in 1862 and 1890. These laws helped set up colleges across the country that focused on agriculture and engineering, making education more available to everyone. His home is a great example of Gothic Revival architecture, a popular style from the past.

Other Notable Buildings

  • Elwin Chase House (Topsham): An old house on Topsham-Corinth Road.
  • Marvin Newton House (Brookfield): Located on Ridge Road, this house has a unique history.
  • Asa May House (West Fairlee): Found on Blood Brook Road, this house is a piece of local history.
  • Mari-Castle (Randolph): This interesting building on South Main Street has a distinctive look.
  • Wildwood Hall (Newbury): Located on Moore's Hill Road, this hall is another historic gem.
  • Stratton's Inn (Brookfield): An old inn on East Street, showing how travelers used to stay.

Community Buildings

Many historic buildings were built for the community to use:

  • Brock Hill Schoolhouse (Newbury): An old schoolhouse on North Road, where children learned many years ago.
  • Wells River Graded School (Wells River): This school on Main Street was an important place for education.
  • Waits River Schoolhouse (Waits River): Another historic school, located north of Waits River on VT 25.
  • Congregational Church of Chelsea (Chelsea): A beautiful church on Chelsea Green.
  • Goshen Church (Bradford): Located north of Bradford on Goshen Road.
  • Post Mills Church (Thetford): Found east of its junction with VT 113.
  • South Tunbridge Methodist Episcopal Church (Tunbridge): This church is located north of the Royalton town line on VT 110.
  • West Fairlee Center Church (West Fairlee): A historic church on Middlebrook Road.
  • Kimball Public Library (Randolph): A lovely library on Main Street, a place for learning and reading.
  • Peabody Library (Thetford): Located on VT 113, another important library in the county.
  • Fairlee Town Hall (Fairlee): The town's main building on Town Common Road.
  • Newbury Town House (Newbury): This town house is on Scotch Hollow Road.

Amazing Bridges

Orange County is known for its many historic bridges, especially its covered bridges. These wooden bridges were built to protect the bridge timbers from the weather, making them last longer.

  • Bedell Covered Bridge (Newbury): This bridge used to cross the Connecticut River between Newbury, Vermont, and Haverhill, New Hampshire. Sadly, it was blown away by strong winds in 1979.
  • Braley Covered Bridge (Randolph): East of Randolph, this bridge crosses the Second Branch of the White River.
  • Cilley Covered Bridge (Tunbridge): Southwest of Tunbridge, it crosses the First Branch of the White River.
  • Flint Covered Bridge (Tunbridge): Northeast of Tunbridge, this bridge also crosses the First Branch of the White River.
  • Foundry Bridge (Tunbridge): Located on Foundry Road, this is another historic bridge.
  • Gifford Covered Bridge (East Randolph): South of Randolph, it crosses the Second Branch of the White River.
  • Howe Covered Bridge (Tunbridge): South of Tunbridge, this bridge crosses the First Branch of the White River.
  • Kingsbury Covered Bridge (East Randolph): South of East Randolph, it crosses the Second Branch of the White River.
  • Larkin Covered Bridge (Tunbridge): Northeast of North Tunbridge, it crosses the First Branch of the White River.
  • Mill Covered Bridge (Tunbridge): West of VT 110, this bridge crosses the First Branch of the White River.
  • Moxley Covered Bridge (Chelsea): South of Chelsea, it crosses the First Branch of the White River.
  • Thetford Center Covered Bridge (Thetford): This bridge crosses the Ompompanoosuc River.
  • Union Village Covered Bridge (Thetford): Another bridge crossing the Ompompanoosuc River.
  • Bridge 22 (Bradford): This bridge on Creamery Road is a metal truss, masonry, and concrete bridge.
  • The Samuel Morey Memorial Bridge (Fairlee): This bridge crosses the Connecticut River and connects Vermont to New Hampshire.
  • Piermont Bridge (Bradford): Another bridge crossing the Connecticut River, connecting Vermont to New Hampshire.

Historic Districts

Many towns in Orange County have special historic districts that show how they grew over time. These areas have many old buildings that together tell a story.

  • Bayley Historic District (Newbury): Located along US 5 and Oxbow Street.
  • Bradford Village Historic District (Bradford): This area includes residential streets like Main, Depot, Pleasant, High, and Mill Streets, Wrights Avenue, Goshen Road, and US 5.
  • Brookfield Village Historic District (Brookfield): This district is around the beautiful Sunset Lake area.
  • Chelsea Village Historic District (Chelsea): Includes North and South Main, Jail, School, Court, and Church Streets, and Maple and Highland Avenues.
  • Depot Square Historic District (Randolph): This area is on both sides of Main, Pleasant, and Salisbury Streets, and the Central Vermont Railway tracks.
  • Newbury Village Historic District (Newbury): Includes Main, Pulaski, Cross, and Pine Streets, Chapel Road, and Romance Lane.
  • Oxbow Historic District (Newbury): Located along US 5.
  • Randolph Center Historic District (Randolph): Found along West and Main Streets.
  • South Newbury Village Historic District (Newbury): Located along US 5 and Doe Hill Road.
  • Strafford Village Historic District (Strafford): Roughly includes both sides of the Morrill Highway and Sharon Brook Road.
  • Thetford Center Historic District (Thetford): This area is along VT 113, Tucker Hill Road, and Buzzell Bridge Road.
  • Thetford Hill Historic District (Thetford): Roughly along VT 113 and Academy Road.
  • Tunbridge Village Historic District (Tunbridge): Roughly along VT 110 and nearby roads like Town Road 45 and Spring and Stafford Roads.
  • Wells River Village Historic District (Wells River): Includes Main, Center, Grove, Cross, and Water Streets.
  • West Newbury Village Historic District (Newbury): Located along Snake and Tucker Mountain Roads.

Historic Camps and Parks

Orange County also has historic camps and state parks that are important for their history and how they were developed.

  • Allis State Park (Brookfield): Located on VT 65, this park has historic features.
  • Aloha Camp (Fairlee): A historic camp on Lake Morey Road.
  • Aloha Hive Camp (West Fairlee): Another historic camp on VT 244.
  • Camp Billings (Thetford): Located on VT 244, this is a historic camp.
  • Camp Wyoda (West Fairlee): This camp on Middlebrook Road is now known as Aloha Horizons Camp.
  • Thetford Hill State Park (Thetford): Located on Academy Road, this park also has historic elements.

Other Historic Sites

  • Ely Boston & Maine Railroad Depot (Fairlee): A historic train station south of the junction of US 5 and VT 244.
  • Fairlee Railroad Depot (Fairlee): Another train station located between US 5 and the Boston and Maine Railroad tracks.
  • Hayward and Kibby Mill (Tunbridge): This old mill is on Spring Road at the First Branch of the White River.
  • Harlie Whitcomb Farm (Orange): This farm is on George Street past the cemetery.

Images for kids

  • Map of Vermont highlighting Orange County

    Location of Orange County in Vermont

  • AllisSP CCCFireplace

    Allis State Park

  • FairleeVT AlohaCamp

    Aloha Camp

  • WestFairleeVT AlohaHiveCamp 1

    Aloha Hive Camp

  • NewburyVT BayleyHD 1

    Bayley Historic District

  • 226 15 BCB pier

    Bedell Covered Bridge

  • Bradford Historic District, World War Monument

    Bradford Village Historic District

  • BraleyBridge

    Braley Covered Bridge

  • Bridge 22 in Bradford VT

    Bridge 22

  • NewburyVT BrockHillSchoolhouse

    Brock Hill Schoolhouse

  • Sunset Lake in Brookfield

    Brookfield Village Historic District

  • Camp Billings Clocktower

    Camp Billings

  • WestFairleeVT HorizonsCamp

    Camp Wyoda (now Aloha Horizons Camp)

  • Chandler Music Hall - stained glass window

    Chandler Music Hall

  • Buildings in downtown Chelsea, Vermont

    Chelsea Village Historic District

  • CILLEY COVERED BRIDGE

    Cilley Covered Bridge

  • Congregational Church of Chelsea

    Congregational Church of Chelsea

  • Randolph Depot and Amtrak Stop

    Depot Square Historic District

  • FairleeVT ElyDepot

    Ely Boston & Maine Railroad Depot

  • FairleeVT Depot

    Fairlee Railroad Depot

  • FairleeVT TownHall

    Fairlee Town Hall

  • Flint Bridge, Spanning First Branch White River, Bicknell Hill R, Tunbridge vicinity (Orange County, Vermont)

    Flint Covered Bridge

  • TunbridgeVT FoundryBridge

    Foundry Bridge

  • GiffordBridge

    Gifford Covered Bridge

  • BradfordVT GoshenChurch

    Goshen Church

  • TunbridgeMill

    Hayward and Kibby Mill

  • HOWE COVERED BRIDGE

    Howe Covered Bridge

  • Kimball Library - view from the reference desk

    Kimball Public Library

  • KingsburyBridge

    Kingsbury Covered Bridge

  • FairleeVT LanakilaCamp 2

    Lanakila Camp

  • LARKIN COVERED BRIDGE

    Larkin Covered Bridge

  • Mari-Castle 01

    Mari-Castle

  • WestFairleeVT AsaMayHouse

    Asa May House

  • MILL COVERED BRIDGE

    Mill Covered Bridge

  • The Samuel Morey Memorial Bridge

    The Samuel Morey Memorial Bridge

  • JSMorrill-House

    Justin Smith Morrill Homestead

  • MOXLEY COVERED BRIDGE

    Moxley Covered Bridge

  • NewburyVT NewburyTownHouse

    Newbury Town House

  • Newbury Village Store, Newbury, Vermont

    Newbury Village Historic District

  • Marvin Newton House

    Marvin Newton House

  • NewburyVT OxbowHD 2

    Oxbow Historic District

  • Peabody Library, Post Mills, Vermont

    Peabody Library

  • Piermont Bridge

    Piermont Bridge

  • Post Mills Church, Post Mills, Vermont

    Post Mills Church

  • RandolphVT RandolphCenter CongregationalChurch

    Randolph Center Historic District

  • NewburyVT SouthNewburyHD 2

    South Newbury Village Historic District

  • South Tunbridge Methodist Episcopal Church. Tunbridge VT

    South Tunbridge Methodist Episcopal Church

  • STRAFFORD HISTORIC DISTRICT

    Strafford Village Historic District

  • BrookfieldVT StrattonsInn

    Stratton's Inn

  • THETFORD CENTER COVERED BRIDGE

    Thetford Center Covered Bridge

  • Church in Thetford, Vermont

    Thetford Center Historic District

  • House in Thetford Hill, Thetford, Vermont

    Thetford Hill Historic District

  • ThetfordHillSP CCC Gate

    Thetford Hill State Park

  • Tunbridge vermont town office 20040926

    Tunbridge Village Historic District

  • UNION VILLAGE COVERED BRIDGE

    Union Village Covered Bridge

  • TopshamVT WaitsRiverSchool

    Waits River Schoolhouse

  • WellsRiverVT GradedSchool

    Wells River Graded School

  • Wells River, Vermont

    Wells River Village Historic District

  • WestFairleeVT CenterChurch

    West Fairlee Center Church

  • NewburyVT WestNewburyVillageHD HistoricalSociety

    West Newbury Village Historic District

  • OrangeVT HarlieWhitcombFarm

    Harlie Whitcomb Farm

  • NewburyVT WildwoodHall

    Wildwood Hall

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National Register of Historic Places listings in Orange County, Vermont Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.