kids encyclopedia robot

Old Stone Row facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Old Stone Row
Middlebury College Stone Row.jpg
Old Stone Row is located in Vermont
Old Stone Row
Location in Vermont
Old Stone Row is located in the United States
Old Stone Row
Location in the United States
Location Jct. of S. Main St. and Old Chapel Rd., Middlebury, Vermont
Area 7.5 acres (3.0 ha)
Built 1812 (1812)
Built by Parsons, Asahel; Lamb, James M.
Architectural style Mid 19th Century Revival
NRHP reference No. 97001162
Added to NRHP September 18, 1997

Old Stone Row is a group of three historic stone buildings at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. These buildings stand around the college's original campus green. The oldest building is Painter Hall, built between 1812 and 1816. It is the oldest college academic building still standing in Vermont. The other two buildings are Old Chapel (built 1834-1836) and Starr Hall (built in 1865). All three buildings were designed to look like old mill buildings from that time. In 1997, Old Stone Row and the green were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical places.

What is Old Stone Row?

MiddleburyCollege OldChapel 20160929
Old Chapel's bell tower stands at a height of 92 feet.

Old Stone Row is on the east side of the Middlebury College campus. The three buildings sit on a small hill next to Old Chapel Road. Even though the main part of the campus is now to the west, these buildings face east. They look out over the original campus green and the center of Middlebury village.

All three buildings are made from local limestone. This stone was taken from nearby quarries. The buildings look a bit like old factories or mills from the 1800s. Old Chapel is in the middle of the group. It stands out because it has a tall bell tower with three sections.

Painter Hall: The First Building

Painter Hall is the building furthest north in Old Stone Row. It was built between 1812 and 1816. At that time, Middlebury College wanted to build impressive structures. This was partly because they were competing with the University of Vermont in Burlington. That university had built a large brick building in 1807.

Painter Hall was mostly used as a place for students to live, like a dormitory. But it has been used for other things over the years. Its design is very simple, with almost no decorations. It looks a lot like an old stone mill that used to be in Middlebury.

Old Chapel: The Centerpiece

Old Chapel was built after Painter Hall, between 1834 and 1836. When it was first built, it had a chapel for services and classrooms for teaching. It also became a very important and noticeable building on the campus. Its tall bell tower makes it easy to spot.

Starr Hall: The Last Addition

Starr Hall is the building south of Old Chapel. It was built later, in the 1860s. The college needed more space because more students were joining in the late 1850s. Starr Hall was designed to look similar to Painter Hall. However, it has some differences. It has parts that stick out with gabled roofs, and the entrances are at the bottom of these parts.

Images for kids

kids search engine
Old Stone Row Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.