Randolph Center Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Randolph Center Historic District
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The former district school
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | West and Main Sts., Randolph, Vermont |
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| Area | 187 acres (76 ha) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Gothic, Cape Cod |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000245 |
| Added to NRHP | November 21, 1974 |
The Randolph Center Historic District is a special area in Randolph, Vermont. It's like a time capsule, showing what an early American town center looked like. This historic area was first settled in 1783.
Later, a new part of town grew up around the railroad station. This new area became known as Randolph Village. Even so, Randolph Center still has many beautiful buildings from the late 1700s and early 1800s. Today, it's also home to a campus of Vermont State University. This important district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Contents
Discover Randolph Center's History
How Randolph Center Began
The town of Randolph in Vermont was founded in 1783. Its main center was built on top of a ridge that runs north to south. This ridge is where Main Street is located today. Part of Main Street is now called Vermont Route 66.
A Busy Stagecoach Stop
In the past, Randolph Center was a very important stop. It was on the main stagecoach route between Boston, Massachusetts and Montreal, Canada. Stagecoaches were like old-time buses that carried people and mail. The village grew and had many businesses.
Changes Over Time
Randolph Center was a busy place until the mid-1800s. That's when the Central Vermont Railroad was built a bit further west. When the railroad arrived, businesses and people started moving closer to the train station. This new area became what we now call Randolph Village.
Randolph Center then became more of a quiet neighborhood. But it also became home to a school campus. This school started in 1804 as the Randolph Academy. Today, it's the Randolph campus of the Vermont State University, which used to be called Vermont Technical College.
Buildings You Can See Today
Exploring Main Street
The Randolph Center Historic District stretches along Main Street. It goes from Furnace Street in the north down to South Randolph Street in the south. Most of the buildings in this area are homes. They are built from wood or brick. Many show the styles of architecture popular long ago.
Old Buildings and New Uses
You can see houses built in the Federal and Greek Revival styles. These styles were common in the late 1700s and early 1800s. One special building is an old wooden dormitory. It's at the front of the Vermont State University campus. Most of the university's other buildings are modern and are not part of the historic district.
Churches and Schools
At the southern end of the district, you'll find some interesting old buildings. There's the Congregational Church, which was built in 1798. It was later updated in 1838 with Greek Revival and Gothic Revival styles. You can also see a former Methodist Church building from 1881. And don't miss the community school building, which was built in 1903.
