Richwood Estate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Richwood Estate
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | US 7, Swanton, Vermont |
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| Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Built | 1871 |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002175 |
| Added to NRHP | November 3, 1988 |
The Richwood Estate is a special old house in Swanton, Vermont. It was built a long time ago in 1871. A man named C.W. Rich, who owned a local company, had it built. This house is a great example of a building style called Second Empire architecture. It's also special because it uses materials found right there in Vermont. Because it's so important, the Richwood Estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. This list helps protect important historical places in the United States.
Discovering the Richwood Estate
The Richwood Estate is in the southern part of Swanton, Vermont. You can find it on the east side of US 7, which is a main road. The house sits on a large piece of land, about 9 acres, mostly covered with trees. It's located between two areas called Sugarmaple Drive and Maple Garden Estates.
What Does the House Look Like?
The main house is a beautiful building with 1 and a half stories. It's made from stone and wood. The roof is very unique and is called a mansard roof. This type of roof has a special shape with steep sides.
The bottom part of the house and its foundation are made from stone. This stone came from a nearby place called Isle La Motte. The house also has red stone details that were found locally. The steep parts of the roof are covered with purple slate. This slate came all the way from Fair Haven, Vermont. The roof also has small windows that stick out, called dormers.
On the south side of the house, there's a porch. It has a round corner and a special covered entrance for cars, called a porte-cochere. Inside the house, you'll find beautiful wooden details. The main entrance hall has a floor made with three different colors of Vermont marble. Northeast of the house, there's also a carriage house. This building matches the main house with its fancy outside features.
Who Built the Richwood Estate?
The Richwood Estate was built in 1871 for C.W. Rich. At that time, he was the most important businessman in Swanton. Since 1847, he had been running businesses that processed lime. Lime was a very important product for the town's economy back then.
The Rich family owned the estate until 1947. Even after that, their lime businesses stayed in the family until 1976. Over the years, a few things changed about the house. The original small tower on the roof, called a cupola, was taken down. People say C.W. Rich's wife didn't like it! Also, the porch on the south side was added in the 1880s. Later, electricity and indoor plumbing were put into the house, making it more modern.
