Rural Otter Creek Valley Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rural Otter Creek Valley Historic District
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly US 7 W of Otter Creek, southern Wallingford, Vermont |
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| Area | 110 acres (45 ha) |
| Built | 1810 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Federal |
| MPS | Rural Otter Creek Valley MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 86003212 |
| Added to NRHP | March 31, 1987 |
The Rural Otter Creek Valley Historic District is a special farming area in southern Wallingford, Vermont. It's a place where you can see how farms looked and worked a long time ago. This district includes nine old farmhouses and their buildings. They are located along United States Route 7 in the beautiful Otter Creek valley. People have been farming here since the early 1800s. Because of its important history, this area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
Exploring the Otter Creek Valley
The Otter Creek valley, south of Wallingford, was first settled in the late 1700s. The very first bridge across the creek was built in 1783. This made it easier for people to travel and settle in the area.
Who Lived Here? The Munson Family
Two important early landowners were Israel and Isaac Munson. Israel Munson was a rich doctor and merchant. In 1814, he bought land in the valley for his younger brother, Isaac. Their sister also married Joel Hill, another important person in Wallingford. The homes of Isaac Munson and Joel Hill are still standing today. They are made of brick and are some of the most impressive farmhouses in the valley. The Munson family's wealth helped build many high-quality homes here. One house, built for Isaac Bradley Munson, was designed by a famous architect named Asher Benjamin. Sadly, this house burned down in 1980.
What Does the District Look Like?
The historic district stretches along US 7. It starts where US 7 crosses Otter Creek in the north. It goes south to where the road gets close to the creek again. The creek forms the eastern border of the district. On the west side, the boundary is about 500 feet (150 meters) west of US 7.
The district covers about 110 acres (45 hectares). Most of this land has always been used for farming. There are nine farmsteads in the district. Five of these farms were owned by members of the Munson family. All the main farmhouses were built between 1800 and 1850. Many of the barns and other farm buildings are also from the 1800s. Two of the houses are made of brick, including Isaac Munson's home. The other houses are made of wood.
