Shelburne Village Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Shelburne Village Historic District
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Downtown Shelburne village
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Area N and S of jct. of US 7, Harbor Rd. and Falls Rd., including area S and E of La Platte R. and US 7, Shelburne, Vermont |
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| Area | 74 acres (30 ha) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Queen Anne, Vernacular domestic |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001055 |
| Added to NRHP | July 27, 1990 |
The Shelburne Village Historic District is a special area in the heart of Shelburne, Vermont. It's where the main roads, United States Route 7, Harbor Road, and Falls Road, meet. This district shows off buildings from the 1700s to the early 1900s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 because of its important history.
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Exploring Shelburne's Historic Village
This historic district is a cool place to learn about the past. It covers about 74 acres (30 ha) of land. You can find many old buildings here that tell a story.
How Shelburne Village Began
The town of Shelburne was officially started in 1763. Ira Allen helped map out the land. Early families had to leave during the American Revolutionary War. But they came back to settle for good in the 1780s.
Benjamin Harrington was an early settler. He owned the land where the village now stands. In the 1790s, he planned the main road. This road was for stagecoaches traveling between Rutland and Burlington. Today, this road is mostly United States Route 7. Benjamin also built the first Shelburne Inn.
Growth and Development of the Village
For a long time, Shelburne was mostly a farming community. The main industrial area was a mile away. This changed when the railroad arrived in 1849. The village started to grow much faster.
The biggest period of growth was from about 1880 to 1910. New businesses started near the railroad. The town also got help from generous people. These were William Seward Webb and Electra Havemeyer Webb. They later founded the famous Shelburne Museum.
What You Can See in the District
The historic district is centered where US 7, Harbor Road, and Falls Road meet. It stretches north to the LaPlatte River. It also goes south past Church Street. You'll find historic buildings on Church Street and Falls Road. There are also some on Harbor Road, just past the railroad tracks. The district is right next to the Shelburne Museum.
The oldest building still standing is the Shelburne Inn from 1796. You can also see many Federal style houses. These are found all over the village. A special feature of the village is its three churches. All of them are made of strong stone or brick. Most other buildings are made of wood. They are usually one to two and a half stories tall.
