Benson Village | |
Location | Stage Rd. between Lake St. and Hulett Hill Rd., Benson, Vermont |
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Coordinates | 43°42′33″N73°18′38″W / 43.70917°N 73.31056°W |
Area | 52 acres (21 ha) |
Architectural style | Mixed (more Than 2 Styles From Different Periods), Federal |
NRHP reference No. | 78000240 [1] |
Added to NRHP | November 17, 1978 |
Benson Village is the village center of the rural town of Benson, Vermont. The central portion of the village, stretching along Stage Road from Lake Road to Hulett Hill Road, is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a well-preserved 19th-century village center. [1]
The town of Benson, located in northwestern Rutland County on the eastern shore of southern Lake Champlain, was chartered in 1780 and settled in 1782. Its principal thoroughfare for many years was the Stage Road, completed in 1790, which was the major north-south route on the east side of the lake. The town was in the 19th century mainly an agricultural area, although there was some industry on the Hubbardton River east of the village, whose goods were delivered to a port on the lake west of the village. The height of its 19th-century economic prosperity was in the 1840s, and is reflected in the number of Greek Revival buildings in the village. Stage Road was eventually eclipsed in importance by Vermont Route 22A to the east. The economic decline effectively reduced the demand for new building in the village. [2]
The focal center of the village is the junction of Stage and Lake Roads, where the Benson Village Store, post office, and Wheel Inn are located. The village stretches northward from this junction roughly to Hulett Hill Road. Many of its buildings were built either in the 1840s, or in the period of the 1870s-1880s, and are typically vernacular versions of Greek Revival and Italianate architecture. A notable exception is the Benson Village school, a Colonial Revival elementary school built in 1935. [2]
The First Congregational Church and Meetinghouse, also known as the Church of Christ and the Townshend Church, is a historic church at 34 Common Road in Townshend, Vermont. Built in 1790 and restyled in 1840, it is one of the oldest church buildings in continuous use in the state. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002; the congregation was established in 1777, and is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.
The Dublin Village Historic District encompasses the historic village center of Dublin, New Hampshire. Dublin's center developed in the 19th century after its original village center was abandoned due to harsher winter conditions nearer Dublin Pond. The district extends along Main Street from its junction with Lake Street in the west to the junction with Old County Road in the east, and includes sections of Old Common Road, Harrisville Road, and Church Street. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Putney Village Historic District encompasses most of the main village and town center of Putney, Vermont. Settled in the 1760s, the village saw its major growth in the late 18th and early 19th century, and includes a cohesive collection with Federal and Greek Revival buildings, with a more modest number of important later additions, including the Italianate town hall. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Whitingham Village Historic District encompasses much of the current village center of Whitingham, Vermont. It was developed mainly in the second half of the 19th century around industries powered by local water sources, and includes well-preserved architecture from that period. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
The Wilmington Village Historic District encompasses a significant portion of the village center of Wilmington, Vermont. The village grew as a crossroads industrial center through the mid-19th century, and experienced relatively little growth afterward. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The Danby Village Historic District encompasses much of the town center of Danby, Vermont. It is centered on a stretch of Main Street, roughly between Depot Street and Brook Road. The village has a cohesive collection of mid-19th century architecture, mostly residential, with a modest number of later additions. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The East Poultney Historic District encompasses the historic center of the rural village of East Poultney, Vermont. The district is centered on the triangular green at the center of the village, and was developed mainly from the late 18th through mid-19th centuries, producing a village with strong Federal and Greek Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The Middletown Springs Historic District encompasses most of the village center of Middletown Springs, Vermont. Oriented around the crossroads junction of Vermont Routes 140 and 133, the village has a well-preserved collection of mainly mid-19th century architecture, including a significant number of Italianate buildings. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The Thomas H. Palmer House is a historic house at 2636 United States Route 7 in Pittsford, Vermont. Built in 1832, it is a relatively upscale brick house, with Federal and Greek Revival styling. It is notable as the home of Thomas Palmer, an influential figure in the development of Pittsford and state-level educational standards in the mid-19th century. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The Pittsford Green Historic District encompasses the heart of the traditional village center of Pittsford, Vermont. Centered on a stretch of United States Route 7, the village's development began in the late 18th century, and now consists almost entirely of buildings from the 19th century. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The Poultney Main Street Historic District encompasses the commercial and residential historic core of the village of Poultney, Vermont. Centered on Main Street and East Main Street, between College Avenue and St. Raphael's Catholic Church, the district includes a diversity of architectural styles, as well as civic, religious, and commercial functions spanning a period of more than 100 years. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The Tinmouth Historic District encompasses a cluster of residential and civic buildings that form the center of the village Tinmouth Center in Tinmouth, Vermont. The district contains a collection of well-preserved buildings, that are reflective of life in a rural 19th-century village. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The Wallingford Main Street Historic District encompasses the historic portions of the village of Wallingford, Vermont. An essentially linear district extending along Main Street on either side of School Street, it has a well-preserved array of 19th and early-20th century residential, commercial, and civic buildings. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The Stagecoach Inn is a historic building at the corner of United States Route 7 and Fern Lake Road in the center of Leicester, Vermont. Built about 1830, it is one of the best-preserved examples of a 19th-century stagecoach accommodation between Rutland and Vergennes, with a distinctive combination of Federal and Greek Revival architectural elements. Now converted to a residence, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The Strafford Village Historic District encompasses the historic village center of Strafford, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1768, the village center was developed in the 1790s, and saw most of its growth before 1840, resulting in a fine assortment of predominantly Greek Revival buildings. Notable exceptions include the 1799 meetinghouse, and the Justin Smith Morrill Homestead, a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture built by native son Justin Smith Morrill. The district, centered on the town green at the junction of Morrill Highway and Brook Road, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
The Thetford Hill Historic District encompasses the well-preserved 19th-century village center of Thetford Hill in Thetford, Vermont. Developed between 1792 and about 1860 and located at what is now the junction of Vermont Route 113 and Academy Road, it includes mainly residential buildings, as well as several buildings of Thetford Academy and the 1785-88 Thetford Meetinghouse, one of the state's oldest churches in continuous use. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The Tunbridge Village Historic District encompasses the early 19th-century village center of Tunbridge, Vermont. Stretched linearly along Vermont Route 110, the largely agricultural village reached its peak population around 1820, and was bypassed by the railroads, limiting later development. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
The Charlotte Center Historic District encompasses the historic 19th-century town center of Charlotte, Vermont. Settled c. 1790 and developed mainly in the mid-19th century, the village, stretched along Church Hill Road west of Hinesburg Road, retains a well-preserved 19th-century atmosphere of residential, civic, and commercial buildings. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The Warren Village Historic District encompasses the village center of Warren, Vermont, United States. Stretched mainly along Main Street east of the Mad River, it is a well-preserved 19th-century mill village, although most of its period mill infrastructure has been lost. The district has good examples of Greek Revival, Italianate, and Second Empire architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
The Wheelock Common Historic District encompasses the traditional town center of the small northeastern Vermont community of Wheelock. Located at the junction of Vermont Route 122 and Sutton Road, it includes the town common, town hall, and cemetery. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.