National Register of Historic Places

Brookfield Village Historic District

Brookfield, Orange County, Vermont
Listed
March 27, 1974
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
74000237

About this property

The Brookfield Village Historic District encompasses the 19th-century village center of Brookfield, Vermont. Arrayed on the eastern shore of Sunset Lake, it includes well-preserved examples of Greek Revival architecture, and is best known for the Sunset Lake Floating Bridge, a pontoon bridge that provides access to the village from the west. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The town of Brookfield was chartered in 1781, and developed along Ridge Road, which was in the 19th century a major north-south stagecoach route, connecting Montpelier and Randolph. The town arose on the eastern shore of Sunset Pond (originally known as Colt's Pond), which was in 1812 spanned by the first incarnation of the Sunset Lake Floating Bridge, the only known pontoon bridge in the eastern United States. The village center has lost little of its 19th-century charm, retaining unpaved main roads and tall shade trees. The historic district covers 450 acres (180 ha), extending along the east side of Sunset Lake as far south as the First Congregational Church, and more than half a mile north of the floating bridge. It extends westward across the lake and all the way to the Interstate 89 right of way, thus including a portion of the village's rural views. The developed area of the district extends along Ridge Road and Shore Road, with mostly modestly scaled residences that have vernacular Greek Revival styling. Prominent public buildings include the church (built 1843) and the former town hall, a three-story mid-19th century building that has housed a variety of municipal functions and community organizations throughout its history. Near the southern end of the village are remnants of a modest 19th-century industrial enterprise, a fork factory powered by the waters of Sunset Brook, which exits the lake near its southern end. National Register of Historic Places listings in Orange County, Vermont

Location

Brookfield, Orange County, Vermont
44.04504, -72.59987

Categories

INDUSTRYLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURECOMMERCEENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATIONEDUCATIONARCHITECTURERELIGION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Stratton's Inn
Industrial
0.8 mi
Newton, Marvin, House
Industrial
1.4 mi
Allis State Park
Civil War
1.9 mi
Old Red Mill
Industrial
5.8 mi
Stony Brook Covered Bridge
Industrial
6.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Royalton Raid (1780)
1780Revolutionary War
15.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Brookfield Village Historic District listed on the National Register?

Brookfield Village Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 27, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Brookfield Village Historic District?

Brookfield Village Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Brookfield Village Historic District?

The period of significance for Brookfield Village Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Brookfield Village Historic District?

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