National Register of Historic Places

New Discovery State Park

Peacham, Caledonia County, Vermont
Listed
January 17, 2002
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
01001475

About this property

New Discovery State Park is a state park near Marshfield, Vermont in the United States. It is one of seven state parks located in Groton State Forest. The park is on Vermont Route 232, offering camping, picnicking, and access to forest trails. The park was developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps; its major CCC-built facilities, located mainly in western Peacham, were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. New Discovery State Park is located in the northernmost portion of Groton State Forest, the second-largest state forest in the state of Vermont. Its principal geographic features are the 48-acre (19 ha) Osmore Pond, and Owl's Head Mountain, at 1,956 feet (596 m) its highest peak. It encompasses nearly 7,000 acres (2,800 ha), extending eastward to Peacham Pond and Martins Pond in central Peacham, and south to Jannison Mountain and Deer Mountain. The park has a campsite divided into two areas, with 46 tent/RV sites and 15 lean-to sites. Seven sites are specifically designed to accommodate horse campers. Restrooms include hot showers. There are picnic areas at Lake Osmore and on Owl's Head Mountain, which has a CCC-built access road to the summit area. Facilities in these areas include a play area, horseshoe pits, picnic pavilions, and access to miles of hiking trails. There are remotely placed leanto campsites around Lake Osmore, which are accessible either by boat or by a trail that circles the lake. The park is open seasonally between Memorial Day weekend and Columbus Day weekend; admission is charged for day use, and there are charges for camping. The state began acquiring land for the creation of Groton State Forest in the 1910s, but much of it was occupied by leaseholders. It was not until the 1920s that most of the leases were closed out, and the state did not have the funds to develop the forest for recreation, although it made plans for such facilities. When the Civilian Conservation Corps was established by the federal government in the 1930s, the state used its crews and funding to develop this state park and others. The CCC crews that worked on the various state parks (now numbering seven) in Groton State Forest were based at a camp whose foundational remnants remain in this park. These crews built out the road network serving the campground and the picnic areas at Lake Osmore and Owl's Head, although the latter two were at first separately administered. They built a small campground (now eight sites within Area B of the present campground), and the picnic facilities at Lake Osmore and Owl's Head, as well as the small stone observation tower on Owl's Head. They were also responsible for cutting much of the early trail network through the northern part of the forest, and building part of the maintenance facilities used by the state forest today. Because of the state of preservation of these areas, the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Location

4239 VT 232
Peacham, Caledonia County, Vermont
44.32026, -72.24955

Categories

ARCHITECTUREENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONCONSERVATIONLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about New Discovery State Park

This page lists New Discovery State Park. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
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
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your New Discovery State Park report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Stillwater State Park
Civil War
3 mi
Peacham Corner Historic District
Early Republic
3.9 mi
Shedd, Josiah and Lydia, Farmstead
Industrial
4 mi
Elkins Tavern
Early Republic
4.5 mi
Ricker Pond State Park
Civil War
5.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was New Discovery State Park listed on the National Register?

New Discovery State Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 17, 2002.

What type of historic resource is New Discovery State Park?

New Discovery State Park is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for New Discovery State Park?

The period of significance for New Discovery State Park is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near New Discovery State Park?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near New Discovery State Park will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Caledonia County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Caledonia County.

Explore CaledoniaCounty ›

More historic places in Vermont

Browse all historic places in Vermont.

View Vermonthistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Vermont history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Vermonthistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near New Discovery State Park will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report