Waitsfield Common Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

Waitsfield Common Historic District

Waitsfield, Washington County, Vermont
Listed
November 8, 2001
Type
District
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
01001227

About this property

The Waitsfield Common Historic District encompasses the original town center settlement of Waitsfield, Vermont, at the junction of Joslin Hill, Common, East, and North Roads. Located about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the town's present main village and center, it was laid out in 1793, and includes the triangular town common, a cemetery, and a number of houses built mainly between 1793 and 1841. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The Waitsfield Common area was first settled in the 1790s, its hilltop setting typical of a number of other Vermont communities. The common, originally rectangular and now two triangles, was laid out in 1798, and the cemetery on its north side was established by 1797. The town's first church was built on land now part of the cemetery, and was torn down in the 1870s. The center's location was not well suited to the needs of 19th-century commerce, and the present Waitsfield Village was by 1841 eclipsing the center in importance. It has remained an essentially rural agricultural village since then, although there has been some new construction in the late 20th century, as the area became more attractive to tourists and skiers. The historic district is centered on the four-way intersection of Joslin Hill, Common, East, and North Roads. The two triangular sections of the common are set northeast and southwest of this junction, with the cemetery and former church site to the northwest. Historic houses line the southern part of the common, and old stone walls line some of the roads. The district has an acreage of 237 acres (96 ha), and includes open fields that descend to the west and south. There are seven historic houses in all, with a number of non-historic houses set in sympathetic scale and setback. National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Vermont

Location

Waitsfield, Washington County, Vermont
44.18904, -72.79667

Categories

EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURERELIGION
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
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Nearby Historic Sites

Pine Brook Covered Bridge
Industrial
1.2 mi
Waitsfield Village Historic District
Listed
1.3 mi
Great Eddy Covered Bridge
Industrial
1.3 mi
Joslin Farm
Industrial
1.5 mi
McLaughlin Farm
Listed
2.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Waitsfield Common Historic District listed on the National Register?

Waitsfield Common Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 2001.

What type of historic resource is Waitsfield Common Historic District?

Waitsfield Common Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Waitsfield Common Historic District?

The period of significance for Waitsfield Common Historic District is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1793.

Can I research the history near Waitsfield Common Historic District?

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