Vermont Barn Census

Townshend Preliminary Research 2009

History

Maps

Photographs

Survey

Census Records

Resources

 

Townshend is located in Windham County in southeastern Vermont. Early surveyors discouraged agriculture in Townshend due to the inhospitable terrain, yet since its settlement in 1753 the town has grown on apples, lumber, dairy, grain, wool, and maple sugar, among other products and crops, all reaching their peak at different points in history. As the agricultural activities changed, so did the barns and other supporting structures. Identifying specific structures and analyzing alterations associated with the changing uses will enable the researcher to understand the collective history of the area.

This website documents preliminary research for the agricultural history of Townshend, VT. A research paper discusses the agricultural history of Townshend and includes resources such as historic and modern maps, agricultural census records, and other primary resources. The survey page maps and identifies the results of the Townshend windshield survey. The photographs page highlights picturesque barns from the survey. Viewers and interested researchers will hopefully find this information helpful as they begin their agricultural investigations. The resources page lists helpful links and references.
Franklin, VTDerby, VTBrownington, VTHinesburg, VTHuntington, VTRichmond, VTNorwich, VTHartford, VTDorset, VTManchester, VTTownshend, VTGrafton, VT

This preliminary research about barns and farm buildings in thirteen Vermont towns is offered as a public service to assist local volunteers with their efforts to learn more about the agricultural heritage of these communities. It is hoped that additional information on the history and features of these barns will be submitted by volunteers through the Vermont Barn Census project. The historical research and preliminary field documentation was conducted during the fall 2009 semester by Kaitlin O'Shea, a graduate student enrolled in the Researching Historic Structures and Sites course at University of Vermont Historic Preservation Program with the assistance of local volunteers as part of the Vermont Barn Census, a statewide project of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, the University of Vermont Historic Preservation Program, Historic Windsor’s Preservation Education Institute, Save Vermont Barns, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, and the Preservation Trust of Vermont. Funding support provided in part by a Preserve America grant through the National Park Service to the State of Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.