History of Bennington and Bennington's Historic Resources
Brief History of Bennington, Vermont
Bennington, population around 16,000, is located in the southwestern corner of Vermont. A half-shire town in Bennington County, Bennington is the fifth largest in the state. Although chartered in 1743 by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth, who ignored New York claims to the land and named the area after himself, Bennington was not settled until 18 years later. The first settler, Capt. Samuel Robinson, purchased the rights to most of the Bennington Grants and with his family moved to the area in 1761. Within three years, he and other proprietors formed a government that established a Congregational community based on ownership of land and participation in the only church in town.
When the conflict between Britain and the American Colonies began, the Green Mountain Boys, under the command of Ethan Allen and Seth Warner, were ready to fight. The 1777 Battle of Bennington, fought just outside the town's borders, proved to be a major component of Gen. John Burgoyne's later defeat at Saratoga, "the turning point of the Revolution." The Bennington Battle Monument, [http://www.historicvermont.org/bennington/] completed in 1891, serves as a lasting tribute to Bennington's role in the fight for independence.
Although Bennington had mills in town from the beginning, most of the local industry developed rapidly in the 1800's. The number of mills reached its height just after the Civil War. The textile industry was an important mainstay of the town's economy with mills such as Bradford's, Cooper Knitting, Rockwood's, and Holden-Leonard, among others. Other industries included gunpowder manufacturing, shoemaking, iron works, lumbering, papermaking, and charcoal, bricks and pottery manufacturing.
As the 20th century progressed, the mills slowly left town and Bennington had to change and evolve. Bennington's manufacturing base has diversified, shifting from textiles and underwear to electronics, lubricating devices and steering columns. Culture thrives with the Oldcastle Theatre, Bennington Center for the Arts, Sage City Symphony and the Bennington Arts Exchange. Tourism helps the economy, notably in an active historic downtown, antiquely elegant Old Bennington with the Bennington Museum, Old First Church, stately homes, picturesque burying ground, and Bennington Monument.
Bennington's Historic Resources
Most of Bennington's historic resources are catalogued in the Vermont Sites and Structures Survey. A copy of the complete survey is available at the Bennington Free Library and at the Bennington Town Offices. Additionally, many of Bennington's nationally significant properties are listed on the National Register for Historic Places. Included among the districts are the Bennington Fish Hatchery, Carrigan Lane Historic District, Downtown Bennington Historic District, Furnace Grove Historic District, North Bennington Historic District, Old Bennington Historic District, and the Orchards at the Everett Estate/Southern Vermont College. Information about these properties, as well as individually listed properties, is available at the Bennington Town Offices and the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.
Archeological Resources
Many of Bennington's industries, commercial ventures, public buildings and farms were abandoned when they lost their economic and social viability. The ruins and buried remains of these buildings with their associated features and deposits -- kilns, wells, dumps, outhouses and outbuildings -- have become part of Bennington's historic archeological heritage. Additionally, prehistoric Native American sites spanning thousands of years exist below Bennington's yards and pavements within 300 feet of the Walloomsac River. Such archeological resources can be rich sources of knowledge about the past. Several major archeological studies have been undertaken in recent years as a result of new highway construction. More information can be found here.
General information about archeology in Vermont can be found on the HistoricVermont.org website.
Historic Plaque Program
The Bennington Historic Preservation Commission and the Better Bennington Corporation have assisted many property owners throughout the district with installing historic plaques on their buildings. If you are interested in placing a plaque on your historic building, please contact the Bennington Town Offices at 442-1037.
Bennington Then & Now
See our Then and Now Gallery to view a selection of Then and Now photographs along with related architectural history.
