Below are full-text, mostly searchable pdf scans of various Northfield historical publications. We hope you will find these useful in your research, or just simply fun to read! Check back as we continue to add publications.
Civilian Conservation Corps - 198th Company - Camp Washington, Northfield, VT
Between 1933 and 1937, Northfield was home to a CCC camp, which was located on the Dog River Valley Fair Grounds. The men in the camp worked mainly in the Roxbury Town Forest and on Allis State Park. A more complete history of the camp can be found in the Spring 2022 issue of the Dog River Crier, due out in early May. Below are copies of the camp newsletter the men published, the O.S. and D. These scans are made possible by the Vermont Historical Society Leahy Library, which holds the originals in their archives.
O.S. and D. v. 1, no. 1 April 1936 O.S. and D. v. 1, no. 5 August 1936 O.S. and D. v. 2, no. 2 March 1937
O.S. and D. v. 1, no. 2 May 1936 O.S. and D. v. 1, no. 6 Sept 1936 O.S. and D. v. 2, no. 3 May 1937
O.S. and D. v. 1, no. 3 June 1936 O.S. and D. v. 2, no. 1 Feb 1937 O.S. and D. v. 2, no. 4 June 1937
Brief History of the Northfield Fountain on the Common
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2022 (whole #143) issue of the Dog River Crier, the newsletter of the Society.
Northfield Free Public Library Regulations, circa late 1800's
Northfield Library Association - Catalogue, Constitution, By-Laws, 1877
Northfield Library Association - Catalogue, Constitution, By-Laws, 1883
How to Use the Northfield Dial Telephone (pamphlet, 1930's-1940's)
"The State Register of Historic Places includes archaeological sites and historic buildings, structures, and landscapes. Buildings, structures, and landscapes are documented either as individual sites or in groups such as farms and village areas. The Historic Sites and Structures Survey is the official list of all such sites that are significant for their historic, architectural, or engineering merit..." To read more about this survey, download Book I (1980) and read the full introduction. The 1970 survey is a single volume; the 1980 survey is four volumes. The surveys are of of Northfield and Northfield Falls, as well as other areas in town. The texts are in the PDF format and are searchable. Photographs of structures have been included, however the survey copies sent to the town only had photocopy reproductions and are not of the best quality. The Vermont Division of Historic Preservation has the original black & white negatives, but they are not available online. To contact the Division to learn more about these surveys go to their website:
http://accd.vermont.gov/historic-preservation.
Northfield Historic Sites & Structure Survey - 1970
Northfield Historic Sites & Structure Survey - BOOK 1 - 1980
Northfield Historic Sites & Structure Survey - BOOK 2 - 1980
Northfield Historic Sites & Structure Survey - BOOK 3 - 1980
Northfield Historic Sites & Structure Survey - BOOK 4 - 1980
The link below provides an update (house photos, maps and some text) to the original 1980 Historic Sites and Structure Survey for the Water Street section of Northfield. These houses have been torn down due to flood damage.
Northfield Water-Pleasant Street Report-Tropical Storm Irene, 2011
A Little Bit of History:
>The Northfield Academy was chartered by the Vermont Legislature in 1846, however the building was not constructed until 1851, funded by "public-spirited citizens" in Northfield, at a cost of $2600. (No, not a typo.) The school officially opened in Sept. of 1851. In 1854, the Vermont legislature officially changed its name to the Northfield Institution, and that is the name that appears on the masthead of the newspaper.
>As the student editors wrote in volume 1, no. 1, Oct. 12, 1854: "This paper is submitted to the attention of the candid reader as the first number of Excelsior... The contents of each number will be composed the regular rhetorical exercises of students attending the Institution; and therefore will not bear that rigid, critical examination, to which most literary works are subject; for this reason we ask the kind indulgence of our readers."
>In 1876, the building burned to the ground and a new building was constructed that same year at a cost of $11,000. The school eventually became known as the Gray Building and became a grade school housing grades K-3, until it closed its doors in 1994. The Gray Building underwent renovation funded by grants, local support, and Norwich University, and still stands today on the hill of the original Northfield Institution, housing private businesses.