Main Street Sheldon Vermont
This project represents the joint efforts of the Sheldon Public School and the Sheldon Historical Society in completing research on the many historic homes on Main Street in Sheldon, VT and to present their findings through a variety of means including two wayside markers, a walking tour map and this web.
Disclaimer “This project was funded by an agreement (P18AC01302J) awarded by the United States National Park Service (NPS) to the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission in partnership with the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership. NEIWPCC manages CVNHP’s personnel, contract, grant, and budget tasks and provides input on the program’s activities, ”
“The viewpoints expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NEIWPC, CVNHP. LCBP, NPS or the U S Government, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or causes constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.”
Since 1763 the town called Hungerford existed under a charter given to Samuel Hungerford and his friends along with the towns of Fairfield and Smithfield. It was not until 25 years later that Major Sam Sheldon visited the town at the bequest of his father. In the meanwhile the charter had been bought up by Uriah Fields. Nothing is written of the interim period of 1763 to 1789 but can likely assume that some visits occurred. We know that Uriah “Daddy” Fields and Timothy Rogers owned the largest portion of Hungerford when the first Sheldon visit occurred Over time Timothy Rogers surveyed the town of “Hungerford” and divided the town into a variety of parts. No notable history mentions the development of any industry, farms, or housing in the town prior to the Sheldon purchase. Although a wild frontier, Hungerford probably provided living for at least a few individuals.
The Sheldon family first settled in a log cabin built by George Sheldon on the north bank of the Missisquoi River in 1790. Serious pioneering began in the spring of 1792 when several family came from Connecticut. The town name changed in 1792 from Hungerford to Sheldon. Here is where conflicts begin to appear. Development along Black Creek began as early as 1792 with a saw mill built by Major Sheldon, a grist mill in 1797 and a furnace and forge by Israel Keith in 1799.
This leads to some conflict about the date of the building of the first Main Street home. Although is was the Sheldon House and was likely built during the 1790s it is highly unlikely that building occurred in 1790, a date cited by many historians. It is most likely that the development of Main Street with the building of the Sheldon Estate occurred sometime in the late 1790s
Let’s begin our tour of Main Street, Sheldon Vermont