Thetford Hill Historic District

DESCRIPTION:

The Thetford Hill Historic District is comprised of 37 properties, including 64 structures (42 contributing) and one contributing site, representing the first village established in the Town of Thetford. As its name suggests Thetford Hill is a hilltop flat with breathtaking views eastward towards rolling New Hampshire hills and Mt. Moosilauke. Almost all of the buildings in the district are residential in nature, arranged in linear fashion facing Academy Road which extends in a north-south direction and Route 113 which intersects with the north end of Academy Road, running in an east-west orientation. The town common is located at the intersection of these two roads with a dirt road running along the west side of the common, also connecting Rt. 113 and Academy Road. The district also includes two structures on Houghton Hill which extends northerly from the Academy Road/113 intersection. The focal point of the district, the First Congregational Church, moved from its original location on the common and enhanced by a pavilion and tower in 1830, stands at the north end of the common. Indeed, it was the building of the meetinghouse that commenced the existence of the village and thus, this district.

With the exception of the Thetford Hill Academy buildings which rise from a low, cleared hill at the southern end of the district, most of the buildings in the district are set on relatively flat lots shaded by substantial, mature trees. For the most part those houses on the east side of Academy Road are set close to the street, their proximity to the road due in part to the straightening out of the road over the years. The rear of these lots slope gently downhill. Those on the west side are generally set back from the road by deep lawns, which in part consist of a border strip of common land along the street marked midlawn by granite posts. Several houses of later construction have filled backlots while a few older houses have been moved back from the road for privacy. The dense elm trees which once lined the common have all but disappeared. Similarly, Norway spruces were planted to line Houghton Hill Road. Ornamental plantings and fruit trees in the area northeast of the intersection of Houghton Hill and Route 113 recall the state's first commercial nursery established here in 1852. Open fields are located between some of the buildings at the lower end of the east side of Academy Road. A single house retains a picket fence representative of the many fences which outlined the properties in the 19th century.

With few exceptions, the buildings of the district predate the Civil War. Almost half of the structures were built before 1830 with the periods 1810-1830 and 1840-1860 seeing the greatest amount of building activity. Stylistically, the Federal and Gothic Revival predominate, followed by the Greek Revival and Georgian. Modest Capes and Classic Cottages comprise the majority, complemented by several very elaborate homes. Common design features include doorways capped by fans and framed by half sidelights. A number of houses are adorned by enclosed gable entrance porches. Where construction has occurred in the twentieth century, care has been taken to recreate the basic features including the plan, massing and details of the building being replaced. Building activity in the first third of the twentieth century has not negatively altered the villagescape.

Almost all of the buildings are of frame and clapboard construction; a few have been covered in synthetic sidings. The existence of a local brickyard operated by Hezekiah Porter during the 19th century made possible the construction of three brick houses within the district. All of the buildings in the district can be characterized as being in good to excellent condition.

Descriptions of the buildings contained in the district begin at the northwest corner of the district with the American Legion and continue clockwise, concluding with the common.

1. Thetford Hill School (American Legion Hall), (n. side Rt. 113), 1910. Contributing.
Originally serving as the Thetford Hill School, the American Legion Hall (Post No. 79) is a single story clapboarded structure resting on a concrete foundation. It is set broadside to Rt. 113, across from the Elementary School and surrounded by open fields. The facade measures seven bays wide, the sixth bay from the viewer's left is occupied by a projecting pedimented entrance porch supported by plain posts resting on concrete stairs. The horizontally panelled front door features an upper light. Centered on the front of the standing seam metal porch roof is a flagpole. Windows on the building are 6/6 doublehung with a 3/3 light transom, the top of which extends under the gable roof's projecting eaves. Plain cornerboards articulate the building. The front roof slope is covered in asphalt shingles, the rear is sheathed in tin. The west elevation is four bays wide while the east is two. Centered on the rear elevation is a gabled ell sheathed in shiplap siding with projecting eaves and rafters. A flush board shed addition is located to the west. This is probably the woodshed added in 1941 according to school records.

This, the last schoolhouse to serve District #10, (there were 15 districts in town at one time) was preceded on the site by at least two other school structures. The Thetford Hill School District was organized in 1792 though the first district school, a log building, apparently didn't open until 1798 and was located near the meetinghouse. A schoolhouse was at the present location of the Legion Hall by 1819.(1) Records show that a previous school on the site burned in 1851(2) and its successor underwent extensive repairs in 1898 before the present school was constructed in 1910. Subject to sporadic enrollments, the school was closed for a few years before it was remodelled and opened again in 1936. Its use as a school was discontinued in 1945 and it was sold to the American Legion in 1952 for $800.(3)

2. First Congregational Church, (n. side Rt. 113), 1785-1788, (moved & altered 1830). Contributing.
Facing the common, the First Congregational Church is the visual focal point of the Thetford Hill Historic District. The two story frame and clapboard meeting house measures three bays across with a later pavilion and three stage tower (dating from 1830) protruding from the central bay of the pedimented facade. The base of the pavilion features two entrances flanking a triple hung 20/20/20 window with long blinds and a shelf lintel. Each of the doorways consists of simple pilasters supporting a full entablature doorframe with a wide plain frieze. The four panel doors are each fronted by concrete stairs with wrought iron railings. A single 12/12 window is located over each doorway. A concrete platform spans the facade while the main building is set on a mortared rubble foundation. Paneled pilasters at the corners of the building support a projecting cornice with full entablature with torus molding. Echoing the main pediments, a smaller pediment is centered in the pavilion rising from the front cornice. Protruding from the top of the pavilion pediment is a three stage square tower. The first stage, sheathed in flushboard siding contains a single 20/20 window above the small pediment. Clocks are located in round arched, recessed openings on three of the second stage sides which look like an attempt to mimic stone work, are constructed of shiplap siding in an apparent attempt to mimic stonework. The addition of the clocks dates to the first 35 years of the twentieth century. The flat roof and projecting cornice of the second stage act as a base for the octagonal drum above, which features four louvered openings with short squat balusters, flanked by recessed panel strips which alternate with four smaller molded panels each consisting of three vertical recessed panels. Above the projecting cornice is a copper, eight-sided dome capped by a ball and spindle supporting a metal arrow weathervane.

The side elevations of the original block are each three bays with two stories of windows, each containing 15/15 doublehung sash, capped by entablature lintels and framed by louvered blinds with additional blinds separating the windows between floors. The rear elevation has flush eaves. The roof is sheathed in asphalt shingles. Extending behind is a two story gabled addition 5 bays deep. A projecting gable porch supported by Roman Doric columns marks the bay closest to the church on the west side, sheltering a set of double doors with transom above a concrete set of stairs with wrought iron railing. Windows on the addition are 8/8 doublehung with plain surrounds. An additional entrance is located at the rear. The addition, constructed between 1923 and 1940 contains a day care center, kitchen and the pastor's study. Horsesheds which once stood on the lot have long since been removed.

Attempts were made to organize the Congregational Church as early as 1771, making the congregation among the five earliest in the state. As was typical of the day, the meetinghouse was intended to serve both public and religious functions. Following the customary dispute over the location of the meetinghouse in town, the structure was erected at what is now the south end of the common, marking the beginning of the village of Thetford Hill. Begun in 1785 it was probably completed in 1788. In 1812 the Congregational Church ceased to be supported by taxes. The conflict between church and state resulted in the sale of the meetinghouse and its subsequent move in 1830 from the town-owned common to its present site. The cost of the move and resulting repairs was the gift of William Child, who bid $128 for the meetinghouse and then had it moved and repaired at a total cost of $1500. The pavilion and tower date from this period and are indicative of a blend of Federal and Greek Revival influences. The church is reportedly the oldest meetinghouse in the state still in continuous service.

The interior of the church underwent extensive alterations in 1857-58. At this time, the high pulpit was replaced; pews rebuilt; platform lowered; floor raised; the eliptical arch at the rear of the sanctuary added, as well as the plaster cornice and chandeliers. The walls were painted to resemble brickwork in two shades of brown. Charles F. Latham was architect. In 1908 the platforms were enlarged, panels added and walls redecorated.(4)

3. James White House (Young House), (nw corner Rt. 113 & Houghton Hill Road), c. 1789. Contributing.
Apparently, the earliest surviving structure on its original site in the Thetford Hill District, the White-Vaughan House is a 2-1/2 story, eaves front clapboarded building measuring five bays wide and a single bay deep, representative of what is known as the "I" house plan. Though marked by a virtual absence of ornament, it was no doubt a large and impressive house for this area when it was built c. 1789. The central entrance features a simple beveled surround capped by an entablature lintel. The single glazed paneled door is not original to the house and is fronted by a granite step with bootscrapers. Historic photographs show a late 19th century central porch marked the entrance for some time. Windows on the building are 6/6 doublehung with simple recessed panel entablature lintels and blinds, and decrease in height from the first floor to the next. Second floor windows extend to the simple shallow-molded boxed cornice, which is supported visually by plain cornerboards. Continuing along the east side is a two story ell with a porch projecting from the east. Offset to the northeast is an attached single story clapboarded gabled shed with a red corrugated metal roof and redwood deck.

The house stands on the lot, though not the exact site of the first homestead in Thetford Hill which belonged to Beriah Loomis.(5) During his lifetime Loomis built four houses in the Thetford Hill District, two of which survive (see #17,19). Loomis sold his original homestead in 1789 to James White who apparently built the house that now stands on the site. As the first settler on the hill, Loomis' arrival preceded both the construction of the Meetinghouse in 1785 and the surveying of Rt. 113 in 1793. An extremely influential local citizen, Loomis was a deacon of the Church, representative to the General Assembly and Governor's Council, and Assistant Judge of the County Court. He also took part in the admittance of Vermont to the Union in 1791.

3A. Barn, c. 1789. Contributing. Northeast of the house is a gabled clapboarded outbuilding with a sliding door on its facade. Beneath the asphalt shingled roof the eaves are flush. The window openings contain modern sash. There is a hay loft door located above the sliding door.

4. S.Y. Closson House (Wolstenholme House), (e. side of Houghton Hill Road), 1853 (6). Contributing.
Indicative of the influence of the Gothic Revival style on vernacular architecture in the mid 19th century, the Closson House is a 1-1/2 story, 3 x 2 bay Classic Cottage marked by projecting eaves and a low, central, gabled, wall dormer. Below the gable the paneled front door is flanked by full sidelights with a peaked lintel representative of the Greek Revival influence. Windows are 6/6 doublehung with lipped lintels. In stark contrast to the simplicity of the main house, the rear including a single story ell was transformed in 1929 by Colonial Revival alterations. Hip roofed dormers punctuate the asphalt roof. On the south side is an ornate entrance featuring double wide sidelights framed by pilasters and a full entablature with a set of four windows above with flared surround and capped by a pediment extending through the roof. An additional ell extends from the north side of the main ell. A below-ground two car garage is set into the hill behind the house.

The house was constructed in 1853 for S. Y. Closson, who also appears as owner on the 1858 Wallings map. The house is of interest as the residence of H. P. Closson, proprietor with E. C. Worcester of one of the earliest commercial nurseries in the state, established in 1852. Closson joined Worcester as a partner in 1865 and subsequently purchased the stock in 1871, rebuilding and enlarging the greenhouses.(7) In the twentieth century this house is notable for its associations with Camp Hanoun, the rest of the street comprising what was known as the "Hill Camp". As the headquarters of the Camp, the house was known as "The Lodge". Camp director, Charles Farnsworth made his home here after 1924 and was responsible for the 1929 alterations.

5. Ezra Worcester House (O'Brien House), (ne corner Houghton Hill Road & Route 113), 1851. Contributing.
The Worcester House is two story frame and clapboard structure with a nearly square plan for the main block measuring two bays wide on each side. This vernacular house is marked by a virtual absence of detailing. Widely overhanging eaves project over a high windowless attic. The gable front faces Houghton Hill and is bisected by a large exterior chimney (not original). The offcenter entrance is marked by an enclosed gable porch above a brick foundation with a six panel door flanked by half sidelights and fluted pilasters. A second entrance is located on the north side of the building and contains a four panel door with three light transom.

Windows on the structure are a mixture of doublehung 6/6 and 1/1. A two story ell extends north behind the building resting on a brick and concrete foundation. A small shed extends from the rear wall with a single 9/9 window. Remaining windows are 6/6 with lipped lintels. An attached barn with garage opening and concrete block foundation is offset to the northeast. A wooden deck of recent construction spans the east side of the main house and ell.

The house was built by Dr. Ezra C. Worcester (1816-1887) as a residence with a medical dispensary located in the ell. In addition to his medical practice and involvement with Thetford Academy in 1850, Worcester also established in Thetford Hill one of the earliest commercial nurseries in the state. An associate,. H. P. Closson purchased the business in 1871, rebuilding and enlarging the greenhouses.(8)

6. Alanson Morey House (Porter House), (north side of Route 113), 18219. Contributing.
A 1-1/2 story Cape house sheathed in vinyl siding and measuring 5 x 2 bays. A metal arbor which previously obscured much of the facade, has recently been removed. The structure is set on a granite block foundation while a concrete block foundation supports the central enclosed gable porch, suggesting a later addition. The modern wooden door with integral lights at the top is flanked by half sidelights. Windows on the building are 2/2 doublehung with louvered blinds and without evidence of any lintels which once existed, (obscured now by siding or removed). Projecting eaves and cornice returns mark the side elevations. A brick chimney is centered on the asphalt shingled roof. Supported by plain posts, an open hip-roofed porch projects from the west side. At the rear are a series of 3 single story, connected, gabled, shed ells with tarred, standing seam metal roofs.

The house was apparently built by Alanson Morey, a blacksmith, in 1821. Morey had moved to Bradford by 1836.(10) Owned by the Worcester Family for many years, the house was part of one of the earliest commercial nurseries in the state, established in Thetford Hill in 1852 and is enhanced by several outbuildings which survive.

6A. Barns, 19th c. Contributing. Northeast of the house, with a large, central opening on its broad, eaves side, facing the street, is a former horse barn, now serving as a garage. The horse barn is constructed of barnboard with a sheet metal roof, with a pass door to the left of the main entrance. It is connected to a larger gablefronted cow barn offset to the east. The cow barn displays a large double leaf vertical board with multi paned transom and 9/6 windows and is apparently the older of the two. The barn rests on a fieldstone foundation. On the east elevation the basement is at grade level; on the south the grade is built up as a ramp. There are three pairs of 12 lights along the eaves on the east elevation. A corrugated metal roof caps the barn. The triangular steep shed roof structure in front of the horse barn is thought to have been used in the Worcester mail order nursery and later as a feed box. Apple trees on the property act as additional evidence of former nursery activity.(11)

6B. Watering Box, c. 1850. Contributing. In front of the barns, the small, tall windowless shed is a springfed double watering box for horses.

7. Timothy Clary House (Lewis House), (n. side of Rt. 113), 1852(12). Contributing.

A 1-1/2 story, 3 x 2 bay frame and clapboard structure, one of several in the district displaying elements of the vernacular Greek Revival and Gothic Revival styles. Set above a brick foundation, the house is distinguished by two steeply pitched gable wall dormers with widely overhanging eaves. Centered on the facade, above a flight of wooden steps, is a four panel door flanked by full sidelights and capped by a peaked lintel. Attenuated smooth columns act as unexpected cornerboards for the structure. The elongated first floor windows contain 6/6 doublehung sash lintels with louvered blinds. Second floor windows, in the cross gable and side gables are smaller, also of a 6/6 configuration. A single offcenter brick chimney projects from the steeply pitched asphalt roof. A screened porch spans the east side of the house while a single story ell extends behind, apparently contemporary with the main house, with similar 6/6 windows and a brick foundation. At the end of the ell is a low gabled two car garage of modern plywood paneling construction. According to deed research by local historian Charlotte McCartney, the house was built in 1852 for Timothy Clary. It is shown on historic maps as belonging to J. Farr in 1858 and 1877. An additional house shown belonging to Farr, east of this house, has long since disappeared.

8. Hiram Coombs House (Barker House), (n. side of Rt. 113), 1826 (13). Contributing.
A simple 1-1/2 story cape structure measuring 5 x 2 bays with a slightly smaller gable roofed wing adjoining the west side which is fronted by a shed roof porch supported by plain posts on a concrete deck. Centered on the main facade is a six panel molded door (not original) with half sidelights, a fluted surround and partially cutoff cornerblocks. Plain water table and cornerboards outline the structure. 'The projecting eaves feature a plain frieze and cornice returns on the side elevations. Windows on the main house are 2/1 doublehung (not original) with lip lintels and blinds; 2/2 windows without blinds light the wing. Beneath the porch are two additional entrances. The porch appears to date to the late l9th-early 20th century. A large brick chimney projects from the center of the main house, a long shed dormer spans the rear of the asphalt-shingled roof. A fieldstone wall and several large maple trees accent the front wall. A stone wall marks the western boundary of the property. Research by Charlotte McCartney indicates that this house was built by Hiram Coombs in 1826. According to historic maps this property belonged to T. J. (Thomas Jefferson) Coombs in 1858 and J. Y. Morrill in 1877.

8A. Barn, c. 1840. Contributing. Located northwest of the house is a single story barnboard structure, set gable front to the street. On the east elevation, three carriage bays have been boarded up; clipped corners are still visible.

9. Coombs Barn, (n. side of Rt. 113), c. 1840. Contributing.
Originally part of the Coombs property, this L-shaped series of barn structures is now owned by the Thetford Historical Society. Constructed of barnboard with asphalt shingle roofs, the main structure is set broadside to Route 113 with an ell extending southward from the west side of the facade. The ell features two open bays with loft doors above on the east side with a set of double doors on the south side of the main barn. The south gable of the ell has a row of ventilating slats over the double matchboard doors. A slightly higher addition joins the east side.

9A. Ash House, c. 1850 (moved and altered 1982). Noncontributing. East of the barn is this small brick structure with gable roof. This former ash house was moved from the Sheldon Miller Barn on Middlebrook Road in 1982 and was recently rebuilt. It is noncontributing within the district due to its disassembling and moving.

9B. Carriage Sheds, 1982. Noncontributing. Next to this is a series of single story carriage sheds of vertical board construction featuring three double doors with clipped corners and a standing seam metal gable roof .

9C. Storage building, 1985. Noncontributing. A gable roofed structure clad in vertical boards above a concrete foundation with a metal roof. Rectangular in plan, it is set broadside to the street with double metal doors and a multi light picture window on the facade. Located on the site of a former distillery.

Open to the public several times a year, the society uses these structures for exhibition space.

10. Roger Ranstead House (Van Ells House), (s. side Rt. 113 west of Godfrey Road), c.1800-1809 (14). Contributing.
Located on the south side of Rt. 113 and marking the eastern boundary of the Thetford Hill District, this painted brick Cape Cod House is unique in the district. Set above a mortared stone foundation, the brick is laid in a Flemish bond. Windows on the 5 x 2 bay structure are predominantly 2/2 doublehung (not original) with brick flat arches on the front and rear elevations, flush wooden sills and louvered blinds. Windows on the side elevation have soldier brick lintels. Centered on the facade is a gabled, enclosed, clapboarded entrance porch featuring a late 19th century glazed, horizontally-panelled door flanked by louvered side panels and simple pilasters supporting a full entablature and clapboarded pediment. The projecting eaves feature a simple cornice consisting of fillet and cyma recta moldings. The steeply pitched gables are clapboarded with 8/8 windows. Two interior brick chimneys project from the asphalt roof framing the central bay while a shed dormer spans the rear slope. A single story clapboarded ell resting on a concrete block foundation extends behind the west side of the rear elevation, apparently of modern construction.

The earliest known owner of this property was Roger Ranstead, a tanner who came to Thetford Hill in 1795 from Putney. Tax records indicate a more modest house may have preceded this house.(15) It is unclear whether the present structure actually incorporates this structure or not. Local historians thus differ on the age of the house. According to deed research, Charlotte McCartney dates it to c.1800-1809, while stylistically a slightly later date may be more accurate. Ranstead achieved local notoriety for putting an end to whipping in town by chopping down the whipping post. The upper story of this house was badly damaged by a fire in 1963 and was subsequently largely rebuilt.

11. Sturman House (s. side Rt. 113), c. 1920. Contributing.
Screened from Route 113 by a stand of trees at the roadside and a large evergreen to the northwest of the house, the Sturman House is a 1-1/2 story frame and clapboard structure resting on a concrete foundation. Its two bay wide gable front is outlined by simple cornerboards and returns with an offcenter lattice archway marking the glazed and wood panelled door. First floor windows are 12/12 doublehung with shutters; those on the second story are wider and of a 8/8 configuration. Shed dormers span both slopes of the asphalt shingled roof. A single story addition to the west features a projecting flat roof open entrance porch supported by plain posts above wooden steps. A screened porch spans the east side and a 1-1/2 story wing with shed extends behind, distinguished by a second story modern "Palladian" window.

11A. Garage, c. 1920. Contributing. Southwest of the house is a single car, clapboarded garage with double doors and cornice returns on its gable ends. Corner and fascia boards, cornice returns and a molded cornice decorate the small structure under an asphalt shingled roof. Double hinged doors with 8-pane toplights over vertical panels open from the gable front. A 8/8 window with molded surround punctuates each of the side elevations.

12. Raymond Vaughan House, (s. side of Rt. 113), 1937-8 with earlier components. Contributing.
Setback from Route 113 down a long drive, the Vaughan House is a two story asphalt-shingled, gambrel roofed, frame structure covered in vinyl siding. A converted barn which once stood on what is now the post office property, the structure was moved on rollers to this site about 1937 by Charles Vaughan for his brother H. Raymond Vaughan and received several subsequent additions. A screened-in porch spans the east elevation above a latticed air space and was added when the structure was moved. A single story gable-roofed addition above a concrete block foundation was added on the south after the war while a similar addition spans the north side dating to the late 1940's. Entrance is gained on the east porch through a central glass and panel door. Windows are 6/6 with blinds lintels have been obscured by siding. On the north side are modern casement windows.

During the Hurricane of 1938, the house was swung around and caught on the base for the fireplace, thus preventing the house from ending up at the bottom of Thetford Hill. Due to the hurricane, the house's final location differed slightly from the proposed location.(16)

12A. Garage, c. 1940. Noncontributing. A gable roofed, concrete block garage with a double wide, overhead door is located northwest of the house. The gable is sheathed in flushboard. The garage is noncontributing within the district due to its relatively recent date of construction.

13. Vaughan House, (s. side of Rt. 113), c. 1850 - original date unknown, Substantial renovations in 1970. Noncontributing.
At the center of this much-altered structure is an older Cape Style structure formerly housing the post office and store and once located at the corner of Route 113 and Academy Road. A long, rectangular, box-like, single story, gable roofed modern addition (c.1970) is centered on and perpendicular to the Cape's former low gable front. The central entrance features a modern six panel door with sidelights, obscuring the structure's previous doorway. Surviving historic details are limited to several 2/2 windows with lip lintels and cornerboards. At the rear, the eaves of the asphalt-shingled roof cling to the sidewalls with a gable dormer centered on each slope. A garage is located below grade on the east side of the modern addition, with a screen house offset to the southeast. Due to extensive alterations, this house is non-contributing.

14. Marsh House (Francisco House), (se corner Rt. 113 & Academy Road), c. 1850. Contributing.
The Marsh House is a 1-3/4 story frame and clapboard house set above a brick foundation and displaying a cross section of architectural styles popular at the mid 19th century with similarities to the Farr-Lewis House (#7). Measuring three bays wide and two deep, the facade is dominated by two steeply pitched gable wall dormers with projecting eaves indicative of the Gothic Revival. The central doorway featured two vertical panels and is flanked by half sidelights and capped by a peaked lintel derived from the Greek Revival. Sheltering the entrance is a hip roof porch stretching across much of the facade including an elongated window with lip lintel on either side of the doorway. The porch is supported by four square posts set on tall rectangular bases above the wooden deck (popularized by the Italianate style). Windows contain 6/6 sash. Extending behind is a single story gabled ell of modern construction resting on a concrete foundation with a garage door at the rear and 12/12 doublehung windows. A shed dormer projects from the south side of the rear asphalt shingled roof slope.

An earlier house on the site was destroyed by fire. According to the Wallings Map, in 1858 the house was owned by J. Marsh, the house's earliest known occupant, who is still listed as owner on the 1877 Beers Map.

15. Post Office, (e. side Academy Road), c. 1850. Contributing.
Serving as a store, restaurant and post office at various times during its history, the present post office has been much altered over the years to meet changing uses. The 2-1/2 story clapboarded structure is set with its gable end to the street above a mortar rubble foundation. The central entrance features a heavy, plain entablature supported by recessed panel pilaster strips. The door itself is modern with horizontal panels and four upper glass panes. The entrance is flanked on each side by a large 12/18 picture window with simple entablature lintels. A tall doublehung 6/6 window with lip lintel is located above each with a smaller 6/6 in the attic. Beneath the projecting eaves, simple cornerboards support cornice returns; on the rear elevation the eaves are without overhang. An oversized 2/2 window is located on the north side, remaining windows are 6/6. A large shed dormer spans the south slope of the asphalt-shingled roof, below which an exterior wooden staircase sheltered by a pent roof provides access to a second story porch. A modern two story, gabled addition, 1 x 1 bay is located at the northeast corner.

A store operated by Latham & Kendrick, builders and occupants of the Double House across the street (#32), stood on this site until it was destroyed by fire in 1843. The current structure was built sometime after that date. A barn which previously stood on the site was moved to the east in 1938 and is now the center of the Vaughan House. (see #12).

16. First Congregational Church Parsonage, (e. side of Academy Road), 1927. Contributing.
A 2-1/2 story frame structure set broadside to the street replacing a previous parsonage of similar massing which burned in January 1927. Measuring 5 x 2 bays, above a concrete block foundation, the building is sheathed in vinyl siding and capped by a steeply pitched asphalt shingled gable roof with two interior brick chimneys. The central entrance is marked by an open, pedimented, projecting porch supported by a pair of smooth Roman Doric columns above a wooden platform with a lattice skirt. The front door features a large upper glass with dentil course below and lower horizontal panels. Windows are 6/6 doublehung with blinds and metal storm windows, and without lintels. Two shed dormers protrude from the rear roof slope, below which is a shed-roofed wing enclosed on the second floor and with an open porch supported by turned posts on the first. At the basement level is an open storage area with arched openings.

At least two different houses preceded this structure on the site. Earlier owners of the property included: Israel Smith, Manuel Hawley, Loved Garey & Solomon Heaton.(17) Owned by the Congregational Church, this structure is not currently used as a parsonage but rather, is rented out.

16A. Garage, c. 1960. Noncontributing. Northeast of the house is a gablefronted two car garage with shiplap siding and a metal roof and paneled overhead doors.

17. Beriah Loomis House (Fowle House), (e. side of Academy Road), c. 1795. Contributing.
One of the showpieces of the Thetford Hill Historic District, the Loomis-Coombs House, is a fine example of the Federal style and quite ornate in comparison to the standards of the district. In contrast to its neighbors, the main house is set perpendicular to the common, facing northward. The main house, set above a mortared stone foundation is five bays. wide and two deep. Centered in the facade, the entrance is flanked by plain pilasters displaying entasis, supporting a full entablature with dentil course and pulvinated frieze. A simple surround frames the doorway which is filled with a double door with upper glass panels (not original). All of the first floor windows are 2/2 framed by blinds; those on the first floor of the facade and on all floors of the side elevations feature full entablature lintels with pulvinated friezes and dentils. Those on the second story of the facade are 1/1 and extend to the eaves with pulvinated lintels too close to the eaves for entablature caps. Over the doorway is an elegant Palladian window framed by fluted pilasters. Molded cornerboards and a plain water table articulate the clapboarded building. Dentils and modillions decorate the box cornice which returns on the side elevations. The west gable peak has a small 6/6 window with a simpler cornice cap. Offset southwest of the main house is a 1-1/2 story ell, measuring five bays across and closely bordering the street. The offcenter entrance features a four panel door with simple surround and Victorian screen capped by a low gable resting on modillions with three 6/6 windows to the north side and a three sided bay window with hip roof on the south; the bay window and doorway appear to be late 19th century alterations. Two apparently original 12/8 windows survive in the attic. Extending westward from the center of the L-shaped plan is a single story shed adjoining a single story gable addition and open porch with carport underneath.

This structure was one of several houses the early settler Beriah Loomis was to build in the Thetford Hill District and the finest he was to own. (see also #19). Research by Charlotte McCartney indicates that Loomis bought the lot in 1792 and thus a construction date in this timeframe is probable. It was surely built by 1803 as in that year Loomis sold the house to his son, Beriah Loomis Jr., one of eleven children and the house to the south was built for his own use (#19). The unique orientation of this house northward apparently stems from the existence of a road, two rods wide which originally ran in front on the house. Similar roads divided the original layout of town lots at designated intervals, between ''divisions''.(18)

The house served as an inn for some time. The ell bordering the street served as a gift shop for many years. Clara Sipprell, photographer, appears to have been the first occupant of the shop space.

18. Beriah Loomis House (Greenwood House), (e. side of Academy Road), c. 1815. Contributing.
A 2-1/2 story frame and clapboard vernacular structure measuring five bays wide and two bays deep, above a brick foundation. The central entrance contains a horizontal and vertical paneled door and is fronted by a concrete step with boot scrapers. The door surround consists of cornerblocks and a raised molding which comes to a low point in the center. To the left of the door are two individual doublehung 2/2 windows while to the right is a joined pair. On the upper floor are four smaller windows also of a 2/2 configuration, extending to the eaves. Those in the center have exterior clapboard panels laid over the existing wall below each window, apparently evidence of second story full length windows and a porch which once adorned the facade. All are capped by lipped lintels and flanked by blinds. An ornate projecting boxed cornice encircles the building with returns on the side elevations. The rear elevation, recently reclapboarded, retains several 9/6 and 12/8 windows in addition to 2/2s. A raised deck with stair access from the south spans the rear elevation

There is local disagreement regarding the early ownership of this house. General opinion is that the house was originally built for Beriah Loomis, first settler on the Hill, as a home in his old age. Recent research by Charlotte McCartney suggests however that Loomis built #19 rather than this house.(19) Stylistic and construction details seem to support this.

Over the years the building served as a post office and as the law office of August Howard.

18A. Barn, c. 1820. Contributing. A large clapboarded barn located southeast of the main house at the end of the driveway which extends along the south side of the house. Located on the west side is an offcenter sliding door with transom lights above. A diamond shaped, multi-light window lights the north gable. The gable roof is sheathed in standing seam metal. This barn was historically associated with property #17.

19. Loomis House (Greenwood House), (e. side of Academy Road), 1813 (20). Contributing.
A 1-1/2 story clapboarded "Cape" of the finest quality, further enhanced by the picturesque picket fence surrounding the small front yard. Measuring five bays wide and two deep the structure is set above a foundation of brick over fieldstone and displays 2 exterior brick end chimneys which break the roof plane at the ridge. Above granite steps with wrought iron railings (presumably not original), the central entrance contains a horizontal and vertical paneled door framed by half sidelights and a grooved surround with cornerblocks. Windows on the building are primarily 12/12 doublehung with lipped lintels and blinds, with 9/6 in the gable peaks. Plain cornerboards and water table outline the structure with cornice returns on the side elevations. Extending along the south line of the building is a 1-1/2 story ell with glassed in porch on the south side, the individual windows framed by pilaster strips. Marks on the clapboards at the rear of the ell delineate the roof pitch of an earlier addition. Offset to the northeast of the ell is a clapboarded attached barn on a concrete block foundation with 9/6 windows and a flushboard shed addition at the rear. The barn's roof is asphalt on one side and metal on the other and abuts the barn next door (see #18A)

As has been mentioned, there is some question as to whether it was this house or #18 that Beriah Loomis occupied in his later years. Deed research by Charlotte McCartney suggests it was indeed this house.

19A. Guest House, c. 1920. Contributing. A wide clapboarded cottage consisting of a main gabled section three bays wide with a small hiproofed wing on each side, built between 1910 and 1930 as a guest house.

20. Cekick House (Strauss House), (e. side of Academy Road), 1942. Noncontributing.
The Cekick House is a simple 1-3/4 story frame and clapboard structure resting on a concrete foundation, set back from the road on a long driveway. This site was previously occupied by a barn converted to a residence, which burned in the Thetford Academy Fire of 1942. Feodor Cekick acted as designer and contractor for his own house. (20)[sic] Cornerboards support plain cornice returns on the gable front which features a central entrance framed by plain pilasters with entasis, supporting a full entablature, fronted by a wooden stoop with lattice on either side. Windows are predominantly 6/6 with blinds and lip lintels. Over the doorway a 12/12 window is flanked by a pair of small 3/3 windows. An additional entrance porch is located on the south side while the rear elevation features a recessed open porch on the upper floor.(21) Noncontributing due to its relatively recent date of construction.

20A. Garage, 1946. Noncontributing. A single car, clapboarded garage with gable roof is angled southwest of the house. This structure is considered noncontributing as it is less than 50 years old.

20B. Playhouse, c. 1960. Noncontributing. This small, clapboarded, gable roofed playhouse with bargeboard was built in the backyard in the early 1960's.

21. King House, (e. side of Academy Road), 1986. Noncontributing.
Of very recent construction, this 1-1/2 story clapboarded "cape" is set broadside to the street above a concrete foundation and is capped by an asphalt shingled gable roof with central brick chimney. Centered on the facade is a six panel door flanked by half sidelights. A wide board entablature caps the doorway and the doublehung 6/1 window to each side. A horizontal band of vertical lights extends across the entrance entablature. Plain cornerboards give rise to a projecting cornice on the facade with an entablature of low relief rectangular panels under the eaves. Three gable dormers, each containing a 6/1 doublehung window, punctuate the front gable slope. The south (side) elevation contains two double sets of 6/1 windows with two smaller 6/1 windows in the attic, framed by flushside eaves. The rear roof slope is spanned by a shed dormer with an open deck below.

A narrow connector building to the north joins the main house and a gabled garage wing, accessible by a garage door and multilight-two panelled door. A horizontal band of twelve lights caps the garage door with a plain hayloft opening above. On the north side, a cross gable with a single window breaks through the roof. The garage entrance is in the cross gable. Despite its compatibility with neighboring historic structures, this building is noncontributing within the district by virtue of its recent construction.

22. Eclipse Grange No. 255, (e. side of Academy Road), c.1850 with 1925 alterations. Contributing.
A 1-1/2 story frame and clapboard structure, set broadside to the street with an equally steeply pitched gable ell extending from the north side of the facade. A shed roofed front porch fills the alcove between the two building components. The simple porch posts rest on clapboarded walls with a central, modern ramp providing access to the building. A wooden sign above the porch reads "Eclipse Grange No. 255" and above the sign is a shed dormer containing a pair of 6/6 windows. The simple utilitarian structure is without ornament and was originally part of the J. H. Huntington farm, the last working farm in town. Plain cornerboards support a simple frieze under the projecting eaves. Exterior brick chimneys bisect the west and south gables. A blind window and joined pair of 6/6 occupy the first floor of the front gable while two individual 6/6 windows are located above. All the windows are flanked by blinds. Lighting the rear elevation is a row of six 6/6 windows. A rear shed addition extends from the north side of the rear elevation. The front of the main roof is sheathed in asphalt shingles, the rear is covered in sheet metal.

Organized January 8, 1898, the Eclipse Grange No. 255 met in Academy Hall until 1923, when it purchased this barn from Charles Farnsworth and Hanoun Camps for $773. The building was remodelled about sixty years ago for the Grange by Dwight Goddard, including the construction of an ell in 1927. The Granite still occupies the structure, along with the Parish Players, formed about 10 years ago.(22)

23. George Holton House (Anderson House), (e. side of Academy Road), 1821 (23) (Moved c.1933; Alterations c.1933) Contributing.
The Holton House is a 1-1/2 story 3/4 cape style structure set back from the street. Resting on a brick and fieldstone foundation, the building is covered in aluminum siding. The main entrance, located in the north bay, is marked by a modern lattice archway which shelters a modern four panel door with built-in transom, above granite steps. Windows on the building are 8/12 doublehung with metal storm windows, simple surrounds and blinds. An additional entrance located in the second of four bays on the south side is also marked by a latticed archway. The four panel door is capped by a five light transom. A long shed dormer containing five windows spans the rear of the asphalt-shingled roof with central brick chimney.

Offset slightly to the northeast is a slightly smaller gabled wing measuring three bays wide. An entrance is centered on the wing facade which is spanned by a shed roof porch supported by plain posts. Like those on the main building, the wing windows are 8/12 and side elevations have flush eaves. On the rear elevation, expansion through the roof and downward into the hill resulted in a three story extension consisting of a porch and garage below on the south side of the wing.

According to deed research by Charlotte McCartney, the house was built in 1821 for George W. Holton. Moved to its present location c. 1933 by Carl Anderson, the house was originally gable end, very close to the street. The deteriorated condition of the building necessitated extensive renovation work in 1932-1933 including replacement of the original plaster walls and other interior alterations.(24)

23A. Shed, c. 1920. Contributing. Northeast of the house is a 1-1/2 story, gable fronted shed sheathed in asphalt shingles.

24. Gladys Estabrook House, (e. side of Academy Road), c. 1940. Noncontributing.
Replacing an original building destroyed by fire, the Estabrook House is a small, 1-1/2 story, frame and clapboard house set on a mortared rubble foundation with its gable end to the street and its main entrance centered on the longer south elevation. The doorway features half sidelights set into the walls above a flight of wooden steps with a simple spindle railing. Flanking the entrance is a 1/1 doublehung window on the west and a picture window to the east. Three gable dormers punctuate the south slope of the asphalt roof with a long shed dormer on the opposite side. Simple cornerboards and water table outline the structure beneath slightly projecting eaves. An additional side entrance is recessed on the west elevation while a single car garage with gable roof projects to the northwest connected to the main house by a flat-roofed enclosed breezeway. Several barns once occupied the fields south of the Estabrook House including the Porter Barn and what was known as the Crystal Palace. These were cleared by the Academy many years ago.

25. Thomas Turner House (Phillips House), (e. side of Academy Road), 1825 (25) Contributing.
The Turner House is a 2-1/2 story, gable roofed, brick, Federal structure set broadside to the street above a stone foundation and measuring five bays wide and three deep. Brick is laid in an 8 row American bond with rowlock elliptical arches on the first floor. The central entrance consists of an elegant Federal style doorway adorned by an eliptical louvered fan and narrow half sidelights with fluted panels between the door and lights. The door itself features molded horizontal and vertical panels. Windows on the first floor of the facade are 12/12 doublehung capped by louvered fans and flanked by blinds; those on the second floor are without fans. Two interior end chimneys project from the low- pitched asphalt shingled gable roof. Cornice returns mark the side elevations, with a lunette window lighting the north attic. A single story, shed-roofed screened porch projects from the northeast corner. A single story clapboarded wing with gable roof extends from the south side and features a recessed entrance on both west and south sides. Sympathetic in detailing with the main house, the addition dates to c. 1969.

A 1-1/2 story barn, constructed of vertical board siding with a wood shingle roof, is attached to the southeast corner of the south wing. A hayloft door is located over the main gable entrance; the main doors are not original. As a result of the very steep site the basement is at grade in the rear. A corncrib is attached at the rear.

Constructed in 1825, the design of the house is attributed to local carpenter, Thomas Turner, who constructed the building for his own use, after selling the Terry House (#29). The Turners, Joshua and son Thomas, arrived in Thetford in 1819 and built #28 &29 (26). Brickwork is thought to have been done by Hezekiah Porter, who operated the earliest known brickyard in Thetford. Early occupants include the Frost Family and the J. Elmer Family who owned the house during much of the nineteenth century according to 1858 and 1877 maps.

26. Thetford Hill Academy, (w. side Academy Road), 1942 with later (c. 1970) additions. Noncontributing.
Constructed after a fire in 1942 destroyed the Academy's original building, the main Academy ³White Building² is a neo-Colonial two story aluminum sided structure, set back from Academy Road on a low hill and marking the southern boundary of the district. The structure is set upon a high concrete foundation and capped by a hip roof from which a square cupola rises adorned by louvered arch openings, pilasters, urns and a copper pyramidal roof. Dominating the symmetrical facade is a central projecting pavilion with flush board pediment featuring a lunette window and keystone supported by plain posts. Six large 12/12 windows flank each side of the portico with smaller central pavilions on each side elevation. A modern two story flat-roofed addition known as the Brick Building projects from the south of the White Building.

26A. Shed, c. 1942. Noncontributing. Behind the White Building is a small frame shed sheathed in shiplap siding and capped by a hip roof.

26B. Garage, c. 1960. Noncontributing. Southwest of the main structure is a gable-roofed, concrete block garage with brickwork surrounding the two bay openings and flushboards in the gable above. Two smaller additions continue the lines to the rear.

26C. Anderson Hall, 1954. Noncontributing. Located north of the White Building, Anderson Hall is a two story, brick, box-like gymnasium with glass block and multilight metal windows. The structure was named in honor of Carl Anderson who served as the principal of the Academy for 36 years and later as a trustee.

26D. Daniels Agricultural-Science Building, 1959 & 1977. Noncontributing. A flatroofed, single story, brick and steel structure accented by enamel metal panels and located west of the White Building. A brick and concrete addition to the south dates to 1977.

26E. Outbuilding, c. 1959. Noncontributing. Southwest of Daniels is a small underground structure constructed of concrete and shiplap boards and capped by an asphalt shingled gable roof with exposed rafters.

Established in 1819, Thetford Academy stood for 123 years between what are now the Cekick House and the Eclipse Grange (#20 & 2a). During construction of an addition to the original Academy building in November, 1942, fire destroyed the Academy Building, Burton Hall, Latham Library and a private residence. A subsequent fire in January, 1948, consumed the Agricultural Building. Land for a new campus, 138 acres constituting the William K. Porter Estate, was donated by his grandson's widow, Mrs. Porter Adams, in 1946. A stone with bronze plaque on the lawn of the White Building commemorates the gift (27).

27. Heman Hosford House (Wyman House), (w. side of Academy Road), 1821. Contributing.
Constructed in 1821 for a wealthy local farmer, Heman Hosford, the Slade House is a fine example of the Federal style conceived in brick, laid in a 7 row American bond. Set gable end to the street with a sidehall plan, this two story house is three bays wide and four deep. The six panel front door is flanked by half sidelights and capped by an eliptical louvered fan, outlined by a radiating soldier course arch. Windows are 12/12 doublehung with wooden sills, flat, soldier course, brick arches and louvered blinds.

Centered in the attic is an elliptical louvered fan outlined by a cornice with perforated mutules. The cornice returns on the end elevations. The first bay on the second story of the south elevation contains a blind window relating to the sidehall entrance and stairway; windows on this side are organized into four bays unevenly spaced. Iron tie rods and a single stone lintel are noteworthy on the north side. Extending behind is a 1-1/2 story clapboarded wing with a projecting south porch (formerly a shed), supported by simple posts on the south side, beyond which is an attached barn with close cropped eaves and a 12/6 window. This area underwent extensive renovation in 1960 and the semi-elliptical arched openings, picture windows and garage openings date to this period. At the end of the building is a single story gabled addition with arched vestibule. The stone wall in front of the house dates to 1960. Four interior brick chimneys originally punctuated the low gable asphalt roof. Today only two remain. The roof and top of the facade were extensively damaged by the hurricane of 1938 and were subsequently rebuilt . The house was built for Hosford in 1821 by Joshua and Thomas Turner with bricks produced by Hezekiah Porter, who established the earliest known brickyard in Thetford. Hosford sold the house to Enoch Slade in 1837 and it has remained in the Slade Family for seven generations.(28) The Slades have been important figures in Vermont and in Thetford history having made substantial contributions to the development of Thetford Academy and local historical research.

27A. Gazebo, c. 1885. Contributing. An open gazebo constructed of plain posts on a log skirt is located south of the house and capped by a wood shingle gable roof.

27B. Guest House, c. 1927. Contributing. A small, wood shingle cottage with an asphalt shingle sheathed gable roof located southwest of the house. Built as a chicken coop c. 1927 and subsequently remodelled for a guest house and moved from a location closer to the house. Several other barns have been removed over the years.

28. Joshua Turner House (Cole House), (w. side Academy Road), 1821. Contributing.
The Turner House is a 1-1/2 story frame and clapboard structure. The low, broad gable end is to the street with the sidehall entrance opening onto a stone terrace with a modern fieldstone patio outlined by a simple wooden railing with plain balusters. The offcenter entrance contains a modern, glazed, wooden door with a pair of 12/12 doublehung windows to the south . In the attic, two 6/6 windows are flanked by small, square, four pane garret windows, all framed by blinds. Ornament is limited to the plain cornerboards and recessed cornice returns. A second entrance is centered on the south elevation and features a six panel door with entablature lintel, plain supports and five light full sidelights. The structure has been greatly altered over the years including a 1-1/2 story wing of modern vintage behind which is an attached single story garage with three openings. Several gable and shed dormers punctuate the standing seam tin roofs and are probably later additions.

The original design is attributed to the Turners: Thomas Porter and his father Joshua. The Turners also built #25 & 29. Thomas later moved to Oberlin, Ohio, where he was one of the founders of Oberlin College (29) and was responsible for the construction of the church and numerous brick houses there.(30) When he moved to Norwich, Joshua Turner sold the house to Dr. David Palmer, a professor at Woodstock Medical School. Dr. Samuel Thayer owned the house in 1858 and came to Thetford in 1832. A distinguished, largely self-taught scholar associated with the University of Vermont, Thayer also received an honorary degree from Dartmouth College.

28A. Guesthouse, c. 1985. Noncontributing. To the rear of the house is a single story, gable roofed modular house.

29. Thomas Turner House (Terry House), (w. side of Academy Road), 1819. Contributing.
Altered on the exterior from its original appearance, the Terry Cottage is a 1-1/2 story, frame and clapboard vernacular structure which is set back from the street down a long driveway and broadside to the street. The house is 3 x 3 bays and rests on a concrete foundation.

Projecting from the facade with its high kneewall is a hiproofed, enclosed entrance porch featuring a six panel door flanked by half sidelights and a wide frieze, all above wooden steps. The entrance is flanked by two 12/12 double hung windows with blinds, and lintels which are flush with the wall.

A simple projecting cornice with partial entablature encircles the building. The eaves on the sidewalls are without overhang. A hip roofed, screened porch with clapboarded base spans the south elevation. A shed dormer is centered on the rear roof slope. Windows are a mixture of 12/12 and 1/1 format with a single 9/6 in the attic.

This house was the first house in Thetford Hill built by Joshua and Thomas Turner upon their arrival in 1819.(31) The house was occupied by Thomas Turner while his father Joshua lived in the Cole House (#28). Thomas sold the house in 1825, at which time he constructed the Phillips House (#25). The house was moved back from the street and turned slightly sometime between 1940 and 1944 by its owner, Mrs. Moore (a member of the B. F. Moore family of paint manufacturers).

29A. Garage, 1946. Noncontributing. Located northeast of the house is a gablefronted, two car garage sheathed in shiplap siding and having paneled overhead doors with toplights.

30. Slafter Hall, (w. side of Academy Road), c. 1850. Contributing.
Constructed about 1850 for the principal of Thetford Academy from 1842-1855, Hiram Orcutt, whose family also boarded teachers, Slafter Hall is a 1-3/4 story, frame structure measuring five bays wide and two deep.(32) Set above a brick and concrete foundation, the building's original clapboard exterior has been covered in aluminum siding. Typical of the Classic Cottage form are the structure's projecting eaves and high kneewall.

Centered in the facade is a low gable wall dormer punctuating the standing seam metal roof and indicative of the Gothic Revival influence. Simple jigsawn brackets decorate the projecting eaves in the front gable and side gables. Plain cornerboards and water table outline the structure. The central entrance is framed by full sidelights and transom lights with grooved side panels supporting an entablature. Above the entrance is a single 1/1 window. The windows flanking the doorway are elongated 6/6 doublehung with lipped lintels and long blinds. Extending at the rear elevation is a single story ell with a central cross gable on each side similar to that in front. A glassed-in porch projects from the south side of the ell with fixed 4 x 3 windows separated by pilasters. Open fields are located to the rear of the building. Slafter Hall was presented as a boy's dormitory by Rev. Edmund Slafter in 1906.

30A. Barn, c. 1850. Contributing. Directly behind the ell of the main house is a gablefronted, freestanding, 1-1/2 story outbuilding sheathed in clapboards with projecting eaves and a metal roof. Hinged, paired, vertical board doors and a hayloft door are located on the south elevation. There is a pass door on the east and a window in the gable peak.

31. Goddard Hall (w. side of Academy Road), 1845. Contributing.
Moved from its original location across the street in the mid 19th century, Goddard Hall is a 2-1/2 story, gable fronted, 3 x 4 bay, frame and aluminum-sided structure, nearly as wide as it is deep, set on a stone block foundation. Centered on the facade is a six panel door flanked by half sidelights and panelled pilasters and capped by an entablature lintel. Simple cornerboards and water table outline the structure supporting projecting eaves and cornice returns. The gable roof is sheathed in corrugated metal. Windows on the structure are 2/2 doublehung with lip lintels; the two windows in the attic are 12/12. A hip roofed bay window projects from the north side. Extending behind is a single story wing with a long shed dormer spanning the south slope.

What is now referred to as Goddard Hall was constructed in 1845 as a boy's dormitory for the academy on a lot given by Orange Heaton south of the Cekick House (#20), just north of the original Academy Building. The structure was named Burton Hall in memory of Asa Burton, one of the Academy's founders. The structure was sold by Academy President Abijah Howard to J. H. Huntington c. 1860 for $200; Huntington moved it across the street to its present site to replace his house which had burned. Huntington was a prominent tanner and landowner. In the late 1930's, Dwight Goddard gave the building back to the Academy since which time it has been known as Goddard Hall.(33)

31A. Shed, c. 1890. Contributing. Northwest of the house is a gablefront shed constructed of barnboard with a metal roof. Hinged, vertical board doors access the gable end.

32. Joseph Watson House (Steiner House), (w. side of Academy Road), c. 1810 (34). Contributing.
The Watson House is a 1-1/2 story, frame and clapboard Cape, distinguished from others by its handsome, enclosed entrance porch projecting from the center of the five bay facade. Above granite steps with bootscrapers, the six panel door is flanked by louvered side panels and capped by an elliptical louvered fan. Paneled pilasters displaying entasis support a broken pediment within which is a smaller flush board pediment. Facade windows are 12/12 doublehung with blinds; those on the three bay side elevations are 9/6 with simple beveled surrounds. Two, small, four light garret windows with blinds light the south side. Plain cornerboards and water table articulate the structure with a simple cornice consisting of a cyma reversa molding and returns in the side elevations. A large, brick chimney projects from the center of the asphalt-shingled roof with a shed dormer behind it on the rear slope. Centered on the south side is a secondary entrance with arborway and seat. A two story ell extends behind the north side of the rear elevation ending in a screened porch addition.

According to local historian Charles Hughes, Joseph Watson from Chelsea, who was here as early as 1797, built the house. Research by Charlotte McCartney indicates that the house was built sometime after Watson gained possession of the lot in 1808. In 1819 it was sold to Judge Simeon Short, its most well-known occupant. Self-taught in law, Short later became Judge of the County Court and Judge of Probate. He was also one of the founders of the Thetford Academy and served as trustee for about 40 years. Judge Short's law office stood for many years south of the house until it was moved to George Sayre's place (on Rt. 113 approximately 1/2 mile west of Thetford Hill) where it may have been used as the town clerk's office.(35)

32A. Garage, c.1930. Contributing. This is a 2 bay, gableroofed, clapboarded garage. One bay was formerly used for storage.

33. Latham-Kendrick Houses, (west side of Academy Road), 1817. Contributing.
Fine examples of the Federal style, the Latham-Kendrick Houses are of additional interest because of their rather unusual double house form. The two story, frame and clapboard houses, essentially U-shaped, consist of a six bay wide main structure capped by a hip roof with a single story gable roofed wing to each side and an ell extending beyond each wing. A vertical board at the center of the main house facade demarcates the property line. There are no interior connections between the two houses. At each end of the facade is a six panel door flanked by half louvered blinds and recessed panel pilasters. Capping each doorway is a louvered eliptical fan and arched molding. A granite step with bootscrapers fronts each entrance. First floor windows on the south half of the house are nearly floor-length, 16/16, doublehung with simple mouldings and two part blinds. Those on the north section, like those predominating on the building, are 12/12 doublehung with what appear to be earlier, more imperfect glass panes and thinner muntins. In contrast to the single story wing to the north of the main block, the southern wing received an additional story and flat roof in the mid 19th century. A projecting porch supported by chamfered posts on bases spans the front of the wing, sheltering 9/9 floor-length windows underneath. Second floor windows are 6/6; blind windows preserve the symmetry of the structure. The northern wing also features floor length 9/9 windows. Single story ells extend behind each wing, that on the north is slightly longer, both have eaves which cling to the rear wall. Some 12/12 windows survive at the rear. The roof is sheathed partially in rolled asphalt and in standing seam metal with two tall brick chimneys. The house is shaded by several large trees including maples and set on a deep lawn. Granite posts mark the boundaries of the lot and the line between common land and the property in the front of the house. The house was constructed in 1817 for Capt. William Harris Latham and Dr. Thomas Kendrick, brothers-in-law, merchants and partners in a store which stood until it was destroyed by fire about 1845. Latham was also an important benefactor of Thetford Academy donating money and building materials for the original construction. Wallpaper from this house depicting the City of Leon was donated by a previous owner, Mrs. Charles Vaughan, to the Currier Gallery in Manchester, NH in the early 20th Century.(36)

34. Former Latham Library (Beebe House), (w. side Academy Road), c. 1870. Contributing.
Serving the Latham Library from 1946 to 1973, this 1-1/2 story, 5 x 3 bay, frame and clapboard house above a concrete foundation has seen many alterations during its lifetime. A low front gable containing a pair of windows projects above the asphalt shingled pent roof (apparently added in the twentieth century). Centered on the facade is a pedimented entrance porch supported by four plain posts spanned by stick balusters. Located to the right of the entrance is a joined pair of 6/6 windows; to the left are two individual windows, all with shelf lintels and blinds. A single offcenter brick chimney protrudes from the roof; eaves overhang slightly. A single story, gabled wing extends behind the building with a recessed porch on the south and a single garage opening on the north. The garage was connected to the main block c. 1970.

The exact date of construction of this building is not clear but appears from deed research by C. McCartney to be c. 1870. The origins of the Latham Library dates to 1875 when Mrs. Azubah F. (Latham) Barney died, leaving $5000 for a library. The Latham Memorial Library opened in 1877 and the original building was destroyed in the Academy Fire of 1943.

35. Isaac White House (Fowle House), (west side of the Common), c. 1795 (37). Contributing.
Constructed c. 1795, the Fowle House is a 2-1/2 story, clapboarded structure, Federal in style, measuring five bays wide and twelve bays deep. Centered on the facade is an enclosed, gabled, projecting entrance porch. Louvered panels and an elliptical louvered fan frame the six panel door which is fronted by a granite step with bootscrapers.

Simple pilaster strips with entasis support the porch's cornice returns, adorned by modillions. Windows on the main elevations are predominantly doublehung 2/2 (not original) with exterior four pane storm windows, plain moldings and entablature lintels. The top of the second floor windows extend to the eaves which are decorated by dentils and modillions, and supported visually by plain cornerboards. On the side elevations, close cropped eaves cling closely to the wall. Although many of the windows have been replaced by modern units, several presumably original windows survive including two 9/6 doublehung windows at the rear.

A shed roofed ell extends behind the northernmost part of the rear (west) elevation with a smaller shed ell at the center of the side. An offcenter, brick chimney is located on the ridge of the asphalt shingled roof, though the original chimney fell through the roof some years ago. A fire in 1949 destroyed original fabric in the interiors of the living and dining rooms although some original paneling survives.

According to research by Charlotte McCartney, this house was constructed by Isaac White and dates to about 1795. If this is true, the Federal style entrance porch would appear to be either a very early example of the style in the area or an addition, perhaps twenty years after the construction of the house. Orange Heaton may have been an early owner and apparently later sold it to Joseph Reed. A northern addition (now removed) at one time functioned as a store.(38)

35A. Garage, c. 1964. Noncontributing. A single story, concrete block structure with a stucco finish, located northeast of the house. Above the double wide door, the front gable is sheathed in horizontal flush boards. The roof is covered in asphalt shingles.

The fourth house of Beriah Loomis (see also discussion of #3,17, 19) once stood between what is now the Fowle House (#35) and Bicentennial Building (#36).

36. Bicentennial Building/Latham Memorial Library (nw corner of Academy Road and Rt. 113), 1974-5. Noncontributing.
The Bicentennial Building is a modern, single story, brick and frame structure clothed in "Colonial" detailing, designed by Brooke Fleck of Hanover. The structure consists of a line of four,stepped gableroofed structures of varying sizes, their broad facades facing Academy Road with two gabled ells extending behind. A recessed porch with plain posts spanned by wooden pieces with arched bottom edges, marks the entrance. Picture windows and doublehung 8/8 windows with brick sills light the structure. A long shed dormer punctuates the rear roof slope. It was preceded on the site by the Buckingham-Babcock-Holton House a late 18th-early 19th century structure which served as parsonage and burned later in the century. The building is a noncontributing structure in the historic district due to age but is sympathetic to the villagescape.

37. Common, late 18th- 19th c., Contributing.
Originally part of Lot 16 in the first division of town lots, the original common was much smaller than that seen today. Following the customary dispute over the location of the meetinghouse in town, the victory of the eastern contingency resulted in the construction of the building at Thetford Hill, near Beriah Loomis' house on what is today the south part of the common. Two additional sections of land were deeded to the town and enlarged the common. A parcel to the south was transferred from Israel Smith in 1795 and an area on the west side was received from Beriah Loomis in 1818. The conflict between church and state resulted in the sale of the meetinghouse to the church and its subsequent move from the town-owned common to a lot on the north side of the common in 1830.

Over the years, the straightening and paving of Academy Road and the loss of the substantial elm trees which once lined the street have altered the face of the common and the Thetford Hill District. Today, the common is lined by a dozen or so mature trees with several wooden benches providing seating. At the north end of the common is a hollowed stone which once served as a watering trough and was located in the center of the intersection between Academy Road and Rt. 113, near the post office. It was moved to the green by Charles Farnsworth when the age of horses had passed.

In reality the common land takes in additional areas in the front of the houses on the west side of Academy Road, the boundary between private and public is marked midlawn by granite posts and hitching posts.

FOOTNOTES:
Note: At the time this nomination was prepared, several manuscripts pending publication were used. Due to the sensitivity of these unpublished research efforts, footnotes have been used to attribute the source and to indicate where one source differs significantly from common belief.
1. Ruthe R. Russ, "District Schools of Thetford, Vermont". Unpublished manuscript, Thetford Historical Society.
2. Charles W. Hughes, "History of Thetford Hill". Unpublished manuscript pending publication, Thetford Historical Society.
3. Russ.
4. "The First Congregational Church, Thetford, Vermont". 1937. (Thetford Historical Society.)
5. According to local historian, Charlotte McCartney, Loomis' house was located approximately on the west side of the common.
6. Interview, Charlotte McCartney, 9 September 1985.
7. Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, "Historic Sites and Structures Survey", 1979.
8. Ibid.
9. McCartney.
10. Hughes
11. Interview, Chet Palmer, August 1985.
12. McCartney Interview.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Hughes.
16. Interview, Louise Vaughan, June 1985.
17. McCartney Interview.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Interview, Nina Strauss, June 1985.
22. Records of the Eclipse Grange, Minutes (Thetford Historical Society).
23. McCartney Interview.
24. Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, Survey.
25. McCartney Interview.
26. Ibid.
27. Helen S. Paige, Tales of Thetford, (Hanover: XPress Services, 1978).
28. Interview, Mr. & Mrs. William Slade, June 1985.
29. McCartney Interview.
30. Hughes
31. McCartney Interview.
32. Hughes
33. Ibid.
34. McCartney.
35. Hughes
36. Interview, Charles Latham, Jr., June 1985.
37. McCartney Interview.
38. Hughes.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

The Thetford Hill Historic District is significant architecturally as a largely intact and unified concentration of late 18th to mid 19th century residential structures. With few exceptions, the buildings of the district predate the Civil War. Almost half of the structures were built before 1830 with the periods 1810-1830 and 1840-1860 seeing the greatest amount of building activity. Forty-two of the district's sixty-four structures (and one site) are considered contributing. Building activity in the first third of the twentieth century has not negatively altered the villagescape.

Construction of the meetinghouse between 1785 and 1788 on Thetford Common resulted in the establishment of Thetford Hill the first village in Town. Prior to its being moved from the Town-owned parcel in 1830, the Meetinghouse was a simple two story gable-roofed structure measuring 3 x 2 bays with its main entrance centered on the broad east side. The original appearance of the structure was apparently similar to the Rockingham, Vermont Meetinghouse (entered on the National Register, 9/10/1979). Alterations following the move in 1830 changed the orientation of the entrance from the east to the south and added a Federal-Greek Revival style pavilion and tower.

The laying out of roads and travelways kept pace with early settlement on the Hill. A number of east-west roads, each two rods wide separated the various divisions relating to the original survey of town lots. According to local historian, Charlotte McCartney, the orientation of the Loomis House (#17) northward rather than facing Academy Road is explained by the existence of one of these two rod roadways. Route 113 east of the common was laid out in 1793; it was laid out westward from this point in 1818. Houghton Hill Road dates to between 1805 and 1810. The common, established as part of the original lot configuration, was enlarged through deeds on the south in 1795 and on the west in 1818.

The arrival of the first settler on Thetford Hill, Beriah Loomis, preceded both the construction of the Meetinghouse in 1785 and the surveying of what is now Route 113 east of the common in 1793. According to Charlotte McCartney, Loomis' original homestead was situated roughly in the middle of the west side of the current common with his land also including the current Young Property (#3). The house currently occupying this property is the oldest surviving house on the Hill and dates to 1792, built by James White who bought the lot from Loomis. Although simple in detailing, it was no doubt a very substantial house for its time.

By 1800 at least two other structures had been built in the district. According to deed research, part of the White-Fowle House (#35) was standing in 1795. If this is true, its handsome Federal style enclosed entrance porch would appear to be a rather early example of the style for the area. An ornate, denticulated and modillioned cornice further distinguishes this house.

Beriah Loomis' second house (Loomis House #17) constructed in 1792 is certainly the most elaborate example of residential architecture in the district. Full entablature lintels with pulvinated friezes and dentils cap the first floor windows while a Palladian window dominates the second story of the Georgian facade. This, the second of four houses Beriah Loomis was to live in on the Hill during his lifetime was certainly the finest he was to own. Today only two of the four survive, see also #19 and #18.

Building activity on the Hill in the first two decades of the 19th century was limited to the construction of three modest Cape dwellings (#10, 19, 32). It is interesting to note that two of these are marked by enclosed entrance porches, a rather unique feature in the region and state. The Latham-Kendrick Houses (#33) constructed in 1817 are fine examples of the Federal style, and are of additional interest because of their rather unusual double house form.

The establishment of Thetford Academy in 1819 was to give great impetus to the growth of Thetford Hill and the construction of buildings serving the Academy and its staff. The Academy's original buildings, located between what are now the Cekich House and Eclipse Grange (Buildings #20 & 22) were destroyed by fire in 1942.

The vast majority of the structures within the Thetford Hill district can be attributed to the hands of unknown builders. The year 1819 however, marked the arrival of two men, Joshua Turner and son Thomas Porter Turner who were to leave a major imprint on Thetford Hill through the construction of four houses (#25, 27, 28, 29) including two simple frame houses and two substantial brick Federal buildings, all constructed between 1819 and 1825. Joshua Turner apparently moved to Norwich in 1825 while Thomas later moved to Oberlin, Ohio where he was responsible for the construction of several residential and church buildings.

The years 1840-1850 were marked by substantial building activity within the district. A fire in 1842 was certainly responsible for some of this change while the growth of Thetford Academy also contributed as evidenced in the construction of two Academy Halls (#[blank] ,30). Whereas the Cape Cod form had predominated the first part of the century, the Classic Cottage, embellished in vernacular Gothic details including cross gables, became the popular house form at mid century. Good examples of the style within the district include #4, #7, #14, & #30.

It was not until the 1930's and 1940's that the absence of construction after the Civil War was broken. Infill along Route 113 and construction along the southern part of Academy Road following the Academy Fire of 1942 are the visible manifestations of this activity. In general, construction during this period carefully recreated the form, massing and details or earlier buildings as is seen in the Estabrook House (#24) and to a lesser degree in the neo-Colonial Thetford Academy.(#26)

The twentieth century has had limited effect on the district. Non-contributing structures within this architecturally significant assemblage of 19th and 20th century structures are limited to the much altered Vaughan-Hyzer House (#13), the Academy structures (#26) and the Bicentennial Building (#36). For the most part modernization has been limited to new windows, garages and several cases of synthetic siding. In most cases additions and alterations are relegated to rear elevations and are not readily visible from the street. New, though sympathetic, construction includes (#20) built in 1942; (#21) built in 1986 and dating to c. 1940 (#24). The once densely tree-lined streets have suffered their share of loss through disease; asphalt has replaced dirt road surfaces and the watering trough has been moved to an inland position.

In addition to its architectural significance, it should be noted that the Thetford Hill Historic District is also of historical interest as an early intellectual and spiritual center in the State. The First Congregational Church, one of the first five churches established in Vermont, is also the oldest meetinghouse in the state still in continuous use. Equally influential in shaping the character and built environment of the Thetford community has been the Thetford Academy. Established in 1819 and coeducational since its beginning, the Academy is the oldest secondary school in continuous operation in the state. The contribution of the Academy to the Town's social and economic development cannot be underestimated, nor can the success of its graduates who have included numerous graduates of Dartmouth College, Senator Justin Morrill and the founders of Wabash, Oberlin and Gainesville Colleges.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

Books:

____. The First Congregational Church, Thetford, Vermont. 1937. (Thetford Historical Society).

Hughes, Charles W. "History of Thetford Hill", Thetford Historical Society, 1986.

Latham, Charles, Jr. A Short History of Thetford, Vermont, 1761-1870. White River Junction: Right Printing Col, Inc., 1984.

McCartney, Charlotte. Once Upon A Town. Hanover: Gnomen Copy, 1985.

Paige, Helen S. Tales of Thetford. Hanover: XPress Services, 1978.

Slade, Mary B. Thetford Academy's First Century. Thetford: Thetford Historical Society, 1956.

Unpublished Materials:

Records of the Eclipse Grange, Thetford Historical Society.

Russ, Ruthe R. "District Schools of Thetford, Vermont". (Thetford Historical Society.

Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, Thetford Historic Sites & Structures Survey, 1979.

Maps:

Beers Orange County Atlas (1877).

Latham, Charles, Jr., Map of Thetford, 1960.

Wallings, H.F., Orange County Map, 1858.

Intervies:

Interviews with James Fowle, Charles Latham, Jr., Charlotte McCartney, Chet Palmer, Mr. & Mrs. William Slade, Nina Strauss, Louise Vaughan, June-September 1985.

FORM PREPARED BY: Lisa B. Mausolf, Preservation Planner, Upper Valley-Lake Sunapee Council, 314 First NH Bank Building, Lebanon, NH. Tel: 603-448-1680. Date: September 1985.

DATE ENTERED: October 27, 1988.
(Source 127)