The Depot Square Historic District encompasses the historic commercial business district of
Randolph, Vermont
Randolph is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,774 at the 2020 census, making Randolph the largest town in Orange County. The town is a commercial center for many of the smaller, rural farming communities that s ...
. Developed in the mid-19th century around the facilities of the
Central Vermont Railway
The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec.
It connected Montreal, Quebec, with New London, Connect ...
, the area features a high concentration of well-preserved Second Empire and late Victorian commercial architecture. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1975.
Description and history
The
town of Randolph is located in the
White River valley of central Vermont, roughly midway between
Montpelier (the state capital) and
White River Junction
White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2020 census, up from 2,286 in 2010, making it the largest co ...
, a commercial and industrial center on the
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
. Its original center was centered on the banks of the White River in the western part of the town, about north of the present commercial business district. The Central Vermont Railway introduced service to the town in 1848, and its depot became the new focus for commercial and industrial activity. Most of the area's buildings date after 1875, with the
current railroad station dating to 1877. Industrial buildings include the Randolph Coal and Ice Company building, and a large grain mill. Depot Square is lined with brick commercial buildings built in the 1870s and 1880s, that are fine examples of Second Empire and Late Victorian architecture.
[ with ]
The historic district is organized around the three sets of railroad tracks that run roughly east–west, roads that parallel them on either side (forming Depot Square), and stretches of Main Street (
Vermont Route 12
Vermont Route 12 (VT 12) is a north-south state highway in Vermont that runs from Weathersfield to Morrisville.
Moose are most often encountered on four roads in Vermont, of which this is one. They are seen from Worcester to Elmore.
Rou ...
) and Pleasant Street that extend north from railroad crossing to their point of junction. The train depot is located at Salisbury and Main streets, and commercial buildings line Main and Salisbury streets, and Merchants Row in this area. Pleasant Street is lined on one side by predominantly residential buildings, and the other by the back sides of Main Street properties.
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See also
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References
{{NRHP in Orange County, Vermont
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Vermont
National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, Vermont
Greek Revival architecture in Vermont
Victorian architecture in Vermont
Randolph, Vermont
Historic districts in Orange County, Vermont