Vermont Town Maps
What can we learn about Vermont's economy from town maps?
1749 Lotting Plan of Bennington (1972 copy)
The town of Bennington is a square. And the land is divided into equal squares. Does it make sense to divide the land in Vermont into even squares?
Explore More: Starting a Town
See other town lotting maps at the Vermont State Archives.
1821 View of Montpelier, Vermont, based on Sarah I. Watrous View
This early view of Montpelier shows the first State House and other important features in the town. Can you guess why Montpelier, like many other Vermont villages, was built along a river?
Explore More: Was Your Town a Mill Town? (PDF)
See the original view by Sarah I. Watrous.
1858 Map of Tunbridge Village, Orange County Map, H. F. Walling
This map shows the buildings and businesses in Tunbridge. Can you find J. W. Smith's Boot and Shoe Shop? Or J. L. Hall's Black Smith Shop? What other buildings are in the village?
Zoom into the map at the Library of Congress to see the other villages in Orange County.
Explore More: Examine other county maps from the 1850s with detailed maps of villages
1869 Map of Bennington, Vermont, F. W. Beers
The black dots show buildings. The names show who lived in the buildings or owned the businesses. Compare this map that shows how Bennington developed with the 1749 lotting plan of Bennington.
1878 Map of Glover, Vermont, F. W. Beers
The town of Glover is divided into districts, shown in different colors. These are the school districts for the one-room school houses. How many schools did the town of Glover have in 1878?
Explore More: No Busses, No Electricity, No School Lunches! (PDF)
See similar maps from other Beers Atlases.
1885 Panoramic Map of Ludlow, Vermont, L. R. Burleigh
This map shows a panoramic, or bird's-eye view, of Ludlow. The numbers on the buildings and the key at the bottom show important places and businesses in the town. What type of factories were located in Ludlow in 1885?
Explore More: See this map and other Panoramic Maps at the Library of Congress.
1920 Map of Richford, Vermont, Sanborn Fire Insurance Company
The Sanborn Fire Insurance Company made maps of downtown areas to help set insurance rates. These maps show buildings and have many details about the towns. Can you figure out which buildings are houses and which are businesses?
Explore More: See this map and other Sanborn Maps at the Library of Congress.