National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Maple Hill Farm

Knight, Brian

A National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Maple Hill Farm. Narrative Description Summary Paragraph: "Located in Vermont's Connecticut River Valley, Maple Hill Farm encompasses approximately 41.7 acres in the town of Norwich in Windsor County, Vermont. Maple Hill Farm is a farmstead located on a large rolling hillside less than mile north of the Norwich. The historic integrity and physical character of the land, with its mixture of hilly and open land, provides a vista of primarily unspoiled. The natural landscape elements are complemented by cultural features such as tree lines, field patterns, and stonewalls. The house is a finely detailed, wood-frame, Georgian-style house dating from the late eighteenth century. There are also several detached agricultural outbuildings. The house retains exterior Georgian features such as hipped, central chimney and an overhanging boxed eaves with crown molding, fascia and fine dentil course and corner boards. The interior first floor retains Georgian features such as two relatively equal size parlors flanking a center stair hall. These two front rooms retain original fabric such as wood paneling, wine closet and wainscoting. There are two chimney stacks symmetrically positioned on either side of the center stair hall between the flanking rooms. Maple Hill Farm retains integrity of location, setting, materials, workmanship, design, feeling and association. The individual buildings hold relatively high degrees of integrity and the surrounding agricultural landscape remains intact. Generally, the property continues to convey a strong sense of its agricultural heritage." Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph: "Maple Hill Farms retains a high level of both physical and visual integrity that conveys the story of its growth and development from the late eighteenth century to 1966. The house was built by Peter Olcott, an early settler, Revolutionary War veteran and Lieutenant Governor of Vermont. Maple Hill Farm qualifies under Criterion A, as it is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. With the well-preserved farmhouse and other ancillary agricultural structures, the property features well-delineated fields and tree lines that date to the early nineteenth century. The farmstead portrays the evolution of Vermont agriculture over the past two hundred and twenty years. Maple Hill Farm qualifies for National Register listing under Criterion B, as the farm served as the primary home of Peter Olcott. Olcott was instrumental during the Revolutionary War, commanding troops during Burgoyne's 1777 invasion of the north. He served on the Governor's Council during Vermont's tenure as an independent republic. He was sent as an emissary to the Continental Congress to petition for Vermont's statehood and was Vermont's first Lieutenant Governor when Vermont was finally admitted as the 14th state. Maple Hill Farm meets Criterion C as an intact historic farmstead (see Narrative Description Summary Paragraph for details). The East and West Barns possess simple, functional designs reflecting the agricultural practices of the time. They are general-purpose barns and were intended for basic animal shelter and storage purposes, housing the livestock and hay on the first floor. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction and contributes to Vermont's agricultural, settlement and education history. The period of significance begins c. 189, the date of construction of the earliest contributing resource, and concludes in 1966." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (grant number P17AF00049).

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Maple Hill Farm

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