Historic Site Marker for Old Deerfield

On June 30th the non-profit Crown Point Road Association is sponsoring an affordable motor coach daytrip to a western Massachusetts village that is rich in pre-Revolutionary American heritage.

Historic Deerfield is a museum of history, art and architecture located along a mile-long street laid out in 1671 and still lined with 18th- and 19th-century houses on their original sites.  Historic Deerfield’s eleven museum houses range in date from the 1730s to the 1840s and most are shown on the hour during guided tours that last approximately one-half hour each.  Inside visitors find one of the best public collections of art and antiques in America while exploring the lifestyle of early New England in a working village of endless beauty.  An orientation film is shown throughout the day at the Visitor Center at Hall Tavern. For a map of Old Deerfield see: 

http://www.historic-deerfield.org/files/hd/docs/visitor-map.pdf

Mr. Brook Aldrich of Florence, Vermont has agreed to provide his personal insights as an introduction to our day in Deerfield, customized for Vermonters.

Reserving a seat on the motor coach costs $36.00 per person or $70 per couple.  The price of each seat includes round-trip transportation and a general admission ticket to Historic Deerfield. To reserve your seat(s), please send full payment payable to the Crown Point Road Association at the following address:

Jim Rowe, 7926 Main Road, Huntington VT 05462

If you have any questions, please call Jim Rowe at (802)434-7415 or email mtnsidemaple@gmavt.net

Pickup Locations: Rutland Town Municipal Office, 181 Business Rte 4, Center Rutland, VT, Departs 8:00 a.m. (sharp)

Park & Ride, Springfield, VT; US 5 & VT 11, near Exit 7, Interstate 91, Departs 9:05 a.m. to Deerfield 

Water, soda, and light snacks will be available for free on the motor coach.   Lunch is not included, but riders are welcome to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at Deerfield.  In addition, vending machines for soda and snacks are located behind the Hall Tavern Visitor Center in the Harry Brown Barn.  The charming Deerfield Inn at the center of the village includes Champney’s Restaurant and Tavern where lunch is served from Noon until 2:30 p.m.

The work of the all-volunteer Crown Point Road Association keeps alive the heritage of the military road that was built to connect 18^th century forts on Lake Champlain to New England forts on the Connecticut River.           

A Depiction of the 1704 Raid on Deerfield, Massacusetts (Lippincott)

The Raid on Deerfield occurred during Queen Anne’s War on February 29, 1704, when French and Native American forces under the command of Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville attacked the English settlement just before dawn, burning part of the town and killing 56 villagers.  A portion of the original village of Deerfield has been preserved as a living history museum; among its relics is a door bearing tomahawk marks from the 1704 raid.

Landowner Dave Mills (Right) in Discussion with Ivy Powers (Left), Jim Moore and Brook Aldrich (Center).

Cellar Hole Ruins on the Mill's Property

Carol & Brook Aldrich lead a well attended hike on the Dave Mill’s property in Florence to open the 2012 season of events for the Crown Point Road Association. Many thanks to Mr. Mills for allowing Association members and attendees access to his land and for his assistance in guiding the hike.

The Mill’s property, which is located between CPR Markers #46 and #47, is the site of a number of cellar hole ruins which are well preserved. 

20th Century Marble Quarry Opening, "Sterling Quarry" ?

The property is located within an area of Florence (Town of Pittsford) which was extensively prospected and quarried during the 20th century. Hikers passed by an abandoned 20th century quarry opening, possibly known as the “Sterling” Quarry , along the route of the hike. Large scale quarrying was conducted by the Vermont Marble Company on land to the south of the Mill’s property, including the Hollister Quarry which, to date, holds claim as being the deepest marble dimension stone quarry in the world.

CPRA Vice President Barry Griffith has served as the catalyst for adding this type of “enhanced” content to our website. Barry’s great interest in Lt. John Small and his diligent research on Small’s fascinating military career provided the Association with an expose’ that simply had to be published in some form. Indeed, in posting Barry’s story of John Small as the website admin/editor, I have personally gained a much broader perspective on why the military road was constructed and why the Crown Point Road was of such importance in the military strategy of prominent historical figures such as Lieutenant (later Major General) John Small.

General John Small at the Battle of Bunker Hill - The Death of General Warren (Trumbull, 1786)

John Small’s recommendations for improvements to the initial route of the Crown Point Road were based on his personal, and sometimes laborious, travels along the road. He was evidently a diligent planner and he enlisted those most experienced in road building, including a highly qualified military surveyor, to accompany him as he scouted potential routes in order to improve the Crown Point Road. His observations and recommendations were described in detail to his commanding officer Jeffrey Amherst and, by means of these dispatches which remain as part of the historical record today, John Small’s important role in the construction of the old military road is documented.

For me, John Small’s communique’s lead me on a journey through the hills and woodlands of Vermont where my ancestors settled, and to which I was born. I too have traveled on snowshoes through these same hills in impossibly deep snow and I have felt the cold winter in much the same way.

There is an entire book to be written on the exploits of John Small. He led a seemingly charmed life for a career military officer in the British Army extending way beyond the near total devastation of the Black Watch Regiment of which he was a member during the first Battle of Ticonderoga. His story could well have ended there indeed.

The stories of the many others who played a critical role in the construction of the old military road need to be told as well, and my sense is that we will all gain a greater level of understanding regarding the rich history of the Crown Point Road through the Featured Biographies coming soon to “The Road Builders” at www.crownpointroad.org

Jim Purdy (Admin.)

The 1776 road that was built between Mount Independence and the Otter Creek falls at Rutland had an important military past. But will its route eventually be ignored or will it be re-discovered and remembered by future peacetime generations? Many Vermont residents hope that it will someday be mapped using modern technologies. Mapping the +30-mile route would honor the efforts of the road-building patriots whose efforts contributed to the American victory in the War for Independence.

A half-dozen speakers will each devote about three minutes apiece to discussing the route of this ancient road as it crossed through each township: Orwell, Benson, Hubbardton, Castleton, West Rutland, and Rutland Town. The discussion leaders are (west-to-east) Steve Zeoli, Jim Rowe, Carl Fuller (our host), Tom Hughes, Jim Moore, and Elaine Purdy. The most research into the history and location of the road was conducted and gathered during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s by the late Joseph and Mabel Wheeler of Benson. Their papers were given to the Vermont Historical Society.

It is hoped that teachers of history, scout leaders, historical society members, property owners, town officials, history buffs, and hikers will attend the October 29 meeting. The November-December issue of VERMONT Magazine will include an article about the Hubbardton Military Road.

The year 2011 marks 235 years since the Hubbardton Military Road was constructed, providing overland access between the 1776 patriot fort at Mount Independence on Lake Champlain and the 1759 Crown Point Road at Rutland.

Free refreshments will be available. Anyone with a question may telephone Tom Hughes at 802-388-2967.

Marker Near the Original Homesite of Early Settler John Coffeen

The Crown Point Road Association’s September 10 hike in Cavendish was held despite flood- damaged roads caused by tropical storm Irene. It actually provided an opportunity for hikers to assess marker damage in the area.

Joe Pasquariello, hike leader, provided commentary on the early sites and settlements to be visited. Starting at the location of early settler, John Coffeen, the group traveled to Coffeen’s later home and the cemetery that bears his family name as designated by Marker #29A.

 Nearby homeowners, the Durkins, offered additional information.

Mr. Durkin, Owner of Coffeen's Later Homesite

Hikers then took the South Reading Road and headed to Marker #30. Their walk was documented by some well-preserved old signs and they located a number of cellar holes.

Hikers Pass Marker #30

The tour continued on to Marker #31 which had been washed out some and passed Marker #32 on 20-mile Stream Road. The final destination was Marker #33 in Plymouth. Some hikers camped overnight at member Belle McKnight’s Meadow Brook Campground.

Joe Pasquariello, Offering Commentary

In spite of all the devastation in the area it was apparent that the markers had survived. However, Becky Tucker and Dan Keebler, concerned about the two original markers, #18 and #22, set out the next day to do a survey and found that only #18 had seen much flooding and was undamaged.

CPRA President Jim Rowe at Marker #32

News in terms of loss and damage to Vermont’s historical resources continues to trickle in from the Communities hardest hit, and still isolated, by the flood. Reported damage to date includes the tragic loss of priceless documents and artifacts from the Danby Historical Society. Future reports of such irreparable losses from other Communities are almost certain to come.

To end this difficult week on a brighter note, I am glad to advise you that all of the covered bridges in Proctor and Pittsford are still standing on their foundations. Damage has yet to be assessed for those bridges which are still part of our road infrastructure, but as of this date the Gorham Bridge, Cooley Bridge, Depot Bridge, and Hammond Bridge are all intact.

The High Water of Otter Creek Laps at the Base of CPR Marker #45B

The Otter Creek had Already Crested When this Photo of the Hammond Bridge was Taken on 8/29

The 2011 edition of the CPRA’s annual auto tour, which runs from monument to monument, was held on August 14. This is the tour’s 5th year and it has proven to be quite popular due to ease of access and the open forum which it provides for all to discuss local history and their personal experiences.

Tour Leader Jim Moore Greets Participants at Clarendon Village

CPRA President Jim Rowe Speaks at Marker #41A about Socialborough and the Valuable Work of CPRA Surveyor and Historian Al Ransom

Mead's Falls in Center Rutland

CPRA Historian Elaine Purdy Speaks in Center Rutland about Early Settlement and Industry at Mead's Falls

Jim Moore Speaks in Proctor Village about Marble Marker #44

At Marker #45 in Proctor (near Gorham Bridge) Jim Moore (standing knee-deep in poison ivy) Points Toward the Ruins of the Early Homesite of Roger Stevens

At the Completion of the 2011 Auto Tour, Historian Bill Powers Speaks about the Early Settlers of Pittsford at CPR Marker #45B, Near the Location of Pitt's Ford (Hammond Covered Bridge in Background)

The July 16th hike, the CPRA’s first along a rarely explored stretch of the 1776 Mount Independence – Hubbardton Military Road (which connects with the old Crown Point Military Road), was well attended on a hot summer day in Vermont. A photo gallery of the hike follows:

Hike organizer Tom Hughes wishes to thank the following for their assistance in coordinating this event:

Jim Rowe & Jim Moore from the CPRA.

Private landowners Marsdon, Cornwell & Friese, Balch, and Anderson.

Mark Bushnell for his great article in the 7/10 Sunday Rutland Herald and Times Argus.

We are grateful to the staff representing the Hubbardton Battlefield Historic Site, to reception hostess Jeanette Hughes and her daughter Susan Curtis, as well as Gordon for helping with the shuttling of hikers.

And finally, we thank the VT Historical Society for their cooperation in supplying the earlier work of Joseph and Mabel Wheeler.

Gallery Photo Credit: Philip R. Jordan, VERMONT Magazine

Hikers Pause at the Unknown Revolutionary Soldier's Grave in Mount Holly.

(Posted by Admin., Photos and Content by Becky Tucker and Barb Griffith)

On June 11, 2011 CPRA members were joined by a group of Green Mountain Club members for the hike from Marker #34 to the Coolidge Home Site. The hike, which commenced at Vermont’s own “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”, drew a group of 33 dedicated souls willing to spend a very rainy day outside.

Sign Marking One of the More Notable and Long Abandoned Cellar Holes Visited Along the Route of the Hike.

The hike was held in conjunction with the GMC’s annual meeting. Many of their scheduled hikes at higher elevations in the Green Mountains were canceled due to the poor weather conditions, but a group of GMC members, undaunted by the rain, joined in on this hike.

Hikers Pause at the 1780 Coolidge Home Site Located on the Crown Point Road in the Town of Plymouth.

Participants on this hike were treated to a visit to the site of Captain John Coolidge’s homesite, Circa 1780. Thereby tracing the roots of our 30′th President, John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. and his early family history in Vermont. Capt. John Coolidge was the great, great grandfather of President Coolidge.

Elaine