and Catherine Goldsmith
In the fall of 2021, I met Marcella Hain, a graduate student at UVM’s Department of Historic Preservation. Just beginning her capstone project, she was going door to door in Hinesburg to gather information about historic trees in the village. She introduced me to an amazing resource for Hinesburg history.
In the late 1970s, students from the department did an exhaustive study of Hinesburg leading to a nomination for the State Historic Register. If you live an older home in this town, it is well worth a look to learn more about the buildings and local families.
The 1980 Hinesburg State Register Nomination Form includes black and white photographs of almost every pre-1940 structure in Hinesburg with details about the construction date, previous owners and architectural information.
The document is hundreds of pages long so “form” is a bit of a misnomer.
Printed, it would make an interesting book! Before examining the records, we were told our home was said to have been built in 1870 but the database takes the history back to 1814 and also has a lovely photo from when Dr. Louis Wainer’s office was open for business. I really enjoy learning about the history of our town and helping to preserve some of that built history for newer residents to appreciate.
You can discover this treasure trove by going to tinyurl.com/HinesburgHistoricRegister
Sources for the research included conversations with Ora Marie Lambert, town librarian; Joyce Devoid, Martha Tracy, Henry Murray, Henry Carse and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Francis (all 1976-1977).
Marcella Hain’s project can be viewed at tinyurl.com/HinesburgWalkTour
Happy sleuthing, Hinesburgers!