Green Mountain Heritage

Building along Main Street

"The first house built on Main Street was at 58 South Main Street. Once part of a large farm extending east to Paine Mountain and west to the present railroad tracks, the house was built by Justis Burnham and his sonin law John Green. The present house is on the site of the original building of which only a small part, the ell, remains. When William Nichols and Roxanna Herrick were married in 1828 they began life together here which lasted fifty-eight years. Their farmhouse then stood on a high bank far above the road which since has been raised about fifteen feet by grading off the bank. William Nichols was a well-to-do farmer and made a handsome profit when the railroad came to Northfield by selling off his large farm for building lots.

Roxanna, known in her later years as 'Aunt Roxy' (she died at the age of 84) was a tailoress and plied her trade from house to house. She had young women working with her as apprentices.

"William Nichols died in 1863; he and Roxanna are buried in Elmwood Cemetery.

"Another long-time owner of this house was Dr. Samuel F. Howard who bought it in 1914. A professor of Chemistry at Norwich University, Dr. Howard lived in this house until his death in 1963. *1

"The second house, at 72 South Main Street, was built about 1814 by Ambrose Nichols, Northfield's jolly mail carrier. For many years it was known as the 'Red House.' Moses Lane, a Yankee trader and a jack of all trades, bought the house from Rev. Calvin Granger in 1832 and lived there for many years.

"Miss Maria Howes, a dressmaker, also lived there for a long time. In more recent years, Miss Maude Louise Howes 'whose forebears were among the illustrious founders of the town of Northfield,' a fact in which she took considerable pride, lived there.

William D. Hassett owned this house in the 50's and 60's and died there. *2

"The third house built at 65 Main Street, is considered as part of Center Village. It was used as the Methodist parsonage and the addition was used for prayer meeting. This house where William Hassett was born and grew up as one of eight children is now located in the center and houses the Norwich Alumni Office. *3

"The fourth house was built as a home for the governor (Paine) and his mother. At that time it had extensive grounds enclosed by a white picket fence and attractive outbuildings, all originally at the intersection of Slate Avenue and South Main Street. When the Brown Public Library was built, the house was moved north to its present location, now the home of the Northfield Historical Society.*4

"In 1840, during the national campaign for 'Tippecanoe and Tyler too,' Charles Paine built a log cabin which he mounted on wheels and had driven to Burlington. Hard cider was served from door to door to all who cheered for the Whig candidates. This caused a great sensation wherever the cabin passed.

"An excerpt from the Burlington Times gave a contemporary description of this great event:

'…was a beautiful log cabin from Northfield, mounted on wheels and drawn by 12 superb grays, decorated with flags and festoons. This team, we're told, belongs to an honest yeoman in Brookfield, and is ordinarily engaged in transporting produce to Boston but said of the patriotic owner, this is the proudest load that ever my team was attached, and to the country the most profitable. Without rein or check, these noble steeds promptly responded to the 'Gee up! Whoa, Dobbin' of the brave mountaineer who directed them.

"The cabin itself was a fine one, constructed of peeled logs, twenty feet by ten, covered with bark, fitted up with paper curtains, a rough door and a leather string, which hung out. The antlers of a noble stag graced one peak, while the outer covering of some unlucky coon stretched upon the gable bespoke the fate of sub treasures and cornfield poachers. The tenement too, was well filled with the early tenants of log cabins, and bore this significant motto, 'The people are coming!' Exclamations were heard from every rank by the surrounding thousands, with three times three for old Washington, Paine and the Northfield cabin.

*1. The original Nichols house is now 341 South Main Street, owned by Sharon Bjornberg.

*2. The Ambrose Nichols house, later owned by William D. Hassett, at 423 South Main Street, is now owned by Ken and Christine McCann.

* 3. Relocated to Norwich University.

*4. Home of Charles Paine, (relocated from 93 South Main the site of the Brown Public Library), later the American Legion, now the Historical Society, 75 South Main Street.