The Division for Historic Preservation is the public agency
designated to be the advocate for historic and prehistoric properties
in Vermont. The state has a rich heritage of historic resources,
ranging from 10,000-year-old Native American sites to rambling
19th century farm complexes, to railroad-spawned villages of
the 1870s, to gleaming streamlined diners built to serve auto-borne
patrons of the 1930s. Each of these buildings, structures, and
sites is important for what it can tell us about our history.
Prehistoric archaeological sites supply information on the
lives of the original inhabitants of Vermont, who have no
written records to speak for them. Standing buildings and
structures may be important because of their significant architectural
design and fine materials and craftsmanship or because they
illustrate an important aspect of history. Often, however,
they also tell the stories of everyday life that were never
written down.
Historic structures, through their locations, architectural
features, and historical associations, testify to patterns
of Vermont life in the late 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries
and serve as the visible reminders of the occupations, activities,
philosophies, and priorities of Vermonters who came before
us. It is the role of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation
to protect and preserve these links to our collective past.
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