Theron Boyd House

This Federal style house, built in 1786, has undergone little alteration and is one of the finest houses from this period in Vermont. It was built by William Burtch, whose father came to Hartford, Vermont, from Stonington, Connecticut, about 1766, and Burtch eventually owned some 500 acres. The brick ell, constructed circa 1830 for James Udall, was originally two stories; a lightning strike in 1936 burned most of the second story. Theron Boyd, who acquired title to the house and 30 acres from his grandmother, preserved the property and became a Vermont folk hero by resisting the mounting pressures of real estate development in Vermont. Original architectural features of the 1786 main block include 12 light over 12 light sash, a Connecticut River Valley style double leaf frontispiece and multiple panel secondary doors, split pine clapboards with feathered end joints that retain traces of original ochre paint and are affixed by wrought butterfly head nails, a double denticulated cornice with traces of original white paint, and a massive centrally located brick chimney for fireplaces. The 1830 brick ell is laid in a common bond pattern with a row of header bricks in the tenth course, and its tall brick chimney served the summer kitchen while its three arched bays were for carriages.

Hartford, Vermont · United States