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A look inside the small town of East Bethel, VT

A look inside the small town of East Bethel, VT. Amanda Angell. Town History:.

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A look inside the small town of East Bethel, VT

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  1. A look inside the small town ofEast Bethel, VT Amanda Angell

  2. Town History: • East Bethel was established in 1779. VT Route 14, one of the oldest roads in Vermont runs through the center of town, and the Middle Branch of the White River, travels through the west side. These two landmarks made East Bethel a great place for businesses to bloom. The town was once made up of houses, farms, a store, a pub, a church, a mill, a school, and a grange hall as well as other various places of interest. With the growth of cities and shopping malls in Vermont, the size and popularity of the town has diminished. The grange hall and the church are the only businesses that still function in this town, but the evidence of great undertakings are still there. (Bethel Vermont's History)

  3. Town map: VT Route 14 East Bethel Road East Bethel Church The Octagon White River Home of Don Hyde Factory Hill Rd East Bethel Lumber Mill East Bethel Grange Hall (Map of East Bethel, VT)

  4. East Bethel Lumber Mill The dam that powers the mill The equipment that is still inside

  5. Lumber Mill (cont.) • Built around 1800, the mill was hydro powered, as it sits next to a dam in the Middle Branch of the White river. • The sawmill is a simple post and beam structure with a slanted roof • The mill was redesigned by J.M Booth and rebuilt in the 1960’s. While half of the building has collapsed, the other half still stands with much of the mill equipment still inside of it. The upper portion of the mill has been converted into living spaces. • This building provided jobs for many of the residents of East Bethel, as well as it provided much of the lumber used to build many of the other buildings in this town, the East Bethel Grange Hall for example. • The mill was the foundation of the town during this time. The mill allowed for easy access of materials. This is one of the oldest buildings in the town, and it’s function allowed for an active community to form around it. • Looking at this building it is obvious to see that much use has come out of this structure. However, the upkeep of the building has been minimal. Part of the structure has fallen down, and with time the rest will most likely follow. (Hyde, 2009)

  6. Exposed beams Home of Don HydeMember of the Bethel Historical Society Bay window

  7. House (cont.) • This building was built around 1800, and was designed by Elishia Fowler. • The design of the building is a vertical plank wall and an early cape design. • Originally, this house went with the mill previously described across the road. It has since been divided to separate owners. The inside of this house has been completely remodeled, but the original exposed beams still stand out in this old home • This is one of the oldest houses in East Bethel, and being originally part of the mill, makes it a pretty special building. • The use of lumber in this building goes hand in hand with the mill across the street. Lumber was an easily accessible item, so it is no surprise that other materials are lacking in this structure. (Hyde, 2009)

  8. East Bethel Community Church

  9. Church (cont.) • This church was built in 1824. It was designed by many members of the community, but Soloman Burnham was the head designer. • This brick church is accented with white wood trim and steeple and stained glass windows. • The original cost of this building was $1,060. • This is the only church in East Bethel. The next nearest church on route 14 is miles north or south, so it made a convenient place for residents of other towns to gather. • This building was made from bricks that were manufactured at a brickyard in South Randolph, just one town up from East Bethel. Again, easy access to these materials, leaves no wonder as to why they were used. There are several houses in East Bethel, including one right next door, that is also made of brick, so it is clear to see that during this era, this material was very popular. (Hyde, 2009)

  10. The Octagon New library Octagonal shape Blackboard Book shelves

  11. Octagon (cont.) • The Octagon was built in 1842. • This building has an extraordinarily unique design. This eight sided design was used to allow for more space in this one room building. It is made from wood alone, but sits on a brick foundation. • The Octagon served as a schoolhouse for many years. In the interior photos, you can see a blackboard that was used and bookshelves filled with old books. A kitchen, library, and office have been added on more recently, but the octagonal shape still remains. More recently, the octagon has been bought by the church, and is now used to host Sunday school classes, as well as other church functions. • This building is the key characteristic of this town. When you ask someone if they know where East Bethel is, they will reply no. But when you ask them if the know where the Octagon is, the will know exactly where you are talking about. Many of the residents who live in this town have ancestors that went to this school, so it is very important to many of the residents. (Hyde, 2009)

  12. East Bethel Grange HallHome of the Middle Branch Grange #463 Gamrel roof Balcony Stage

  13. Grange Hall (cont.) • This building was built in 1912. • This building shows a more modern style than when compared to the rest. The building is mostly made of wood, but it sits on a concrete foundation. The roof is of gambrel design, typical of what normally is found on barns. The gambrel roof of this building allows for room for the stage and balcony that are in the upper part of the building. This stage hosts many speakers, plays and other performances to this day for many different organizations. • Since the original building was built, a woodshed and anteroom have been added on to make room for additional space. • This building was designed for a place for the Grange to meet. The grange is an organization based upon agriculture, with similar rituals to that of the Masons. • This is one of the only civil buildings that is still used for it’s intended purpose in East Bethel. It is home to the Middle Branch Grange, and allows a place for community members to have large gatherings. To this day it is a very important aspect to the East Bethel Community (Hyde, 2009)

  14. Bibliography Bethel Vermont's History. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2009, from Bethel Historical Society: http://bethelvermont.com/cgi-bin/town/history.html Hyde, D. (2009, December 5). History of East Bethel. (A. Angell, Interviewer) Map of East Bethel, VT. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2009, from Mapquest: http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=East+Bethel&state=VT&country=US&latitude=43.873299&longitude=-72.584702&geocode=CITY

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