History · Dorset

Dorset dates to 1761, and 33% of its homes were built before 1940

Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. What drives it

4 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 115 buildings between them. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 1790.

1761founded

4on the National Register

33%homes built before 1940

1old photo or paper

3famous people

Add an old photo Share a memory

From Dorset’s archive · credits on each photo

Quick answers

How Dorset began

When was Dorset founded?

1761

Dorset dates its founding to 1761 (Wikidata). It appears in the first U.S. census, 1790.

First census: 958 in 17902020 census: 2,133265 years

How historic is Dorset?

A⁺

Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓

Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1806.The full story ↓

History grade

What drives Dorset’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dorset is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs put Dorset near the top nationally; its age ranks highest.

A⁺

HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Dorset’s overall grade.

Founding era1761, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA⁺Homes built before 194033.4% of homes (±8.0) · typical VT town 22.4% · U.S. 8.4%A National Register4 listings, 122 historic buildings, 583 per 10,000 residents · typical VT town 147 · U.S. 2.4A

All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Among the top 1%

NewerOlder

Vermont towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Vermont town has 147 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Dorset’s 583 sits above most of its state (88% of Vermont towns have fewer) while its 122 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1761.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.0 points).

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Dorset’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.A historic districtThe Dorset Village Historic District takes in 100 historic buildings.On the map since 18943 editions of the USGS map, 1894 to 1997. Watch Dorset change.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Dorset, and 4 old place names are still on the map.

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Dorset’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Dorset’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

Retake an old viewWomen on rail cars in marble quarry, Do…: stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

On the National Register

4 listings protect 122 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed

National Historic Landmarks

none yet

historic buildings protected

122

each building in a district counts

first listed

1978

Kent Neighborhood Historic District

BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival3

Vernacular2

Federal2

Italianate1

Federal Revival1

Colonial Revival1

Kent Neighborhood Historic DistrictItalianate

Manley-Lefevre HouseFederal · Built 1820

Wilson HouseGreek Revival · Built 1987

All 4 listings

Dorset Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1985

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

On the map

Dorset on the map, 1894 to 1997

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Dorset. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

1894Pawlet sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Dorset.

The story

How Dorset came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Dorset.

Read it all →

Through a series of treaties, native tribes had surrendered title to large areas of land. Subsequently, the Provincial Governor of New Hampshire had provided land grants west of the Connecticut River in land that was also claimed by the Province of New York. Strife was created by New York attempting to enforce its legitimate claim to government on settlers who had in good faith purchased land titles from New Hampshire. The King upon the advice of the Privy Council decreed a settlement that was not followed by the Governor and Legislature of New York.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Dorset, 1761 to 1987

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

18th century
1761
FoundingDorset is established
1793Born hereLeonard Sargeant is born here
19th century
1802Born hereSamuel Cram Jackson is born here
1806Post officeThe Dorset post office opens
1820BuiltManley-Lefevre House is built
1826Post officeThe East Dorset post office opens
1835Born hereTruman Howe Bartlett is born here
1841Post officeThe North Dorset post office opens
1894On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
20th century
1907In the archiveWomen on rail cars in marble quarry, Dorset, Vermont - postcard
1907Post officeThe North Dorset post office closes
1987BuiltWilson House is built

By decade

Dorset, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s1 item

1907–1915Women on rail cars in marble quarry, Dorset, Vermont …Postcard

1910s–1990snothing yet

Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Add from your album

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Retake this viewWomen on rail cars in marble quarry, Dorset, Vermont - postcard, 1907–1915

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Dorset’s page.

Retake this view · +15

People over time

Dorset, census by census

Between 958 and 2,195 people in every census since 1790.

24 censuses, 1790–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Dorset’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Dorset

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →

Truman Howe BartlettAmerican sculptor · b. 1835

Leonard SargeantAmerican politician · b. 1793

Samuel Cram JacksonAmerican Congregational minister · b. 1802

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Dorset’s post office has been open since 1806. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Dorset

1806–today

East Dorset

1826–today

North Dorset

1841–1907

South Dorset

1847–1986

18001910today

Hamlets and corners on the map

East DorsetFreedleyvilleNorth DorsetSouth Dorset

Gone or out of use

Freedley QuarrymineMaynard SawmilllocaleNorth Dorset FarmslocaleSchool Number 12school

13cemeteries and burying grounds inside Dorset

Bowen HillCollsonGiffordHazeltonMaple HillMaple HillMcDonaldMorse HillNorth DorsetOld CatholicSaint JeromeSouth DorsetSouth Village

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Danby1 historic placeA Mount TaborIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town Manchester8 historic placesA Rupert2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town PeruIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town WinhallIts storyC⁺

Questions about Dorset’s history

What year was Dorset founded?

In 1761, according to Wikidata. Dorset’s post office opened in 1806, and the first U.S. census counted 958 people here in 1790.

How does Dorset rank for history?

Dorset is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Dorset?

4 listings: 2 buildings and 2 historic districts, the Kent Neighborhood Historic District and the Dorset Village Historic District, with 115 contributing buildings. 122 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Dorset?

33% of Dorset’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.0 points), against a typical 22% for a Vermont town; the median home was built in 1972.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →

Start a conversation

Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (22), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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