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History · Lowell

Lowell dates to 1787, and 28% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 18 old photos and papers, maps from 1920 on, and the census since 1820.

1787founded
0on the National Register
28%homes built before 1940
18old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Lowell’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Lowell began

When was Lowell founded?

1787

Lowell dates its founding to 1787 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1820.

First census: 144 in 18202020 census: 887239 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1819.The full story ↓

What stands out about Lowell’s past

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

A town in old photos18 old photos, postcards and papers.On the map since 19203 editions of the USGS map, 1920 to 1986. Watch Lowell change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1787: 239 years of Lowell.
★ What stands out · By decade

Lowell, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s18 items
Vermont church at Lowell, Vermont1936Vermont church at Lowell, VermontErosion near Lowell, Vermont1936Erosion near Lowell, VermontGeneral store. Lowell, Vermont1936General store. Lowell, VermontBragg show announcement1936Bragg show announcementOld farmhouse near Lowell, Vermont1936Old farmhouse near Lowell, VermontRound barn near Lowell, Vermont1936Round barn near Lowell, VermontRound barn near Lowell, Vermont1936Round barn near Lowell, VermontOld farmhouse and privy. Lowell, Vermont1936Old farmhouse and privy. Lowell, VermontFarm boy and horse east of Lowell, Vermont1936Farm boy and horse east of Lowell, VermontUntitled photo, possibly related to: Erosion near Lowell, Vermont1936Untitled photo, possibly related to: Erosion near Low…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Erosion near Lowell, Vermont1936Untitled photo, possibly related to: Erosion near Low…Old iron kettle as watering trough. Near Lowell, Vermont1936Old iron kettle as watering trough. Near Lowell, Verm…Old hog watering trough along side the road near Lowell, Vermont1936Old hog watering trough along side the road near Lowe…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farm boy and horse east of Lowell, Vermont1936Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farm boy and hor…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farm boy and horse east of Lowell, Vermont1936Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farm boy and hor…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farm boy and horse east of Lowell, Vermont1936Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farm boy and hor…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farm boy and horse east of Lowell, Vermont1936Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farm boy and hor…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farm boy and horse east of Lowell, Vermont1936Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farm boy and hor…
1940s–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
On the map

Lowell on the map, 1920 to 1986

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

Lowell on the 1920 USGS mapLowell on the 1953 USGS mapLowell on the 1986 USGS map1920Irasburg 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 Lowell.

Timeline

Lowell, 1787 to 1936

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1787
    FoundingLowell is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1819Post officeThe Kellyvale post office opens
  5. 1831Post officeThe Kellyvale post office closes
  6. 1831Post officeThe Lowell post office opens
  7. 1843Born hereMartha Ripley is born here
  8. 1848Born hereFrederick W. Baldwin is born here
  9. 20th century
  10. 1920On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 1936In the archiveVermont church at Lowell, Vermont
The story

How Lowell came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lowell.

Read it all →

Lowell was chartered in 1787 by Governor Thomas Chittenden to John Kelley in 1787, for whom it was named Kellyvale. The first people other than the Native Americans to come to Lowell was in 1778 when the area was surveyed, preparatory to Col. John Hazen constructing a road to Canada for military purposes. This road was abandoned at what is now named Hazen’s Notch on Route 58.

The first settlers were Major Caldwell and family from Barre, Massachusetts in 1806. The town was formally organized in 1812, the same year the first school began with twelve students.

In 1831 the name was changed to Lowell; the origin remains uncertain.

The town grew from 144 people in 1820 with an average age of 17, to 413 in 1840 with an average age of 12.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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.

Vermont church at Lowell, Vermont
Retake this viewVermont church at Lowell, Vermont, 1936

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Lowell, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001850190019502000Peak: 1,178

Between 144 and 1,178 people in every census since 1820.

21 censuses, 1820–2020.

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Lowell

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

See all →
Martha RipleyAmerican physician · b. 1843
Frederick W. BaldwinAmerican politician · b. 1848
Places that used to be

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

Lowell’s post office has been open since 1831. Another post office, Kellyvale, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Kellyvale
1819–1831
Lowell
1831–today
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Tillotson Mill
Gone or out of use
Lowell Post Officepost officeShortsleve Mink Farmlocale
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Lowell
MountainviewOld CatholicSaint Ignatius

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

Help out

Finish Lowell’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewVermont church at Lowell, Vermont: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

EdenIts storyB−Albany1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townMontgomery9 historic placesA−WestfieldIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townIrasburg2 historic placesB+

Questions about Lowell’s history

What year was Lowell founded?

In 1787, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Lowell’s post office opened in 1819, and the census of 1820 counted 144 people here.

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From the Library of Congress (18), 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.