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A+History
History · Morrisville

Morrisville dates to 1798, and 40% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 96% of U.S. towns. What drives it

2 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 16 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1900.

1798founded
2on the National Register
40%homes built before 1940
16old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Morrisville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Morrisville began

When was Morrisville founded?

1798

Morrisville dates its founding to 1798 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 1,262 in 19002020 census: 2,086228 years

How historic is Morrisville?

A+

More historic than 96% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1834.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Morrisville’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Morrisville is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.

A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Morrisville’s overall grade.
Founding era1798, from Wikipedia: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194039.6% of homes (±8.4) · typical VT town 22.4% · U.S. 8.4%ANational Register2 listings, 86 historic buildings, 323 per 10,000 residents · typical VT town 147 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 96%
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 Morrisville’s 323 sits above most of its state (80% of Vermont towns have fewer) while its 86 historic buildings outnumber those of 88% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1798.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.4 points).

Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Morrisville’s past

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

Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1887 to 1922, drew every building in Morrisville.A town in old photos16 old photos, postcards and papers, 1889–1936.Deep rootsEstablished in 1798: 228 years of Morrisville.
★ What stands out · Every building

Morrisville, building by building, 1887–1922

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Morrisville fire insurance map, 1887, sheet 11887Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

By decade

Morrisville, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s2 items
Morrisville, Vt1889Morrisville, VtMorrisville, Vt1889Morrisville, Vt
1890s–1920snothing 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
1930s14 items
Band at the annual fair, Morrisville, Vermont, by Carl Mydans, United States Resettlement Adminstration, August1936, fr…1936Band at the annual fair, Morrisville, Vermont, by Car…Scene at the annual fair, Morrisville, Vermont, by Carl Mydans, United States Resettlement Adminstration, August, 1936,…1936Scene at the annual fair, Morrisville, Vermont, by Ca…Scenes at the annual fair, Morrisville, Vermont, by Carl Mydans, United States Resettlement Adminstration, August, 1936…1936Scenes at the annual fair, Morrisville, Vermont, by C…Tin-type photographer at Morrisville, Vermont fair, by Carl Mydans, United States Resettlement Adminstration, August, 1…1936Tin-type photographer at Morrisville, Vermont fair, b…Tintype photographer at Morrisville, Vermont fair1936Tintype photographer at Morrisville, Vermont fairFarmer's cooperative1936Farmer's cooperativeFair day1936Fair dayScenes at the annual fair1936Scenes at the annual fairScene at the annual fair1936Scene at the annual fairBand at the annual fair1936Band at the annual fairTin-type photographer at Morrisville, Vermont fair1936Tin-type photographer at Morrisville, Vermont fairUntitled photo, possibly related to: Farmer's cooperative1936Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farmer's coopera…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farmer's cooperative1936Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farmer's coopera…Farm families come prepared to live at the fair1936Farm families come prepared to live at the fair
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
Timeline

Morrisville, 1798 to 1986

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1798
    FoundingMorrisville is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1849Born hereMartha Poland Thurston is born here
  5. 1889In the archiveMorrisville, Vt
  6. 1893Born hereAlban James Parker is born here
  7. 20th century
  8. 1930On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1936In the archiveBand at the annual fair, Morrisville, Vermont, by Carl Mydans, United States Resettlement…
  10. 1956Born hereChris Andrews is born here
  11. 1986Born hereHannah Dreissigacker is born here
The story

How Morrisville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Morrisville.

Read it all →

Morrisville was settled in 1798. The Morrisville Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The hospital and one of the country clubs are named after Alexander Copley, a philanthropist who donated much of the money for their construction. Copley also donated a large sum of money for the construction of the town's high school that is currently called Peoples Academy.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

On the map

Morrisville on the map, 1930 to 1999

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

Morrisville on the 1930 USGS mapMorrisville on the 1943 USGS mapMorrisville on the 1953 USGS mapMorrisville on the 1986 USGS mapMorrisville on the 1999 USGS map1930Hyde Park 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 Morrisville.

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.

Morrisville, Vt
Retake this viewMorrisville, Vt, 1889

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

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 listings protect 86 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
86
each building in a district counts

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

People over time

Morrisville, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 2,116

Between 1,262 and 2,116 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Morrisville

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

See all →
H
Hannah DreissigackerAmerican biathlete · b. 1986
A
Alban James ParkerAmerican politician · b. 1893
Martha Poland ThurstonAmerican social leader, philanthropist, writer · b. 1849
C
Chris AndrewsPioneer/digital media/electronic publishing/Int… · b. 1956
Help out

Finish Morrisville’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 viewMorrisville, Vt: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Morrisville’s history

What year was Morrisville founded?

In 1798, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Morrisville’s post office opened in 1834, and the census of 1900 counted 1,262 people here.

How does Morrisville rank for history?

Morrisville is more historic than 96% 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.

How old are the homes in Morrisville?

40% of Morrisville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.4 points), against a typical 22% for a Vermont town; the median home was built in 1973.

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 (7), the Library of Congress (9), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.