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A−History
History · Shelburne

Shelburne dates to 1763, and 5 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 82% of U.S. towns · #46 of 71 in Vermont. What drives it

Most of Shelburne was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1986. 5 places in town are on the National Register, among them 2 National Historic Landmarks and two historic districts with 116 buildings between them. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1906 on, and the census since 1790.

1763founded
5on the National Register
7%homes built before 1940
5old photos & papers
8famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Shelburne’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Shelburne began

When was Shelburne founded?

1763

Shelburne dates its founding to 1763 (Wikipedia’s history). It appears in the first U.S. census, 1790.

First census: 389 in 17902020 census: 7,717263 years

How historic is Shelburne?

A−

More historic than 82% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1814.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Shelburne’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Shelburne is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #46 of 71 in Vermont. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Shelburne’s overall grade.
Founding era1763, from Wikipedia: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 19406.5% of homes (±3.5) · typical VT town 22.4% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register5 listings, 132 historic buildings, 166 per 10,000 residents · typical VT town 147 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 82%
NewerOlder
Vermont towns of 2,500+ (71)Ahead of 36%

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 Shelburne’s 166 sits above most of its state (67% of Vermont towns have fewer) while its 132 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1763.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.5 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 Shelburne’s past

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

A historic districtThe Shelburne Village Historic District takes in 82 historic buildings.A National Historic Landmark5 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks.On the map since 19065 editions of the USGS map, 1906 to 1987. Watch Shelburne change.Older than the countryEstablished in 1763, 13 years before the Declaration of Independence.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

5 listings protect 132 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 2 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier.

places listed
5
National Historic Landmarks
2
Ticonderoga
historic buildings protected
132
each building in a district counts
first listed
1966
Ticonderoga
Lee Tracy HouseShelburne Village Historic DistrictShelburne Falls Historic DistrictTiconderoga★Shelburne Farms, built 1972★
BuildingsDistrictsStructures★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne2
Shingle2
Vernacular2
Italianate2
Steamboat1
Swiss Style1
★ Landmark
TiconderogaSteamboat
★ Landmark
Shelburne FarmsSwiss Style · Built 1972
Lee Tracy HouseVernacular
Shelburne Village Historic DistrictVernacular
All 5 listings
Shelburne Falls Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2023

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

On the map

Shelburne on the map, 1906 to 1987

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

Shelburne on the 1906 USGS mapShelburne on the 1919 USGS mapShelburne on the 1948 USGS mapShelburne on the 1972 USGS mapShelburne on the 1987 USGS map1906Burlington 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 Shelburne.

The story

How Shelburne came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Shelburne.

Read it all →

Shelburne was chartered by New Hampshire, August 18, 1763, to Jesse Hallock and 64 associates by governor Benning Wentworth. The name "Shelburne" or "Shelburn" was chosen to honor William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, a celebrated nobleman of the British parliament and Prime Minister. According to the charter, the town was to have an area of 23,500 acres (95.1 km2), or a tract a little over 6 square miles (15.5 km2), but owing to a blunder on the part of the surveyors, it was shorn of a large portion of its possessions.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Shelburne in 1886

Passages that mention Shelburne, cut from the printed page as they were published.

The first settlement commenced at Shelburne Falls was in 1785, by Ira Allen, then a resident in Winooski village. A rudely-constructed log bridge was built across La Plotte River, a dam was constructed some ten rods above the present saw-mill dam, a saw-mill erected on the north side of the stream,…
History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1886Read the page →
Read the text

The first settlement commenced at Shelburne Falls was in 1785, by Ira Allen, then a resident in Winooski village. A rudely-constructed log bridge was built across La Plotte River, a dam was constructed some ten rods above the present saw-mill dam, a saw-mill erected on the north side of the stream, and a forge on the south. In 1786 a dam was constructed at the lower end

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Captain Dan Lyon was born in the town of Shelburne, Vt, on the loth of May, 1803. He received a common school education, and when his father, Timothy, died of the epidemic of 18 13, in March of that year, he went to live with his uncle, Robert White, of Shelburne Harbor, and afterwards in BurUngton…
History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1886 · page 430Read the page →
Read the text

Captain Dan Lyon was born in the town of Shelburne, Vt, on the loth of May, 1803. He received a common school education, and when his father, Timothy, died of the epidemic of 18 13, in March of that year, he went to live with his uncle, Robert White, of Shelburne Harbor, and afterwards in BurUngton village. He served in various capacities on a sailing vessel until 1825, when he became captain of the steamer General Green. He remained on this steamer until 1835, when he became captain of the Phoiix, the trip extending the entire length of the lake. From 1836 to 1839 he commanded the Winoo-

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Shelburne, 1763 to 2001

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1763
    FoundingShelburne is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1800Born hereLucius Lyon is born here
  5. 1814Post officeThe Shelburn post office opens
  6. 1832Born hereJohn L. Barstow is born here
  7. 1865In the archiveNear
  8. 20th century
  9. 1906On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1964LandmarkTiconderoga named a National Historic Landmark
  11. 1972BuiltShelburne Farms is built
  12. 1974Born hereMichael Dante DiMartino is born here
  13. 1980In the archiveShelburne Farms, Vermont
  14. 1996Born hereMegan Nick is born here
  15. 21st century
  16. 2001LandmarkShelburne Farms named a National Historic Landmark
By decade

Shelburne, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1980s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s1 item
Near1865Near
1980s4 items
Shelburne Farms, Vermont1980Shelburne Farms, VermontDutch Mill Motel1984Dutch Mill MotelDutch Mill Motel1984Dutch Mill MotelLee's Chinese Restaurant1984Lee's Chinese Restaurant
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
Today16 recent
Scene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne Orchards2017Scene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne OrchardsScene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne Orchards2017Scene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne OrchardsScene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne Orchards2017Scene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne OrchardsScene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne Orchards2017Scene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne OrchardsScene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne Orchards2017Scene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne OrchardsScene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne Orchards2017Scene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne OrchardsScene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne Orchards2017Scene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne OrchardsScene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne Orchards2017Scene at fall apple-harvest time at Shelburne OrchardsLarge barn on the grounds of the Shelburne Museum2017Large barn on the grounds of the Shelburne MuseumLighthouse on the grounds of the Shelburne Museum2017Lighthouse on the grounds of the Shelburne MuseumGravel road near Shelburne, Vermont2017Gravel road near Shelburne, VermontLong covered bridge at the Shelburne Museum2017Long covered bridge at the Shelburne MuseumApothecary, or pharmacy, at the Shelburne Museum2017Apothecary, or pharmacy, at the Shelburne MuseumDodecahedron hydrants2017Dodecahedron hydrantsLake Champlain Shores 1b2012Lake Champlain Shores 1bShelburnevtdowntown2009Shelburnevtdowntown
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.

Near
Retake this viewNear, 1865

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Shelburne, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,000180018501900195020007,717

Grew from 389 people in 1790 to 7,717 in 2020, more than tenfold.

24 censuses, 1790–2020.

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

Famous people

8 famous people were born in Shelburne

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

See all →
Michael Dante DiMartinoAmerican animation director · b. 1974
M
Megan NickAmerican freestyle skier · b. 1996
Lucius LyonAmerican politician · b. 1800
J
John L. BarstowAmerican politician · b. 1832
Almon Heath ReadAmerican politician · b. 1790
John W. ShenkAmerican judge · b. 1875
Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Shelburne Falls
6cemeteries and burying grounds inside Shelburne
Meach IslandQuaker Smith PointSaint CatherinesShelburne VillageSpear StreetWebb

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

Help out

Finish Shelburne’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 viewNear: 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.

South Burlington1 historic placeC−Charlotte10 historic placesA−St. GeorgeIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townHinesburg2 historic placesB

Questions about Shelburne’s history

What year was Shelburne founded?

In 1763, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Shelburne’s post office opened in 1814, and the first U.S. census counted 389 people here in 1790.

How does Shelburne rank for history?

Shelburne is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #46 of 71 in Vermont. 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 Shelburne?

5 listings, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks: 2 buildings, 2 historic districts, the Shelburne Village Historic District and the Shelburne Falls Historic District, with 116 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 132 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Shelburne?

7% of Shelburne’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.5 points), against a typical 22% for a Vermont town; the median home was built in 1986.

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 (14), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.