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History · Stockbridge

Stockbridge’s post office opened in 1811, and 22% of its homes were built before 1940

4 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 6 buildings. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1915 on, and the census since 1790.

1811first post office
4on the National Register
22%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Stockbridge’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Stockbridge began

When was Stockbridge founded?

1811

The Stockbridge post office opened in 1811, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 100 in 17902020 census: 718215 years
Founding year: the first Stockbridge post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Stockbridge’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 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 1,499 in 1840; 718 people lived here in 2020.Lost villages4 hamlets and corners are still on the map.Deep rootsA post office since 1811: 215 years of Stockbridge.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Stockbridge’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Stockbridge’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 viewTHIS AREA IS KNOWN AS GAY HILL NEAR STO…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Stockbridge, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001,4001,60018001850190019502000Peak: 1,499

Peaked at 1,499 in 1840; 718 people lived here in 2020.

24 censuses, 1790–2020.

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

Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Stockbridge’s post office has been open since 1811.

Stockbridge
1811–today
Gaysville
1827–today
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
GaysvilleNew BostonNotownRiverside
6cemeteries and burying grounds inside Stockbridge
AbbottBetsy Bartlett GraveMaplewoodMount PleasantSouth HillSylvester Plot

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

The story so far

Stockbridge, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Stockbridge yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Stockbridge is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States, which contains the village of Gaysville. The population was 718 at the 2020 census. Stockbridge was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by Hurricane Irene in 2011.

Its first post office opened in 1811. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 736 to 718 (-2%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Stockbridge in 1891

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

Stockbridge is drained by several streams, the largest of which are the White River, Tweed River and Stony Brook. The White River has its headwaters in the Green Mountains, and thence flowing south and east enters Stockbridge near its northeast corner, thence it courses southeasterly to the center …
History of Windsor county, Vermont1891 · page 588Read the page →
Read the text

Stockbridge is drained by several streams, the largest of which are the White River, Tweed River and Stony Brook. The White River has its headwaters in the Green Mountains, and thence flowing south and east enters Stockbridge near its northeast corner, thence it courses southeasterly to the center part of the town, and then bends almost abruptly northward and eastward, and leaves the town at its northeast corner.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Stockbridge is drained by several streams, tlie largest of which are the White River, Tweed River and Stonj' Brook. The White River has its hcadw, iters in the Green Mountains, ami thence flowing south and east enters Stockbridge near its northeast corner, thence it courses southeasterly to the cen…
History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1891 · page 588Read the page →
Read the text

Stockbridge is drained by several streams, tlie largest of which are the White River, Tweed River and Stonj' Brook. The White River has its hcadw, iters in the Green Mountains, ami thence flowing south and east enters Stockbridge near its northeast corner, thence it courses southeasterly to the center part of the town, and then bends almost abruptly northward and eastward, and leaves the town at its northeast corner.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
every available stream in the town had along its banks one or more of this class of industries. In i860 the principal manufacturers of Stockbridge town were, at Gaysville, M. Gay & Son and Thomas Greenbank, woolen goods; at Stockbridge village, Partridge & Hayden, tanners and manufacturers of leatl…
History of Windsor county, Vermont1891Read the page →
Read the text

every available stream in the town had along its banks one or more of this class of industries. In i860 the principal manufacturers of Stockbridge town were, at Gaysville, M. Gay & Son and Thomas Greenbank, woolen goods; at Stockbridge village, Partridge & Hayden, tanners and manufacturers of leatlier At that time, also, the merchants were Carroll & Brown at Stockbridge, and R. L. Fay and A. A. Brooks at Gaysville. In 1870 the merchants of the town were H. D. Morgan, Asgood & Culver, Kimball & Montgomery, L. P. Dean ; and the manu-

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
AT the time of takiiiLj the first census of Vermont, in 1791, the town of Stockbridge was found to have a less number of inhabitants than any other of the county towns ; but at the last census tiiere were no less than eight towns that showed a less number than this. This tends to prove and establis…
History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1891 · page 587Read the page →
Read the text

AT the time of takiiiLj the first census of Vermont, in 1791, the town of Stockbridge was found to have a less number of inhabitants than any other of the county towns ; but at the last census tiiere were no less than eight towns that showed a less number than this. This tends to prove and establish the fact that Stockbridge possessed resources which, when fully developed, gave the town an advantage over many others, and that a residence once efifected generally became permanent, and there was a less desire on the part of its people to emigrate to other States.

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

Stockbridge, 1803 to 1974

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1803Born hereOrestes Brownson is born here
  3. 1811Post officeThe Stockbridge post office opens
  4. 1822Born hereMark W. Bullard is born here
  5. 1825Born hereIsaac S. Belcher is born here
  6. 1827Post officeThe Gaysville post office opens
  7. 1832Born hereGeorge Crockett Strong is born here
  8. 1840CensusPopulation peaks at 1,499
  9. 20th century
  10. 1915On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 1974In the archiveTHIS AREA IS KNOWN AS GAY HILL NEAR STOCKBRIDGE, VERMONT. THE FARM WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT I…
By decade

Stockbridge, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1970s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1970s2 items
THIS AREA IS KNOWN AS GAY HILL NEAR STOCKBRIDGE, VERMONT. THE FARM WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN THE 1800'S BY EPHRAIM... - N…1974THIS AREA IS KNOWN AS GAY HILL NEAR STOCKBRIDGE, VERM…THIS AREA IS KNOWN AS GAY HILL NEAR STOCKBRIDGE, VERMONT. THE FARM WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN THE 1800'S BY EPHRAIM... - N…1974THIS AREA IS KNOWN AS GAY HILL NEAR STOCKBRIDGE, VERM…
1980s–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
StockbridgeVT BelcherLibrary2015StockbridgeVT BelcherLibraryThank you sign, Hurricane Irene, Stockbridge Central School2011Thank you sign, Hurricane Irene, Stockbridge Central …USFWS Biologist studying bat2009USFWS Biologist studying batUSFWS Biologist studying bat2009USFWS Biologist studying batLittle brown bat with white-nose syndrome in Greeley Mine, Vermont, March 26, 20092009Little brown bat with white-nose syndrome in Greeley …Little brown bat affected by White-nose Syndrome2009Little brown bat affected by White-nose SyndromeLittle brown bat affected by White-nose Syndrome2009Little brown bat affected by White-nose SyndromeLittle Brown Bat with White Nose Syndrome (Greeley Mine, cropped)2009Little Brown Bat with White Nose Syndrome (Greeley Mi…Biologists gathering outside Greeley Mine2009Biologists gathering outside Greeley MineBiologists gather at mine entrance2009Biologists gather at mine entranceBiologists entering the mine2009Biologists entering the mineBiologist entering the mine2009Biologist entering the mineBat affected by White-nose Syndrome2009Bat affected by White-nose SyndromeBat affected by White-nose Syndrome2009Bat affected by White-nose SyndromeBat affected by White-nose Syndrome2009Bat affected by White-nose SyndromeStockbridge vt highlight2004Stockbridge vt highlight
On the map

Stockbridge on the map in 1915

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Stockbridge.

Stockbridge on the 1915 USGS map1915Rochester 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 Stockbridge.

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.

THIS AREA IS KNOWN AS GAY HILL NEAR STOCKBRIDGE, VERMONT. THE FARM WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN THE 1800'S BY EPHRAIM... - N…
Retake this viewTHIS AREA IS KNOWN AS GAY HILL NEAR STOCKBRIDGE, VERMONT. THE FARM WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN THE 1800'S BY EPHRAIM... - N…, 1974

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

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

4 listings protect 15 historic buildings

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

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
15
each building in a district counts
first listed
1978
Daniel Gay House
Daniel Gay HouseStockbridge Common Historic DistrictStockbridge Four Corners BridgeLuce Farm
BuildingsDistrictsStructures

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival2
Federal1
Pratt through-truss bridge1
Daniel Gay HouseGreek Revival
Stockbridge Common Historic DistrictFederal
Stockbridge Four Corners BridgePratt through-truss bridge
All 4 listings
Luce FarmBuilding · listed 2021

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

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Stockbridge

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

See all →
Orestes BrownsonAmerican activist · b. 1803
George Crockett StrongUnion Army generals · b. 1832
Isaac S. BelcherAmerican judge · b. 1825
M
Mark W. Bullardb. 1822
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

PittsfieldIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBarnard1 historic placeA−Bridgewater4 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townRochester1 historic placeA−

Questions about Stockbridge’s history

What year was Stockbridge founded?

The Stockbridge post office opened in 1811, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

What is on the National Register in Stockbridge?

4 listings: 2 buildings, among them the Daniel Gay House (listed 1978, the first), 1 historic district, the Stockbridge Common Historic District, with 6 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 15 historic buildings in all.

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 Wikimedia Commons (18), the National Register of Historic Places (4), 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.