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Today I am entering one of my favorite Old Roads posts. This one is from May, 2019. This is one of my favorite hikes, especially with my buddy Mike Z. -----> A Trip Down an Old Road to Find an 1800's Graveyard. The Roberts-Sharon Cemetery is also known as Four Corners Cemetery. It is located in the northeast corner of Sharon, Vermont and is near the four corners area, where Chapel Hill Road crosses the old Strafford Turnpike. After that intersection, I think Chapel Hill becomes Copperas Road, or at least it does, once it crosses the Strafford town line. Chapel Hill Road, Sharon, running from lower left to upper right. Turnpike Road coming in from lower right to upper left. Four Corners area is the intersection of the two roads. We met at the Beaver Meadow schoolhouse. My friend Mike jumped in the jeep and we drove out Chapel Hill Road North. Beaver Meadow Schoolhouse, Norwich, Vermont We crossed into Sharon and parked about two and a half miles out, where the old town road ceased to be maintained. Chapel Hill Road, where it becomes a trail. We started hiking up what is now more of a trail than a road, but once brought travelers and their livestock to and from their farms and homes. There was a small stream running nearby, but soon it was part of the trail, as it has been so wet this spring. Chapel Hill Road heading north There were parts we had to walk around to avoid getting too wet, or sinking in some soft muck. We hiked to the height of the land, an especially muddy area, and then began walking downhill. After a while things opened up, and leveled off, and we came upon what I like to call, the "New and Improved Power Line Thruway" Back into the woods, we continued on, in search of the old Four Corners cemetery. Chapel Hill Road, north of the power lines. The Four Corners cemetery is also known as the Roberts-Sharon cemetery, and as the John Burnham Farm cemetery. The Four Corners cemetery contains graves of people buried between the years 1815-1869. After then, population continued to decline and the roads fell into disrepair and disuse. In the map below, from 1855, we can see at least four Roberts family homes in and around the four corners area, and also W. Burnham near the Strafford border at the top, on Turnpike Road. The cemetery in question is shown on the right as "Cem." Note also, the "S.H." for Schoolhouse, near the four corners intersection, which is not a perfect 4 corners, as can be seen below. Four Corners area, on the 1855 Windsor County map by Hosea Doton. On the day we hiked we saw tire tracks in the road from bicycles, and possibly ATV's or off-road vehicles. Soon we were heading downhill again, and could see some more daylight coming in from the left, and then we beheld a beautiful, beaver pond, with a large beaver dam on the side facing the road. Beaver Pond at the Four Corners Area Close-up View of the Beaver Pond After gawking at the pond, I realized we had arrived at the four corners area, and were about to cross the old Strafford Turnpike, known as Turnpike Road today. Having reached the Four Corners, where we noted the headwaters of Lord's Brook, we crossed over the Strafford Turnpike, and headed northeast on Chapel Hill/Copperas Road. Crossing the Strafford Turnpike, and the Headwaters of Lord's Brook Strafford Turnpike to the left, Chapel Hill Road/Copperas Road, to the right, and a little island in the middle. Looking north from the four corners. The intersection of the two old roads is a very wet area. It was obvious that it would have been a very difficult area to keep passable, back in the early 1800's, for traffic on the Strafford Turnpike. The view to the east/northeast had become obscured by growing trees, since I had last walked out here, years ago. But being spring, and the leaves not fully out, I could see where there used to be a gorgeous view, especially back in the 1800's when more land was cleared. Suddenly I heard Mike telling me that he found the cemetery. I looked ahead, and as the road curved to the right, I could just make out one of the stone walls surrounding the old resting place. Mike discovering the cemetery I jogged ahead, dodging puddles, and found the old Roberts-Sharon Four Corners cemetery, looking pretty much like I had remembered it, appearing simple, humble, and peaceful, out here in the middle of the woods. About the time we reached the cemetery, the sun started trying to come out, and it warmed up a bit. We were amazed at how peaceful it was out there. There are many cemeteries in urban areas, or near major roads, but this was truly a resting place! Gate at Cemetery Entrance A stone wall and barbed wire surrounds it, with mature old trees, and a simple gate with a wooden latch. Stonewall Bordering the Cemetery There is no sign to identify the cemetery. Some of the stones appeared to be simple fieldstones with no engravings. Here are a few photos of some of the memorial headstones at the cemetery: The stone above was repaired at least once. I counted about twenty-eight gravestones, including the fieldstone graves poking up from the earth. Following the Civil War, this busy farming community began to disappear. We said a prayer for the souls that reposed in the small clearing. We then headed on our way down the old road, pondering the past, and walking into the future. The Road Thanks for journeying along on Old Roads, Rivers and Rails. Sources for this post:
USGS topographic maps: https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview sharonvt.net/cemetery-associations/ Map of Windsor County published by Hosea Doton, Pomfret, Vermont circa 1855: loc.gov/resource/g3753w.la001193/?r=0.63,0.286,0.275,0.114,0 Comments 7
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This was originally posted in dailyUV.com in May 2019 Reminders of the Laborious Past: Walking with the Strafford Historical Society. The moss covered stone foundations had a story to tell. It was a story of folks who lived in the early years of Strafford's settlement. They built the stone foundations without mortar. Only the weight of the stones, carefully balanced and weaved, keeps them in place, even after two hundred years. They built their foundations somewhere near a water source. The cellar did not support the entire structure. There may also have been attached sheds, additions, or ells, that were set on stones, some buried and hidden long ago, some peeking out from the forest floor today. nThey cleared the land for the homestead, and they continued to clear the land, for grazing livestock, cultivation, and for heating fuel. The area looked different back in the heyday, as the forest continued to be cleared. Today, the forest has grown back, as it does, when left alone. Interesting "Survivor" Tree near one of the foundations. As we walked along the old road, surveyed and built many years ago, we could easily see the stone walls that lined each side of the road, where they were above ground. Back then the town roads were built to be three rods wide, or forty nine and one half feet. We were now traveling along an unmaintained area of this old, beautiful, historic pathway bordered by stone walls, and drained by vintage stone culverts. As we continued on, we came across a third, small foundation, below. The view from here must have been beautiful back when the woods were cleared. Third, smallest foundation. These rock wall foundations were built just after the first generation of log cabins had been used during the initial clearing of the land. As local saw mills developed along the streams and rivers, posts, beams and boards became available for building sturdier frame houses to replace the early, temporary, log cabins. One wall of the third, smallest foundation. On Sunday, May 5th, 2019, the Strafford Historical Society presented a walking tour of some of the old stone foundations from the early days of town settlement. As we hiked along the old road, we eventually came upon the most impressive foundation of the tour, seen below. This was an old Tavern, back in the day when this road was traveled much more frequently. The old Tavern had a grand location. One can imagine riding a horse or traveling in a carriage, and coming upon the tavern at this beautiful location, after a long trip. Foundation of the Tavern. This tavern's foundation was beautifully preserved, and fascinating to view. Below are some more photographs of the Tavern foundation/cellar hole. While we visited the foundations that we found, Stephanie Johnston read to us of the history of the folks who used to live at these locations. It was a very interesting history, to say the least. Bulkhead area of Tavern cellar There were about a dozen or so people on the trek. Paul Kristensen was on hand to help interpret the sites. Conversation was lively, and it was fun imagining the activities that went on at those spots, so long ago The foundation walls were really spectacular, especially at this time of year, when the mosses are so beautiful in contrast to the forest that was just starting to wake up after a long winter. Comments 5
Originally Published May 2019. If These Walls Could Talk. An abandoned old rock wall foundation, humble yet majestic, near a route I used to take often, had finally caught my attention. I used to catch a glimpse of it, only if the season was right, and the light was right too. Most times it was an almost unconscious glimpse, until it eventually became a conscious reminder that something from the past was calling my attention. Today I pulled over and parked, and started walking to get a better look. Stone foundation in the woods seen from a distance. As I approached closer, I could get a better look at an old stone foundation. I realized I was following the beginning of the Ballard Trail. Here are some photos of the foundation walls that I saw. The first one is of some large moss covered stones at one corner. Large Stones at one corner of the Old FoundationThe moss on the rocks greens up quickly this time of year, making the old foundation more noticeable than at other times when it's covered in snow, or hidden by greenery I decided to put my camera down near the fiddleheads that were cropping up. Between the fiddleheads, in the background, there is a mature Yellow Birch tree with several trunks that found an agreeable spot in the old cellar hole. Here is a closer look at the Yellow Birch tree, and the walls in the background. The stones seem masterfully laid. Below is a close-up of one of the stone walls. I like to think about who the people were who put them there, in that arrangement, and how much work that took to accomplish. What tools did they use to position the heavy rocks? Where were those tools made, and sold? How many people did it take to build the foundation, and how long did it take? This wall has bowed out a bit, with time and snow and rain and frost and thaws. I wonder what year these walls were built, and what type of building they held up. Was it a home? maybe a barn, or a shed? Do you see a face in there, or is it just me? To me it looks like Oscar the Grouch! Do you see Oscar the Grouch? Here's a few more shots of these beautifully laid stone walls: Nice corner, laid there many years ago. The corners were astonishingly tight, though one wall had bulged out. Here's a nice hole in the wall. I wonder if anyone ever hid anything in the cellar walls? Here's a shot with the crazy 4-trunked yellow birch tree: And a shot of the back of the far wall: The Ballard Trail took me over a small bridge over a brook. I could see what looked to me to have been a small mill site, or maybe a springhouse, by the formation of the wall under the bridge. Possible old Mill or Springhouse site on the Charles Brown Brook. When I got closer to the bridge, I could see that the stone walls here must have been made very well, to have weathered the ravages of time, though they may have been shored up by the kind folks who built the bridge over the trail at one point. Above, we see the water was still being channeled well, through the old sluice, though a white birch tree had taken up residence at the entrance! Brook flowing out of the channel, narrowed by the stone wall. After I returned home, I decided to see if there were any clues on any maps that I could find. The first one I went to was the 1855 Windsor County map. "H. Mathews" was the only name on the only dwelling near to this location, as near as I could tell, at least around 1855. Charles Brown Brook along Beaver Meadow Road. Also Bragg Hill and Tucker Hill Roads. From 1855 I jumped to the 1896 USGS map: 1896 USGS Topographic Map, Strafford Quadrangle Checking the 1896 USGS map, seen above, (bottom, center), and below, blown up, we can see two houses near the bottom of Tucker Hill Road. They were listed as "Newton" and "H. Mathews" on the 1855 map. The Newton house is still standing, and I've been told it's one of the oldest houses in Norwich, and that it used to be a stagecoach stop. Tucker Hill and Beaver Meadow Intersections. The road that passed above the Newton house is no longer there, and today, there is no house at the bottom of Tucker Hill Road. On the 1896 map above, the building shown on the bottom of Tucker Hill could represent a home built on the old foundation that I saw. Jumping ahead another fifty years, to the 1944 USGS map below, we can see there is no house or building shown at the bottom of Tucker Hill Road. So sometime between 1896 and 1944, it looks like that house disappeared. Tucker Hill and Beaver Meadow Roads, 1944 USGS map. Source of Charles Brown Brook, West Norwich, Vermont.
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AuthorI'm Bob Totz, retired VT postmaster, and historical geographer ARCHIVES:
October 2021
EXPANDED ARCHIVES: AUGUST 2021 1858 Johnson Map of North America MAY 2021 1795 - "Road Over the Mountain" - Part Two Historic Toll House For Sale 1795 - "Road Over the Mountain" Part One OCTOBER 2020 Finding That Special Peaceful Place AUGUST 2020 Kayaking on the Pompy JULY 2020 Pt. 2: What the Heck Are These Things? JUNE 2020 Bob's Bio... What the Heck Are These Things? Pt. 1 MAY 2020 Stone Walls and Spirits The View APRIL 2020 Sunny Brook Farm Relics: Pt 2. Sunny Brook Farm Relics: Pt 1. MARCH 2020 Signs of Norwich Pt. 2 COVID-19 Tracking Map Centertown and Valleyquest Signs of Norwich Pt. 1 "Imperfect Union" - Book Review Historic Centertown FEBRUARY 2020 King's Hwy Pt. 2 WRJ Museum at Post Mills Airport Chatauguay Vermont The Independent Farmer poem Traveling Along the King's Highway - Lebanon NH JANUARY 2020 Finding Parkhurst Cemetery In Search of Parkhurst Cemetery Affordable Housing The Old Stone Grill Two Rivers Trail-Kmart License and Registration, Please! Prohibition, Murder and Dr. Seuss Peace, Paris, & P.O. DECEMBER 2019 BLOGGER'S LINKS Welcome to Old Roads Love-Quail Hollow fun Dartmouth Cemetery SEPTEMBER 2019 E. Thetford Cemetery JUNE 2019
Taps: Meetinghouse Cemetery 4-Corners Borders Quest Old Iron Gate Stumbling Upon History Sunrise Walk MAY 2019 4 Corners Cemetery Strafford's Abandoned Foundations Art in Old Stonework APRIL 2019 Strafford Tpke Pt 2 Strafford Tpke Pt 1 White River Valley FEBRUARY 2019 Learning from Historic Maps of the Upper Valley Change in Lewiston VT JANUARY 2019 A Vermont Ski Waltz John Ledyard 1773 What is the Upper Valley? DECEMBER 2018 Dartmouth Green Music Video: Sometimes Music Video: Montreal Express Railway Disaster of 1887 |