Bread Loaf in Middlebury in Addison County, Vermont — The American Northeast (New England)
Court Square
Photographed By Dennis Gilkenson, June 26, 2019
1. Court Square Marker
Inscription.
Court Square. . From 1796 to 1814 Court Square was the site of the first Addison County Courthouse, which also served as the seat of the Vermont Legislature (1800, 1806), and home of Middlebury’s first female academy (1800). Here in June 1804 a New York slaveholder brought suit before a session of the Supreme Court to reclaim an escaped slave apprehended in Vermont. When his proffered bill of sale was deemed insufficient proof of ownership, his attorney demanded what the court would accept. Justice Theophilus Harrington of Clarendon responded with some of the most famous words from a Vermont courtroom, “Nothing short of a bill of sale signed by God Almighty Himself.” The former slave went free.
From 1796 to 1814 Court Square was the site of the first Addison County Courthouse, which also served as the seat of the Vermont Legislature (1800, 1806), and home of Middlebury’s first female academy (1800). Here in June 1804 a New York slaveholder brought suit before a session of the Supreme Court to reclaim an escaped slave apprehended in Vermont. When his proffered bill of sale was deemed insufficient proof of ownership, his attorney demanded what the court would accept. Justice Theophilus Harrington of Clarendon responded with some of the most famous words from a Vermont courtroom, “Nothing short of a bill of sale signed by God Almighty Himself.” The former slave went free.
Erected 2019 by Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1804.
Location. 44° 0.841′ N, 73° 9.967′ W. Marker is in Middlebury, Vermont, in Addison County. It is in Bread Loaf. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Middlebury VT 05753, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 27, 2019, by Dennis Gilkenson of Saxtons River, Vermont. This page has been viewed 181 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 27, 2019, by Dennis Gilkenson of Saxtons River, Vermont. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
