Strafford in Orange County, Vermont — The American Northeast (New England)
Justin Smith Morrill / Morrill Homestead
Justin Smith Morrill 1810-1898
Born in Strafford Village, Justin S. Morrill was the son of a blacksmith. He entered politics in 1854 serving in the United States Congress for a total of nearly 44 years. As a member of the House of Representatives and later the Senate, Justin Morrill was the chief sponsor of the 1862 and 1890 Land-Grant Acts, the most important pieces of legislation for American higher education in the 19th century. The Acts resulted in more than 100 Land Grant colleges and universities in the United States with many millions of graduates worldwide.
Justin Smith Morrill is buried in the Morrill Mausoleum, located in the town cemetery behind the 1799 Town House. Also buried there are his wife Ruth, their two sons, Justin and James, and his sister-in-law Louise Swan.
Morrill Homestead
Vermont’s First National Historic Landmark
This site includes the Justin Smith Morrill Homestead and seven agricultural buildings all set in a designed Picturesque landscape. Morrill planned the 17-room house, a prime example of Gothic Revival architecture. The Homestead was completed in the spring of 1851. The four original outbuildings were the ice house, carriage barn, horse barn, and a summer gazebo. Many of the original plantings made by Morrill in 1852-1853 survive, including species from Europe
The Morrill Homestead is a Vermont Historic Site administered by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.
Erected 2013 by Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Government & Politics. In addition, it is included in the National Historic Landmarks series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1810.
Location. 43° 51.807′ N, 72° 22.55′ W. Marker is in Strafford, Vermont, in Orange County. Marker is on Justin Morrill Memorial Highway, 0.8 miles north of Alger Brook Road, on the right when traveling north. The marker is located adjacent to the entrance of the Justin Smith Morrill Homestead. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 214 Justin Morrill Memorial Highway, Strafford VT 05072, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Strafford Village (approx. 0.2 miles away); Strafford (approx. 0.2 miles away); Old City and Old City Falls (approx. 1.3 miles away); Furnace Flat (approx. 2.9 miles away); Elizabeth Mine (approx. 3˝ miles away); Tunbridge Civil War Memorial (approx. 6.1 miles away); Tunbridge World's Fair (approx. 6.1 miles away); Site of 1780 Raid (approx. 6˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Strafford.
Also see . . . Wikipedia - Justin Morrill. (Submitted on August 29, 2016, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 4, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 7, 2016, by Dennis Gilkenson of Saxtons River, Vermont. This page has been viewed 546 times since then and 17 times this year. Last updated on June 4, 2017, by Dennis Gilkenson of Saxtons River, Vermont. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 7, 2016, by Dennis Gilkenson of Saxtons River, Vermont. 4. submitted on May 1, 2013, by PaulwC3 of Northern, Virginia. 5. submitted on June 4, 2017, by Dennis Gilkenson of Saxtons River, Vermont. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.