Shelburne in Chittenden County, Vermont — The American Northeast (New England)

Prentis House

1773 • Hadley, Massachusetts

— Original Owner: John Dickinson • Moved to Museum: 1955 —

Prentis House Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 7, 2017

1. Prentis House Marker

Inscription. This two-story saltbox home is built around a massive central chimney with seven flues that meet on the second floor in a beehive-shaped form. John Dickinson built Prentis House on four acres where he and his family farmed broomcorn.

Prentis House is named for Katharine Prentis Murphy, a well-known mid-century antique collector who furnished the house with 17^th- and 18^th-century decorative arts. Similar to the installation in Stencil House, the Prentis House exhibit reflects efforts to recreate a particular Colonial Revival aesthetic in period rooms.

Prentis and Stencil Houses are open for guided tours only.

Erected by the Shelburne Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings.

Location. 44° 22.569′ N, 73° 13.867′ W. Marker is in Shelburne, Vermont, in Chittenden County. It can be reached from Shelburne Road. Marker and building are on the Shelburne Museum grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6000 Shelburne Road (US Hwy 7), Shelburne VT 05482, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

this marker is in the Champlain Valley

and in Greater Burlington.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in New England.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Prentis House (here, next to this marker); Owl Cottage Activity Center (within shouting distance of this marker); Stencil House (within shouting distance of this marker); General Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Apothecary Shop (within shouting distance of this marker); Diamond Barn (within shouting distance of this marker); Webb Gallery (within shouting distance of this marker); Pleissner Gallery (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Shelburne.

Also see . . .
1. Prentis House at Shelburne Museum. (Submitted on October 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Saltbox Houses in the Historic American Buildings Survey. (Submitted on October 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
3. Saltbox, 1650-1830.

Prentis House and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 7, 2017

2. Prentis House and Marker

(Submitted on October 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)

Prentis House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 7, 2017

3. Prentis House

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 8, 2017

4. Prentis House

Showing classic New England Saltbox design

Credits. This page was last revised on May 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 573 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 4. submitted on October 31, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.