Post Mills in Thetford in Orange County, Vermont — The American Northeast (New England)
Peabody Library
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 3, 2024
1. Peabody Library Marker
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Charity & Public Work • Education. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.
Location. 43° 53.129′ N, 72° 15.644′ W. Marker is in Thetford, Vermont, in Orange County. It is in Post Mills. It is at the intersection of Vermont Route 113 and Route 244, on the left when traveling south on Vermont Route 113. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7922 VT-113, Post Mills VT 05058, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Vermont’s Connecticut River Valley and in the Green Mountains. 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 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Post Mills Church (approx. half a mile away); Camp Farnsworth (approx. 4.3 miles away); Nathaniel Niles (approx. 4.3 miles away); Thetford Academy (approx. 5 miles away); Furnace Flat (approx. 5 miles away); Old City and Old City Falls (approx. 5½ miles away); Elizabeth Mine (approx. 5½ miles away); Justin Smith Morrill / Morrill Homestead (approx. 5.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Thetford.
Regarding Peabody Library. Excerpts from the National Register
this page online
The Peabody Library holds architectural and historical significance in two principal respects. The building exhibits a unique blend of characteristics from both the Greek Revival and Italianate Revival styles, being an outstanding representative of that middle nineteenth-century transition in architectural fashion. The design created by an unknown architect or master builder remains virtually unaltered in contrast to many other buildings in Vermont from that period. The library's name reflects its association with George Peabody, one of the most important American philanthropists of the nineteenth century. Peabody provided the funds for the library to commemorate a youthful visit to Post Mills, and it is the only institution to have been established in Vermont under his auspices.
George Peabody (1795-1869) came to Post Mills when only fifteen years of age. He stayed for a winter with his maternal grandfather, Jeremiah Dodge, and apparently enjoyed especially the company of an uncle and aunt, Eliphalet and Mary Dodge.
George Peabody apparently never returned to Post Mills after his youthful sojourn. For that matter, he seldom returned to the United States after 1837, adopting England as his residence for the remainder of his financial career and life.
Three years before his death in 1869, Peabody expressed his gratitudefor the kindness shown him during his early life by my revered uncle, Eliphalet Dodge, and his excellent wife by offering (in August 1866) the Post Mills community $5,000 for the construction and furnishing of a library.Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 3, 20242. Peabody Library Marker
The Peabody funds provided not only for the building and its furniture. Peabody himself retained an agent in London "to purchase standard and useful books as the foundation of your library," with $1,500 committed to that purpose. Eleven hundred volumes filled the shelves when the Peabody Library was formally opened on October 9, 1867; many of those books have remained in the collection to the present.
Also see . . .
1. Peabody Library (PDF). National Register nomination with photographs for the building, which was listed in 1984. (Prepared by Hugh H. Henry; via National Park Service) (Submitted on November 20, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. George Peabody. Wikipedia entry on the financier known as America's first great philanthropist, whose firm would eventually become J.P. Morgan & Co. (Submitted on November 20, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Southwarth and Hawes; via Wikipedia (Public Domain), circa 1850
3. George Peabody (1795-1869)
He took on Junius Spencer Morgan as a partner in his firm, which would eventually become the financial services giant J.P. Morgan & Co. Peabody devoted his retirement to philanthropy, providing benefactions worth more than $175 million in today's dollars.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 20, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 122 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 20, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
