Compliments of the National Register of Historic Places: About Vermont Architecture
Many of the buildings that you will see along the state’s highways, country roads, and main streets are examples of
vernacular architecture.  While they may feature some of the elements commonly found in a particular style,
vernacular architecture incorporates an individual builder’s ideas into the overall design.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation’s historic and cultural resources worthy of
preservation.  The National Register was authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and is part of
the national effort to identify, evaluate, and protect our architectural and archaeological resources.
The program is administered by the National Park Service under the Secretary of the Interior.  Properties listed in
the National Register include buildings, structures, sites, districts, and objects significant in American history,
architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture.

There are over 8,500 buildings in Vermont listed on the National Register as individual properties, or as part of an
historic district.  Because the majority of the individually listed properties are privately owned residences, we have
chosen to provide no descriptions or images.  Information about these individually listed properties is stored at
the Division for Historic Preservation.

The state of Vermont also identifies and evaluates its architectural resources and archaeological sites. More than
30,000 buildings have been recorded in the state’s Historic Sites and Structures Survey to date. Over 1,500
archaeological sites have been listed on the Vermont Archeological Inventory.