Part III. 



GAZETTEER OF VERMONT. 



n 



well adapted to agricultural pursuits as 

 any township in the county. 'I'he sur- 

 face is uneven, butthere are noelevations 

 of much consequence e.xcept Cobble and 

 Millstone hills, so called, the first in the 

 easterly, the other in the southeast part 

 of the town, each of which is made up of 

 an almost solid mass of granite. The 

 granite is of a light gray color, and is not 

 surpassed by any in New England. Jail 

 Branch washes the base of Cobble hill 

 on the southwesterly side, from wliich it 

 rises abruptly, and, in some places, almost 

 perpendicularly to the heiglit of about 

 600 feet. On the east, north and west, it 

 subsides gradual!}^ to the adjoining farms, 

 so as to be easy of ascent with teams, to 

 its summit. The region here, mostly 

 covered with granite rock, would, proba- 

 bly, form an area of about 200 acres. 

 Millstone hill lies about a mile and a half 

 south of Cobble hill — it is a much larger 

 swell and probably rises higher than the 

 former. It is of hemispherical form, and 

 generally of regular ascent on all sides. 

 The region of rock is greatest on the north 

 and westerly part. Tliis and the other 

 hill contain ine.\haustible quarries of this 

 stone. The granite for the State House 

 in Montpelier was taken wholly from 

 these hills, and transported thither with 

 teams ; tlie distance from Col)ble hill Vic- 

 ing 8, from the other 9 miles. I'he Pil- 

 lars in front of said building were taken 

 from Cobble hill. This granite is a source 

 of profit to the individuals who own it, 

 and as the country around advances in 

 improvement and wealth, it is eagerly 

 sought by those who can afford the ex- 

 pense, as a most durable and ornamental 

 article in building. It is used for base- 

 ments, or under-pinning, pilasters and 

 caps for doors, caps and sills for windows, 

 door steps, fence posts, acqueducts, and 

 many other purposes. It is quarried I'rom 

 the rock by means of drilling and settling 

 wedges" fitted for the purpose, by which 

 it is split to any length, thickness and 

 depth, required. This stone, when 

 wrought by skillful workmen is capable 

 of receiving a smoothness nearly equal to 

 marble ; and there are a number of artists 

 in the town who are engaged in working 

 it. Large quantities of it are transported 

 to Montpelier, Burlington and other parts 

 of the country. The principal streams 

 are Stevens' and Jail branches. Stevens' 

 branch rises in Williamstown and runs 

 north into Barre, and then takes a north- 

 westerly course through a corner of Ber- 

 lin, andunites withWinooski river between 

 Berlin and Montpelier. Previous to tlie 

 settlement of this town, a hunter by the 

 name of Stevens was found dead in his 



camp, near the mouth of this stream, ly- 

 ing on a bed of beaver skins, with a tin 

 kettle, containing herbs, probably for 

 medicine, hanging over the place where 

 he had built a fire. He was buried near 

 the spot, and from him tlie branch receiv- 

 ed its name. Jail branch rises in Wash- 

 ington, [see Washington,] runs norther- 

 ly into Orange, thence westerly into Bar- 

 re, £,nd unites with Stevens' branch a lit- 

 tle south of the lower village, and near 

 the centre of the town. These streams, 

 in their passage through the town, afford 

 many excellent mill and other water priv- 

 ileges. There are two considerable villa- 

 ges in town, commonly denominated the 

 upper and the lower, or Barre and south 

 Barre. The lower village is situate about 

 three-fourths of a mile northvvesterly of 

 the geographical centre of the town; and 

 from its central situation, as the stage 

 road from Royalton to Montpelier, and 

 the stage road i'rom Haverhill and Hano- 

 ver, N. H., to Montpelier, form a junction 

 here, it bids fair to become a place of con- 

 siderable business. Within a few years 

 this village has made considerable im- 

 provement. Twingsville, situate half a 

 mile north of this, is a neat little village 

 and has been built up within a few years, 

 under the auspices of Mr. Twing; and 

 from its proximity to this, may justly be 

 said as belonging to it. In tiiis village, 

 united, there are two taverns, three 

 stores, two houses of public worship, two 

 school houses, one of which is ;^6 by 26 

 feet, two stories, built of brick ; one 

 starch factory, one clothier's shop one 

 carding machine, one tin, stove-pipe and 

 copper plate manufacturer, two shoe 

 shops, four black smith shops, one tanne- 

 ry, one tailor shop, two plougii makers, 

 one wheel wright, also, a grist and saw 

 mill, a foundry and fuctorij for turning 

 iron, which belong to Mr. Joshua Twing, 

 and deserve a passing notice. This fac- 

 tory or maciiine shop is a spacious build- 

 ing of brick, 80 by 28 feet, two stories and 

 does a good business in the line for which 

 it was erected, which is, principally in fin- 

 ishing and polishing castings for mills, 

 &c. and is the only factory of tlie kind in 

 the state. In connexion with this building 

 is a foundry, in which the largest mill 

 irons are cast, after which, by operation 

 of the machinery, (which is principally 

 the invention of the owner, j they receive 

 a trimming and polish not heretofore 

 known in this part of the country. These 

 castings, in the manner in which they are 

 finished, have obtained great celebrity, 

 not only in this state, but in tlie neigh- 

 boring states. Many sets of these cast- 

 ings hav* found their way into Pennsylva- 



