Thetford Historical Society

07/24/2026

The Common is already teeming with tents and tables, ready for the Thetford Hill Fair!

Check out this vintage view of the Common when there were still elm trees lining the streets. Even though these beautiful trees are no longer standing, the hosts of the Thetford Hill Fair use the proceeds from the many wonderful activities to maintain this lovely public space for our community. Whether you love books, plants, rummage, or a bit of local history, we’d love to see you there!

The south end of the Thetford Hill Common, with a board fence. The First Congregational Church is visible, as is John Huntington's house and barn, at left.

07/24/2026

It’s that time of year!

Here’s one of our favorite views of Thetford Hill Fair from the Archives!

Visit our tan tent on the Green tomorrow and catch up on some local history and happenings at the Hughes Barn Museum!

Summertime Snapshots #30: Thetford Rapid Transit Inc, Thetford Hill

Blink and you’ll miss ‘em! These kids are heading to the Thetford Hill Fair, won’t you join them?

THS will have a tent, scavenger hunt, and neat items from Thetford’s history to view!

Tomorrow, on the Green, starting at 11:30.

Photograph from THS Archives

06/20/2026

We are all set up on the Thetford Center green! Come visit, learn about our Revolutionary Roots, and pick up some great summer reads!

03/11/2026

Coming up Sunday, please join us!

Please join Thetford SQC and our very own Director, Martha Howard and Trustee Steve Niederhauser next Sunday for “The History of Thetford and Its Historians”!

Sunday March 15, 2026 at Thetford Academy, 3pm!

03/11/2026

Loved our Spring Series last year on forests? Check out this great new book coming out in April!

(And if you want to catch the recordings from those lectures, head over to our YouTube channel!)

We are very pleased to announce our next book: When the Trees Came Back: The Great Battle to Save Vermont’s Forests by Robert Mello.

It'll be out in late April and is now available to preorder! Here’s the description:

Although long recognized as the “Green Mountain State,” Vermont’s hillsides were once nearly completely bare. By the 1880s, unsustainable logging and farming practices had decimated its once-dense forests, with enormous environmental consequences.

When the Trees Came Back: The Great Battle to Save Vermont’s Forests tells the story of how a group of dedicated advocates, citizens, and lawmakers turned the tide at the dawn of the 20th century. It explains how their efforts contributed to the remarkable recovery of Vermont’s forests and provides lessons for protecting our forests in an uncertain future.

03/08/2026

Reposting! We are still hoping to get some photos and recollections for Cecilia - if you are interested, send us a message here or to [email protected]!

On this snowy start to the weekend, we are looking for some help from our followers to answer a research request from a recent TA grad, Cecilia Luce (‘24)!

Cecilia is working on a story about the evolution of winter sports (specifically ice skating/fishing) in VT as a result of climate change. She is hoping to gather photos of winter activities in and around Thetford, as well as info about ice out dates, high and low temperatures, and when lakes and ponds have/haven't frozen over would be helpful.

Anything helps; we are always interested in more photos of winter activities. We have shared some of the gems from our photo archive here and would love to continue collecting!

If you have ideas or photos to share, let us know in the comments, on Facebook Messenger, or email us at [email protected]!

Thank you!

(Photo taken last weekend on Lake Fairlee!)