Paul CarnahanHistoric photo courtesy of Vermont Historical Society; modern photo and text by Paul Carnahan
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Montpelier, like most Vermont towns, operated “poor farms” to house indigent residents. The city’s third facility, known as the City Farm, was located on Elm Street, where the Community College of Vermont is today. Montpelier purchased the 132-acre farm in 1897 to provide hay for its horses and work for the residents. In 1914 the city built a three-story brick addition and then in 1920 tore down the original barn and built a new one with the old timbers, seen in this historic photograph.The City Farm was sold in 1955. Woodbury College moved into the barn in 1989 and enlarged the building in 2003, preserving the 1920 barn at its core. The Community College of Vermont moved to the site in 2009.
