A combination of a college town, traditional Victorian New England village, and an historic center of Vermont, the 18,515 acre town of Northfield was chartered in 1781.
Shortly after August 10, 1781, the charter was given to Maj. Joel Matthews and his company
of 65 people. These 65 people along with their heirs and others were the original settlers of Northfield. In the early years of its development, Northfield was settled by Americans from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and some of the older Vermont towns and was then developed into the four villages which are now South Village, Northfield Center, Factory Village, and "the Falls".
In the 1840's the Irish came to work on the railroad. The rise of the railroad and popularity of Factory Village and Depot Square caused the residents of the town to demand sidewalks and fire and police protection. Due to rising population, the Village of Northfield was incorporated in 1855. Starting in the 1850's, the Welsh came to the area to work in the slate quarries. Stoneworkers came from Italy, Spain, and Scotland to work in the granite sheds in the 1890's. Most of the population of Northfield at this time were farmers by necessity. 
When the need for outside currency grew, the ability to barter with goods and services became a thing of the past.
The faculty and student body of Norwich University relocated to Northfield in 1877 when their barracks in Norwich, Vermont were destroyed by fire. Through the next fifty years, Northfield saw the rise and fall of many trends in manufacturing and employment; potash, wool, railroad, slate quarrying and finishing, and granite finishing. Unlike other trends, Norwich University - the nation's oldest, private military school - started successful and is now the town's largest employer.
"Northfield houses some of the largest manufacturers of t-shirts, socks, and wood-turning.
But, the town has remained as it was almost 100 years ago.
Factories come in, but they are out in the forests.
The growth of the town is invisible.
The wheels are turning, but we cannot hear them, or see them.
Northfield is a beautiful, little victorian village."
-Aglaia Stalb of the Northfield Inn
The Great Depression was a harbinger of sorrow as it hastened the end of many businesses. Henry Ford and his competitors were responsible for the end of many of the rest. After 1945, the rise of the economy and mass production of the automobile put Vermonters in cars and behind the wheel. Rural Vermonters, such as those of Northfield, were partially responsible for the rise in economy as they brought in outside commerce.
As manufacturing jobs were in decline, the importance of educational institutions, such as Norwich University, became more evident. Since the end of World War II the population has grown slowly but steadily; without the ill-fated blessings brought in by high traffic and immense tourism that so many other Vermont towns have seen. The Village of Northfield lodging accommodations include the romantic and elegant Northfield Inn, a lovely Centenarian Mansion, once occupied by a Royal Princess.
© 2012 
