THIS YEAR ! September 2025 we will be celebrating Halifax’s 275th birthday!
OLD HOME DAY !
What a celebration this will be. We are planning a multi-day event with evening activities with the main events on Saturday and Sunday.
There are so many fun activities planned for you to participate in or watch. We hope all groups, businesses and townspeople will participate in this event. We need many volunteers to make this wonderful celebration happen. We also need your input. If you have ideas about Halifax and yesteryear, we want to hear from you. The front cover of this town report features a Chapel in the woods on Perry Road.
A Rich History Worth Celebrating
Halifax holds the distinction of being the second oldest town in Vermont, chartered on May 11, 1750, by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth. The town was named for George Montagu-Dunk, the 2nd Earl of Halifax, who was considered one of the most prominent English officials in colonial administration and has often been called “the Father of the Colonies.”
Unlike many other Wentworth grants in the 1750s, Halifax was settled very soon after it was granted. The settlement of the town was commenced in 1761 by Abner Rice from Worcester County, Massachusetts, who was joined by others from Massachusetts in 1763. The early settlement was not without challenges – those who first undertook settlement in 1751 were not able to prosecute their plans on account of the hostility of the Indians.
The original grantees chiefly resided in Hatfield and Deerfield, Massachusetts, with Oliver Partridge, Esq., of Hatfield being the principal actor in obtaining the charter. The town was organized around 1770, with Samuel Woodward as the first town clerk and Hubbell Wells and Edward Harris as the first representatives.
Notable people from Halifax include Augustus Wade Dwight, a lawyer and soldier, and Elisha Otis, the inventor and entrepreneur of safe elevators. The town has maintained its rural character while embracing modern amenities – recently celebrating the arrival of high-speed fiber internet through DVFiber.
From its early days as part of the disputed New Hampshire Grants to its role in Vermont’s journey to statehood in 1791, Halifax has been witness to 275 years of American history. Come celebrate this remarkable milestone with us!
