Hinesburg Ancient Roads Committee

Final Report

What is an Ancient Road bull ldquoAncient roadrdquo is the common name for any of a

set of legally established town highways (predominantly Class 4 highways) that due to numerous factors and the passage of time have become largely impassable and in many cases unobservable These ancient roads do not show up on town highway maps but have not been formally discontinued by a municipality either

bull Link to useful stuff on the web about the ancient roads

What is an Ancient Road bull ldquoAncient roadrdquo is the common name for any of a

set of legally established town highways (predominantly Class 4 highways) that due to numerous factors and the passage of time have become largely impassable and in many cases unobservable These ancient roads do not show up on town highway maps but have not been formally discontinued by a municipality either

bull Link to useful stuff on the web about the ancient roads

Job Scopebull Review and plot all road surveys and discontinuances

ndash Analyzed 225 surveys and discontinuances from 1787 to present ndash Looked at 241 people mentioned and their associated lots ndash Placed (GIS) and plotted all surveys with ROW width

ndash Created Web interfaced DB and plotting sorting function

ndash Interpretation in early surveysbull Words Locations ldquoBirch stasilrdquo David Bartorsquos Hog Stybull Omissions EgrdquoN23 16 Rodsrdquo reversal of main and sub bearingbull Legibility Transcription errors

ndash Multiple copies in some cases ( ldquosouce documentsrdquo )

bull Hired outside consultant to affirm conclusions ( from Grant $$ )

bull Look for ldquoAncient Roadsrdquo that are not discontinued ndash Found 6 roads that fit in this category and are reasonably well

defined

Selectboard Responsibility

bull Decide if these roads should be placed on the town road maps ndash Value to town

bull Trails

bull Access

bull Future Roads

bull Historical Value ndash Town Historical Society bull Time development of roads ndash Mill access neighboring town

access farm access

bull Locations of Homes of people of historical interest

Ancient Roads

bull 27 Road surveys not presently in use bull All but 6 are discontinued or are parts of

present day roadsbull One ( ldquo Lost Richmond Road ldquo ) is vague

and has discontinuances that may refer to it ndash Errors in survey ndash Poor assumptions on locationndash ldquoRubber band ldquo in the middle

Ancient Roads

bull 27 Road surveys not presently in use bull All but 6 are discontinued or are parts of

present day roadsbull One ( ldquo Lost Richmond Road ldquo ) is vague

and has discontinuances that may refer to it ndash Errors in survey ndash Poor assumptions on locationndash ldquoRubber band ldquo in the middle

The 6 Roads

bull Governors Lot Road

bull Hull Road

bull Palmer Bostwick spur

bull Lost Wood Lot Road

bull Bennett Wells Road

bull Meach Road