About the Historic Central Bennington Design Review District
The Historic Preservation Commission reviews applications for projects within the Historic Central Bennington Design Review District including new construction, additions to existing buildings, alterations to exterior facades, and alterations to or new signage on buildings or properties. Comments will be forwarded to the Development Review Board for their consideration in issuing a permit.
View the Downtown Historic District Map
Is my property in the Historic District?
You can also use our HPC district tool to check. Click here to access the Grand List Lookup tool. Once you have entered your information, the search result will specify if you ARE in the district in red text along with a link back to the HPC page for more information. If you are NOT in the district, it will show only the grand list information in black.
The Bennington Historic District is roughly 12 city blocks and represents the core of Bennington’s urban history from the 1700’s through the present day. The diverse building types found in the district are living evidence of the residential, commercial, institutional and industrial patterns which have given rise to Bennington’s industrial history. The district boundaries reflect Bennington’s location at the intersection of the main north-south and east-west through the state as well as the importance of the Walloomsac River, the source of water power which fueled the textile and other mills found within the district. Some streets within the district, like Pleasant Street, include factory buildings from several periods. Other streets, like Union Street, include houses for worked. Much of Main Street and north and South Streets are comericial with stores and public buildings. Architectural detail, building mass, siting and other factors make the district a prime example of past and present history that sets Bennington apart from other Vermont towns.
Overseen by the Design Review Board, the established historic district ensures that central Bennington’s buildings and streetscapes will keep their integrity well into the future. The historic preservation guidelines developed for the district protect its character and at the same time promote growth and new construction that meld into the character of the area. The guidelines allow informed decisions to be made in repairing and altering existing buildings, in demolishing buildings which do not contribute to the character of the district and designing new buildings within the district. The Historic Preservation Commission acts in an advisory capacity to the Design Review Board. Together, with the Planning Commissions, these groups reinforce the historic character of the district and ensure wise future growth for Bennington’s valuable core.
State Historic Sites Register
Urban Bennington
Urban Bennington has seven volumes and is arranged in alphabetical order by street (i.e. starting with Adams St and ending with Westside Drive).
Vol. 1: Bennington_StateRegister__NominationForm_00000038.pdf
Vol. 2: Bennington_StateRegister__NominationForm_00000039.pdf
Vol. 3: Bennington_StateRegister__NominationForm_00000040.pdf
Vol. 4: Bennington_StateRegister__NominationForm_00000041.pdf
Vol. 5: Bennington_StateRegister__NominationForm_00000042.pdf
Vol. 6: Bennington_StateRegister__NominationForm_00000043.pdf
Vol. 7: Bennington_StateRegister__NominationForm_00000044.pdf
Rural Bennington
Rural Bennington has four volumes; Rural Bennington is arranged much less regularly, but there is an index at the beginning of Vol. 1 showing which volume a property falls under.
Vol. 1: Bennington_StateRegister__NominationForm_00000034.pdf
Vol. 2: Bennington_StateRegister__NominationForm_00000035.pdf
Vol. 3: Bennington_StateRegister__NominationForm_00000036.pdf
Vol. 4: Bennington_StateRegister__NominationForm_00000037.pdf