The Henry Sheldon Museum Presents

- Henry at 200 -

“ … I have spent all my leisure the past year trying to benefit future generations by preserving the handiwork of the articles representing all the different occupations of the early pioneers which I have called a Museum. May those who many years hence look at these articles take as much pleasure in doing so as I have in collecting them.”

Henry L. Sheldon's diary, 1888

The 200th birthday of Henry Luther Sheldon is a reason to celebrate. He was an ordinary Vermonter who left behind an extraordinary cultural legacy for the edification, education, and enjoyment of future generations, now called the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, the oldest community-based museum in the nation. Henry was a talented musician and held a variety of jobs and entrepreneurial businesses during his lifetime.

Henry’s collecting began in 1875 with a Roman coin that eventually led to his decision to establish a museum documenting Middlebury, Addison County, and beyond. In 1882, he bought the Judd-Harris House as the site of his museum, obtained a state Charter, and opened its doors to the public in 1884. For the rest of his life, Henry focused on collecting and maintaining his massive collection, because, as he wrote, “the importance of preserving the history and early records of the first century of Middlebury for the benefit of those who succeed us… cannot be questioned.”

Henry ultimately assembled one of the richest historical collections in New England, ranking Middlebury among the best-documented towns in the entire region. Because of Henry’s extraordinary foresight, we are able to examine our past, hear the stories, glimpse the lives, and learn from previous generations while looking ahead to the future.