NHCT PROJECTS
Village Trust Initiative
In the fall of 2025, New Haven was chosen as one of five towns in the state to receive the Village Trust Initiative Program to help complete restoration of the historic New Haven Depot. The community has rallied to find the best path forward to make the Depot a true asset for the people of our town.
You can read more about the Village Trust Initiative (VTI) here: https://www.vtrural.org/village-trust/
To that end, the New Haven Community Trust was formed in October 2025 and its board began the work of establishing a nonprofit entity to begin working with the community and the Village Trust Initiative on its first project- the Depot
New Haven Train Depot
HISTORY
The former New Haven train station originally stood adjacent to railroad tracks just north of the western junction of US 7 and Vermont 17 in the village of New Haven Junction. It is a two-story brick building with a gabled roof. It has Italianate styling, including rounded-arch windows and extended eaves supported by large brackets.
The station's exact construction date is not known, and is assumed to be in the decade following the 1849 introduction of railroad service to the area by the Rutland and Burlington Railroad. The station was first listed as a stop in that railroad's timetables in 1854, and the current brick station was completed during August 1868, replacing a wooden structure across the tracks (which became the freighthouse). The railroad was in the second half of the 19th century an important transportation artery for both the Burlington area's lumber industry, and the Rutland area's marble quarries. The station became a junction in 1891 when the Bristol Railroadopened.
The building underwent restoration in the late 1970s. In the 21st century, it was determined that the building needed to be moved or demolished to accommodate the Amtrak Ethan Allen Express extension to Burlingtonsince the structure was too close to the tracks to permit trains to run at 59 miles per hour (95 km/h). The town Select Board chose a new site for the building, adjacent to the town office and library, in May 2021. Moving the station was expected to cost more than $600,000. The town applied for state and regional funding to move the structure. The Vermont Department of Historic Preservation transferred ownership to the town in December 2020. The building was moved to a town-owned lot on January 12, 2022, with a new foundation poured that spring. Since then, the slate and copper roof has been restored and the windows and doors will be replaced late summer 2026.
DEPOT DAY FESTIVAL
September 13, 2025
To celebrate and mark the completion of the restoration of the Depot’s slate and copper roof, a party was held at the Depot site and included a talk by Jim Jones, author of the book New Haven Junction-Bristol VT: Crossroads to Caskets; A New Haven Historical Society display depicting the history of the town during this time period; The New Haven Community Library was open with books and historical information about this place we call home; Art projects for the kids; Live Music by Jeff Pratt with a solo performance by Mike Dever and Free Strawberry Ice Cream Cones! The community came out to look inside the building and see a display and sketches of possible plans for the space and an opportunity for the community to share their ideas.
HAPPENING NOW
In the fall and winter of 2025/26, the New Haven Selectboard invited the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) to bring its “Community Visits” program to the town. Over 150 New Haven residents participated in a process that identified two priority projects for the community to take on. An Affordable Housing Task Force and a Community Gathering Spaces Task Force were formed and as of Spring 2026, these groups are outlining opportunities and goals. A subcommittee of the Gathering Spaces Task Force (now known as the New Haven Neighbors) was formed to help with the community engagement requirements for the VTI program’s support of the Depot project. Working hand in hand with the Community Trust, this group of community volunteers are soliciting input from New Haven residents on what they might want to consider for the use of the Depot space.
TAKE THE SURVEY!
NHCT needs your help to decide how the Depot will best serve our community in the future! With the help of the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) and the New Haven Neighbors, we have developed a survey to get feedback from the community. Please help us by taking a short survey at this link. Thank you for your input- results will be shared with the community later this summer.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3iGq_4DBNAaWkpafrz3jGZGLkTZEtm-NAbsKlA0cl9jjSnw/viewform