Town of Barnet, 1743 U.S. Route 5 South, Barnet, VT 05821.
Phone: 802‑633‑2256.
Beginnings [1]
The first settlement made in Caledonia County was in Barnet, March 4, 1770, by Daniel Jacob, Elijah Hall and Jonathan Fowler. The first house in the town and the county was built by the Halls at the foot of the falls on the north side of the Stevens River. The Halls and Fowler received 100 acres each from the proprietors, to induce them to settle the town.
The town charter was granted September 16, 1763, under the British crown, by Benning Wentworth, governor of New Hampshire. The governor reserved 500 acres for himself.
Dr. Phineas Stevens, brother of Enos Stevens, was the first physician in the town. William Shaw was the first merchant, having a store at Stevens village, as Barnet was then called, and later, Erastus Fairbanks, the war governor, was in trade here. Thomas Denison was probably the first lawyer, and was succeeded by Samuel Chandler, Mordecai Hale and Joseph Potts.
The mail was first extended to Barnet in 1808, a weekly mail through the center of town, and Reverend Mr. Goodwillie was the first postmaster.