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Orford Social Library Orford Hotel Grafton County Turnpike Howard Hat Factory The Wheeler Store Ridge Homes Granite Fence Posts Hinkley-Bissel House Elms Howard House Willard House Willard Store Morey House Wilcox House Britton Law Office and Home Elisha Williams-Carr Two White Frame Houses Rogers Cushman House Wheeler House Mann House Green House

Ridge Homes

Ridge Homesenlarge

We can thank the receding Connecticut River and what used to be known as Lake Hitchcock for the formation of the area in Orford known as the Ridge. The Ridge homes are part of the historic district and were built between 1773 and 1839. Hugh Morrison, former professor of architecture at Dartmouth College, described these homes as “the finest group of Federal-style houses in the United States.” The Federalist period in architecture lasted from 1780 until 1830. Federal style houses have a number of common features including low pitched, hipped roofs sometimes hidden behind a balustrade, fanlights over the doors, smooth facades and windows placed symmetrically around a central doorway.

For more detailed information on the history of the buildings along this route, visit the Orford summary submitted to the National Register at: http://www.crjc.org/heritage/N13-6.htm