Click the image above to interact with the exhibit – full screen recommended.
Inspired by the Old Stone House Museum’s 100th anniversary in 2025, this online exhibit explores the stories of new neighbors to the Northeast Kingdom during the 1920s—the decade of the museum’s 1925 opening!
Using the 1920 census as a starting point, a small group of staff and volunteers from the Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village embarked on a genealogical journey through the historic record. Tracing clues and tracking leads, we set a goal to share five stories, as they would need to be researched and exhibit ready within four months—in time for the museum’s May 20 opening!
Born from our centennial theme of Neighbor to Neighbor, the online exhibit Becoming Neighbors: Stories from the 1920s Census explores the lives and legacies of first generation Vermonters who made Orleans County the home of their choice (as Old Stone House creator Alexander Twilight once referred to Brownington).
At this time, the exhibit is still under construction—stories are being added regularly, so please check back for updates!
‘Stories from the 1920s Census’ will also be featured in the NorthStar Monthly through summer and fall 2026. Follow along for more insights into how the research was done, what information we found, and what questions we are still trying to answer.
Helpful Tips for Viewing and Navigating Exhibit
The exhibit was produced using Canva, which adds a control bar at the bottom. This can be toggled off. Canva also offers back and forward arrows for navigating through the slides. Buttons are provided on the pages to navigate the within the exhibit.
Thank you to our Becoming Neighbors Project Team!
Left to Right – Mark Mohrmann, Beth Barnes, Mary Hoyt Wood, Darlene Young, Joan Alexander, Krista Barry, Beth Kanell
Partially Supported by a grant from Vermont Humanities
Included in Vermont Historical Society’s Lost Mural Project, 2026
We are incredibly grateful to the network of museums, archives, historical societies, universities, and researchers that contributed to this research and exhibit.