Sheldon, Henry L. (Henry Luther), 1821-1907

After his disastrous investment in the marble industry in the 1850s, Henry Sheldon invested instead in real estate. In Middlebury, he bought buildings in the village that he repaired and rented out. Through brokers he invested in lands elsewhere.

From the description of Henry L. Sheldon real estate papers, 1849-1891. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 743316896

As increasing deafness cut Henry Sheldon off from former activities, he found an outlet in his museum, which he incorporated in 1882 along with a board of trustees. He collected artifacts, particularly those associated with the area's early settlers, manuscripts and printed materials, and curiosities. One of his goals was to obtain a copy of everything printed in Middlebury-- newspapers, books, pamplets, flyers-- which, as needed, he bound himself. While he concentrated chiefly on Middlebury and the surrounding area, objects and printed material on almost any subject and from anywhere in the world interested him and found their way into his collections. He often expressed his hope that the museum would continue to operate and grow after his death.

From the description of Henry L. Sheldon museum papers, 1881-1907. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 760898034

Col. Ellsworth was shot by the landlord at the Marshall House Inn after he raised the stars and stripes in place of the Confederate flag. Capt. Frank Brownell then shot the landlord.

From the description of Shooting of Col. Ellsworth collection, ca. 1860s-ca. 1891. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 745036952

Henry Sheldon was a member at St. Stephen's for 63 years, organist for 33 years, until deafness forced him to resign, and a vestryman for many years. He seems to have been at the church for most occasions when there was work to be done. He connected the church and his museum by storing museum property in the church and arranging that the museum board be composed of vestrymen.

From the description of St. Stephen's Church records, ca. 1879-1906. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 743321818

Justice of the peace, village clerk, owner of real estate, organist, and founder of the Sheldon Museum, of Middlebury, Vt.

From the description of Henry L. Sheldon scrapbook 111 : Stephen Douglass [sic], ca. 1880-1900. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 701721643

Founder of Sheldon Museum.

From the description of Henry L. Sheldon scrapbooks, ca. 1880-1900. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 759511973

Henry Sheldon (1821-1907) was born in Salisbury, Vt., the youngest of four sons of Samuel and Sarah Weeks Sheldon. He was a precocious child, whose mother taught him to read at a very early age, sparking the wide range of interests that would characterize his entire life. For his first 20 years he lived and worked on his father's farm. In 1841 he moved to Middlebury, which was to be his home for most of his adult life. He never married. A very sociable man, he was intensely loyal to his many relatives and his wide circle of friends, maintaining long-term correspondences with a number of them. He was musically talented and became organist at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in 1842, a position he held until 1876, when increasing deafness forced his resignation. He was elected Middlebury Village Clerk in 1870, a position held for 25 years. In 1882, increasingly isolated by deafness, he founded the Sheldon Museum, and for the rest of his life devoted much of his energy to its growth.

From the description of Henry L. Sheldon papers, 1833-1907. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 743302593

Henry Sheldon was a sociable man with a wide circle of friends. His energy and range of interests appear to have been almost boundless. He was an active member of several organizations, often serving as secretary. His financial records indicate that he was frugal, but that he appears to have lived comfortably.

From the description of Henry L. Sheldon personal papers, 1833-1907. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 748378811

Local official, businessman, civic leader, and founder of the Sheldon Museum, of Middlebury, Vt.

From the description of Scrapbook 106 : advance and growth of the U.S. Post Office Dept. after 1810, ca. 1880-1900. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 707367913

From the description of Scrapbook 67 : Rutland & Burlington Railroad, ca. 1843-1900. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 724574482

From the description of Scrapbook 206 : H.L. Sheldon's records as route agent of the Rutland & Burlington Railroad, ca. 1880-1906. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 724577888

From the description of Scrapbook 86 : McDonald-Sheldon, the oldest continuous mercantile firm in Middlebury--from 1815, ca. 1880-1900. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 731219965

From the description of Scrapbook 22 : Dr. Edward Tudor of Middlebury, Vt., and his friends--Chipman family, Strong family, ca. 1880-1900. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 748831017

From the description of Scrapbook 96 : Old Middlebury papers--Newspaper reprints, posters, handbills, etc., ca. 1880-1900. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 707629294

From the description of Scrapbook 87 : O.B. Clarke's forgeries, 1880-1900. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 707639465

From the description of Scrapbook 107 : education in Addison County, ca. 1880-1905. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 664678661

Justice of the peace, village clerk, owner of saloon and other real estate, civic leader, organist, and founder of the Sheldon Museum, of Middlebury, Vt.

From the description of Scrapbook 76 : Middlebury justice writs & some very old legal documents, etc., ca. 1770-1900. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 697293618

From the description of Scrapbook 182 : the first three pioneer settlers of Middlebury, Vt., 1766-1773, 1900. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 697292010

Local official, businessman, civic leader, church organist, and founder of the Sheldon Museum, of Middlebury, Vt. Sheldon kept a diary almost daily from the age of 13 until a few weeks before his death.

From the description of Henry L. Sheldon diaries, 1833-1907. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 731958221

Henry L. Sheldon lived and worked on his father's farm in Salisbury, Vt. for his first 20 years. In Nov., 1841, he moved to Middlebury and clerked in the post office. For the next few years he held various clerking positions in Middlebury or Vergennes, and eventually collected enough money to purchase his own business, an oyster saloon in Middlebury. The railroad went through Middlebury in 1849, and he was enchanted; he sold the saloon and worked as mail agent on the railroad for a time. In 1856 he went to Nebraska, but returned to Middlebury the next year and worked as station agent for the Rutland Railroad until 1863. At that point he began to acquire real estate in Middlebury, which he repaired and leased or rented. In addition to his regular jobs, he generally had a sideline or two: he sold, repaired, rented and tuned pianos, made and sold organs, installed gas lighting, and fixed clocks. While he was mail agent on the railroad and traveling frequently to Boston, he also filled orders for sheet music. He invested, with varying success, in lumber, marble, stocks, and land.

From the description of Henry L. Sheldon business papers, 1837-1906. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 747977126

In 1883 Eliza Platt bequeathed her entire estate to St. Stephen's Church in Middlebury, Vt., but she added that should her nieces need funds, they should have the income from her estate. Henry Sheldon, as a member of the vestry, kept a record of the transactions with a note saying "These pages are left to record proceedings of Vestry in relation to Platt fund diverted to another of her sisters daughters supposed to be impecunious."

From the description of Henry L. Sheldon scrapbook 161 : the Platt fund, 1883-1898. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 702120251

Benefactor and civic leader, of Middlebury, Vt.; owner of considerable real estate, served as justice of the peace, and was founder of Sheldon Museum. Member of the vestry of St. Stephen's Church and keeper of records of a bequest by Adelia Conant, of Brandon, Vt., of $3500 given to the church in 1881 to support the rector of that church.

From the description of Scrapbook 162 : Conant fund records, 1881-1898. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 654466665

Justice of the peace, village clerk, owner of saloon and other real estate, civic leader, organist, and founder of Sheldon Museum; of Middlebury, Vt.

From the description of Henry L. Sheldon scrapbook 173 : the house book, 1876-1901. (Sheldon Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 696790142