Lyman Avenue was home to, interestingly enough, A.O. Ferguson of the Ferguson & Scarff Addition. Perhaps living on Ferguson Avenue, just one street over, seemed a bit too pretentious for Mr. Ferguson. House #177, seen here as the second one away from the viewer on the left (south) side of the street, was listed A. O. Ferguson as its resident and owner in 1938, the year this photo was taken. His occupation at the time was listed only as “real estate.”(1)
Considering the position Ferguson was in, it is interesting to see how his home was not any different in scale or style from the rest of the residents in his carefully-planned semi-suburban community. Other surrounding residents included retired Albert A. Silver, Jr. at 175 Lyman Avenue, located next to Ferguson’s home and closest to the viewer. Across the street at #178 was Henry L. Moiles, manager of the City Commissary and his wife, Betty, employed at the New York Life Insurance Company.(2)
With streets lined with broad sidewalks, trees and lawns, Lyman Avenue was conveniently located to both the industrial and business centers of Burlington, yet it was removed enough to provide a change of atmosphere. The aesthetic quality of the streetscape played a huge role in this.
(1) Manning's Burlington & Winooski Directory for years 1938 (Springfield H.A. Manning Co).
(2) Manning's Burlington & Winooski Directory for years 1928 (Springfield H.A. Manning Co).
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Lyman Avenue remains virtually unchanged since McAllister’s visit in 1938. A stop sign and the occasional “no parking here to corner” street sign are the only visually apparent changes. The same houses with little or no alterations still remain. Large trees still line the street, retaining the neighborhood atmosphere and aesthetics present in the 1938 community shown in McAllister’s photo.
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