189 Church Street

The building at the northwest corner of Church and King Streets is one of only two remaining Federal style buildings on Church Street. Constructed around 1815, the building originally was the home of the Mills brothers, printing and publishing barons who dominated the market in Burlington in the first half of the nineteenth century.The Mills brothers were politically active, supporting first Jefferson and then Jackson, so this building was likely the center of a great deal of political discussion[1]

The original entryway is located on what is now the second floor, with the original basement level now forming the first floor. These changes occurred in response to the lowering of the street level. The original entryway features a graceful fanlight and sidelights placed between paired pilasters.Other hallmark features of the Federal style include a taut faŤade with sharply set windows and a bonded brick construction. 

The building is symbolic of the early residential character of Church Street, recalling the era that preceded the commercial boom that began only a few decades later.The interior of the building has been converted to apartments.

 

 

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[i] State of Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. Vermont Historic Structures and Sites Survey. 189 Church Street. (Montpelier, Vermont: Division for Historic Preservation, n.d.)