Burlington and Winooski 1920-2020:
The Evolution of our Built Environment
February 22 - June 24, 2007
This exhibition examines the natural, economic, and social forces that have shaped Burlington and Winooski, Vermont, since 1920, and
invites the envisioning of their futures. 
It is sometimes hard to imagine the way the cities we inhabit looked in decades past: towering elm trees providing a majestic canopy
over Burlington's and Winooski's streets and parks; Burlington's industrial waterfront storing lumber, oil, and rail freight; street cars
crisscrossing through town; a pontoon bridge connecting Burlington and Winooski. It is also a challenge to envision alternative ways that
these two cities might have evolved: imagine a dome over downtown Winooski or a restaurant nestled under the Winooski bridge, an elevated highway
along Burlington's waterfront, or an underground mall along Church Street, all plans that were proposed but never realized.
The Fleming Museum is pleased to bring together, for the first time, historical and contemporary photographs, architectural and engineering
drawings, models, and film and video clips that tell the recent story of how these two cities have come to be the places we know today. The
exhibition looks at the impact of both the Urban Renewal and Historic Preservation movements on our downtowns, how changes in transportation
have affected our cities, the ways in which natural forces such as floods, fire, and Dutch Elm disease have reshaped our urban landscapes, and
the evolution of Burlington's waterfront from an industrial salvage yard to a recreational destination. The exhibition will also provides access to
UVM's Landscape Change Program website, where specific Vermont locations can be entered to explore the changes that the years have brought. A web
page, comment book, and extensive public programming will invite visitors to share their thoughts for the future.
Burlington and Winooski 1920 - 2020: The Evolution of our Built Environment is dedicated to the memory of Lilian Baker Carlisle. Support for the exhibition
has been generously provided by J. Brooks Buxton '56, City of Winooski, Winooski Historical Society, City of Burlington, Small Dog Electronics,
the Kalkin Family Exhibitions Endowment Fund, the Walter Cerf Exhibitions Fund and the University of Vermont's GreenHouse Residential Learning Community.
