United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7
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Waterman Building, 85 South Prospect St., 1941.
At 85 South Prospect Street, the mighty façade of the Waterman Building, designed by McKim, Mead & White, rises to face University Row across the Green. Constructed in 1941, this grand three-story, Colonial Revival, Flemish bond, red brick structure with a slate shingle roof, includes a central mass standing three stories tall and extending three bays on either side of the three bay pavilion, with short, symmetrical hyphens (wings) extending from either end, in turn intersecting with the eaves side of hipped-roof projecting to form a rough "H" plan Stretching three bays on either side of this three-bay-wide central entrance pavilion, the hipped roof of the central mass rises from a heavy, wood cornice with dentils to a ridgeline with a large chimney on each end.
The Waterman Building's brick cladding begins above the raised water table of large coursed, ashlar granite blocks. The main entrance is up eight granite steps the width of the pavilion, through six monumental, Vermont marble, Ionic order columns and under a full pediment with elaborate relief sculpture depicting the UVM seal with scrollwork, as well as inscription in the frieze: "CHARLES WINFIELD WATERMAN AND ANNA R. WATERMAN MEMORIAL." Along the eaves line, above the central pavilion, there is a decorative balustrade and there are heavy, marble quoins on the corners of the porch. Passing through the pavilion porch, one finds a central, two-story, double-leaf entrance rising both stories. This entrance consists of double doors within an elaborate, bronze, broken pediment surround, all within a grand, round arch with a marble surround
The windows of the central block differ on each story, with the first story windows being 12/12, double-hung on marble sills with a round-arched wood pediment and set within a full-length recessed brick round arch. The second story windows are 12/12, double-hung on marble sills with splayed brick lintels flush with the wall. The third story windows are above a marble stringcourse and are 8/8, double-hung with marble sills.
On each side of the central mass, symmetrical hyphens extend two bays and stand two and one half stories tall. The first and second story windows are 12/12, double-hung on marble sills with splayed brick lintels flush with the wall. Above the simple, heavy cornice, round arch dormers with modest tracery extend. Each hyphen intersects with the eaves side of a hipped roof, projecting pavilion, which extends three bays forward.
The two flanking pavilion entrances are symmetrical, standing two and one half stories and three bays wide. Each pavilion façade has heavy marble quoins on the corners of what is a slightly projected central 3/5 of the façade plane and a full pediment with a centered, oval window with swags below. Central double-leaf doors of three vertical square panes, with marble, round arch surrounds flush with the wall, stand above five granite steps, and are flanked on either side by single 12/12, double-hung windows on a marble sills with splayed brick lintels. The same windows are found on the second stories, flanking smaller, centered, one-by-one windows which have full, squared, marble surrounds with marble swages beneath.
The outer, eaves sides (north and south facades) of the projecting pavilions are mirror images of one another in that they each stand two and one half stories above the water table (which has now become somewhat of a stringcourse as the ground level lowers to reveal an exposed basement level) and extending five bays on either side of the central, five bay, pavilion that is centered on the façade and stands two stories. The pavilion on the left (south) side has four monumental, Ionic, marble columns recessed flush with the facade plane and topped by a decorative balustrade. The pavilion is also centered on the right (north) side and has four, monumental, Ionic marble pilasters in the same configuration as the left (south) pavilion. All windows are 12/12, double-hung on marble sills with splayed brick lintels, with only four exceptions. These include the two first story windows flanking the monumental columns, which are 12/12, double-hung on marble sills with a fan light above and set in a slightly recessed round arch. Second story windows are twins to the central, second story windows of the projecting pavilions' front facades: smaller, 1-by-1 with full, squared marble surround and marble swags underneath. The thirteen dormers above the eaves are laid out with the central five having triangular pediments, while the four flanking each side of these are the same round arch dormers of the front facade.
The rear of the building is notable for the massive three-story, semi-circular pavilion centered between the two projecting pavilions and topped by an open deck with decorative balustrade.
The Waterman Building was built as a memorial to Charles W. and Anna R. Waterman when UVM became the beneficiary of the estate of Charles W. Waterman (UVM Class of 1885) upon Anna R. Watermanâs death in 1939. This included more than $1.5 million for a new administration building. Designed by McKim, Mead & White, construction began in 1940 after three homes on South Prospect St. were demolished to make room for the massive project. Shortly after completion in 1941, World War II broke out and Waterman was used by the military, including the Waterman cafeteria being used as a military trainee mess hall.
Noteworthy events to occur at the
Waterman Building include the UVM Board meetings reviewing the Novikoff
case in August of 1953, which involved the dismissal of a professor for
having formerly been a member of the Communist party. Being the Universityâs
administrative center, the spring of 1988 saw the executive offices of
the Waterman Building being taken over by UVM students demanding, "an end
to overt and institutional racism on campus."