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The 1862 Wainwright map of Burlington lists Mrs. D. K. Pangborn as the occupant of this house, the central block of which was built circa 1840 and the side wings by 1853. It was built for David K. Pangborn, a local undertaker and representative to the Vermont legislature from 1848 to 1849, who left Burlington and his wife, Betsy Pangborn, in the early 1850s for California (1). His daughter, Laura A. Lawrence, first wife of Burlington attorney, Luther Lee Lawrence, obtained the house in 1876, and lived here until her death in 1895, at which time George Stratton purchased the home (2). After Stratton died in 1914, his widow, Ettie M. Stratton, rented out part of the house until Dr. Emmus G. and Anna K. Twitchell purchased the residence in 1921 (3). After he modernized the house and added the carved block walnut front door in 1930, Dr. Twitchell, a physician and University of Vermont professor, rented out an apartment in the house; following his death a second apartment began to be rented out in 1963 (4). In 1982 Anna Twitchell's son and his wife, John C. and Margaret H. Twitchell, took title of the property, and the residence ceased to be owner occupied (5).
(1) Burlington
Free Press, 5 September 1848, 2:4; The Vermont Historical
Gazetteer Vol. I (Burlington: A. M. Hemenway, 1867), 510;
Burlington Free Press, 7 May 1874, 3:1.
(2) Land Records of the Village of Burlington, Vermont, October
3, 1876, vol. 9, p. 436-437; Burlington Free Press, 10
Jan 1885, 4:1; Land Records of the Town of Burlington, Vermont,
October 10, 1895, vol. 37, p. 306.
(3) Land Records of the Town of Burlington, Vermont, September
2, 1921, vol. 78, p. 168.
(4) Clark Schoettle, "Vermont Historic Sites and Structures
Survey-Burlington-South Willard Street (6/29/77)," Vermont
Division for Historic Preservation. Photocopy. Schoettle describes
a slightly different early history of the building: "The
first known resident was Mrs. Betsy Pangborn in 1865. Her deceased
husband, D. K. Pangborn, had been a lawyer of enough ability and
prominence to represent Burlington in the legislature in 1848-49.
It seems more than likely that he had this house built for him
in the 1840's. Mrs. Pangborn resided hear until 1876, when Mrs.
Laura Lawrence, also the widow of a lawyer, bought the house;"
Burlington, Winooski, and Essex Junction Directory (Springfield,
MA: H. A. Manning Co., 1940), 184; Burlington, Winooski, and
Essex Junction Directory (Springfield, MA: H. A. Manning Co.,
1932), 267; Burlington, South Burlington, and Winooski Directory
(Greenfield, MA: H. A. Manning Co., 1963), 676.
(5) Land Records of the Village of Burlington, Vermont, March
6, 1978, vol. 251, p. 289; Land Records of the Village of Burlington,
Vermont, March 9, 1978, vol. 251, p. 292; Land Records of the
Village of Burlington, Vermont, March 11, 1982, vol. 282, p. 140-142;
Land Records of the Village of Burlington, Vermont, May 22, 1998,
vol. 591, p. 671.