Southerly view of Elmwood Avenue from intersection at Grant Street, L.L. McAllister, September 27, 1931

            In this image, several houses are visible.  On the left, one can clearly see numbers 50 and 56/58.  On the right are numbers 55/57 and 61/63.  Numbers 55 and 57 are both parts of one three-story apartment, numbers 56 and 58 are divided parts of a two-story dwelling, and numbers 61 and 63 are parts of a two-story duplex dwelling, for clarity’s sake. 

            Number 50 Elmwood is one of six nearly identical two-story gable front Greek Revival dwellings built around the intersection with Grant Street by an ‘unknown’ developer circa 1865.  The earliest known resident was a H. Blood listed on the 1869 Beers map of Burlington.[1] After that point, there is a gap until Ezra Russell appears in the city directory in 1902.  Several other residents besides Russell appear between 1902 and 1906, indicating that Russell rented a room in the house.  The house passed to George Lafley in 1908.  Lafley appears to have continued renting the room, as other residents besides Lafley come and go.  The house was sold to harness maker William C.C. Mehan in 1923, and he still lived there at the time of the photo.[2]

            Numbers 56 and 58 are another of the six two-story gable front Greek Revival dwellings, with the addition of a side porch.  Dr. Walter S. Vincent, former surgeon for the 9th Vermont Infantry during the Civil War, bought this house in 1867.  Franklin Woodworth, a grocer, bought the house from Vincent shortly after.  It remained in his possession until his death in 1894, then leaving it to his wife.  The widow Woodworth died in 1911, and the house was sold to Thomas Gregory.  The house remained in the Gregory family until 1920, when it was sold to Albert Chayer, partner in a dry goods business.  Chayer sold the house five years later to Napoleon LaCross, who still resided there in 1931.[3]

            The dwelling at numbers 61 and 63 was most likely built as an income-producing duplex, as a constant turnover of residents can be seen in the city directories throughout its history. It was built circa 1845, and its first known tenants were James D. Miller and Amos Jones, who lived here from 1866 until 1872. Several residents, including Lois Melaney, a high school principal, and Frank F. Gomo, a painter, lived at the house for up to twenty years, right up to the period of the photograph.

[1] 1869 Beers Map of Burlington.

[2] Burlington City Directories, 1866-1931. 

[3] Historic Guide to Burlington Neighborhoods, Vol. 1.

Southerly view of Elmwood Avenue from intersection at Grant Street, Kurt Jergensen, October 18, 2005. UTM coordinates 0642055, 4927036 (NAD 83).

            In this image, very little has changed in this area since McAllister’s photo.  A few more of the structures along the street can be seen, due to the loss of the elms, while others are obstructed from view by the maples that were planted to replace the elms. Still all else remains much the same.