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Shelburne Road at Rotary Intersection Looking South UTM 18 0642584E, 4924934N |
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| On November 1, 1935, Louis McAllister took this photograph facing south at the junction of Shelburne Road with South Willard and Ledge Road to the left and Locust Street to the right. This busy intersection was once called Star Corner, and the rotary here is still the only one in the city. [1] Road construction work is clearly taking place, and McAllister describes the work in detail. Where the pavement has been recently replaced, electrical connections for a flasher on the “Silent Policeman” (The concrete post with “Slow To Right”) were inserted. A steamroller now rolls over this new stretch of pavement. The vehicle in the right foreground is an “Adun Asphalt Spreading and Finishing Machine.” [2]
Several buildings are visible in this photograph. In the foreground on the left side is the porch of 616 South Willard Street. It was vacant at the time this photograph was taken, as the “To Rent” sign on the porch suggests. Built before 1900 it served between 1923 and 1927 as the Bittersweet Tea Room, owned and operated by Margaret L. H. Smith (Mrs. Wadsworth Ramsay Smith). [3] She and her husband bought the property when they first moved to Burlington. A well-known Burlington resident, Mrs. Smith was also an author and real estate broker. In 1927 she moved the Tea House to 151 South Prospect Street where she remained until 1979 when she died at the age of 94. [4] South of this house the porte cochere of #82 Shelburne Road is visible. It replaced an older house on the site visible on a Sanborn Insurance Map of 1919. [5] It is likely that the visible building was constructed around 1930 when the ownership changed hands and the site became a gas station owned by J. P. Smith. [6] Also notice the circular Tydol sign at the center of the photograph and the gas pumps in front of the building. Nearly at the center of the photograph is #96 Shelburne Road. This large two-storey dwelling has unusual gable roofs at the front and back of the house underneath the hip roof of the main block. It was built in 1924 and from this time until 1937, it was the residence of George E. Hunt, a dentist whose office was located on Church Street. [7] Finally, at the left, across Shelburne Road, is #83 Shelburne Road, built around 1925. Very similar in structure to #29 Shelburne Street, and built at roughly the same time, it has a gambrel roof with a three bay dormer across the front façade. In 1935 it was the home of Rae V. Parrott, proprietor of Parrott Shoe Shop on Church Street. [8] [1] David J. Blow, Historic Guide to Burlington Neighborhoods, Vol. 1 (Burlington: Chittenden County Historical Society, 1997), 78. |
The most shocking change in this view since the forties is the loss of the elm trees, particularly along the west side of Shelburne Road. Now large streetlights line the street. The entire intersection seems like much more of an open highway than the small city road it was previously. The traffic circle itself has changed as well. A raised curb filled with grass (and campaign signs) and yellow lines divide the lanes and direct traffic.
To the left, #82 Shelburne Road has undergone more modifications. The gable roof has been removed, and replaced with a nearly flat shed roof. The siding has also been exchanged for vinyl siding. Since the forties, this address has remained a gas station while changing hands several times. Now known as the Rotary Gulf, it has gone by this name since 1990. [9] Hidden by more greenery, #96 Shelburne Road has seen far less change. A small addition to the north side of the house (not visible in this photograph) has altered the structure slightly though it has remained residential. At the right #75/77 Shelburne road stands with minor cosmetic changes. The small entry porch visible in 1942 has been removed and the shingles have been replaced with vinyl siding. It too remains residential. Further south the front façade of #83 Shelburne Road is mostly obscured by shrub trees. This house is also largely unchanged and remains a residential building. Without the elms, #87 Shelburne Road is now visible beyond #83 down the right side of the street. This is the gable front 1 ½ storey house with a prominent chimney in the middle of the gable end and side dormers. A map of Burlington from 1890 labels it as the residence of William E. Harrington, [10] and Burlington City Directories confirm this as his residence as far back as 1881. An employee of Skillings, Whitney’s & Barnes Lumber Co., he lived there until his death around 1890 and his widow continued to live there until 1900. [11] In 1935 it was the home of Edward S. Cram, a bank clerk while by 1942 his widow Margaret lived there alone. [12] Today, it is clad in vinyl siding with modern windows and it remains a private home.[9] City Directory, 1930-1990. |
 Louis McAllister November 1, 1935 |
 Louis McAllister 1937 |
 Louis McAllister June 30, 1942 |
These three images are a succession of nearly identical views Louis McAllister took between 1935 and 1942. In less than a decade, it is interesting to note the changes that occurred. Click on any of the three images to see enlarged images and descriptions. |
Historic Burlington Project Depression Era Streetscapes: Old North End | Burlington 1890 | Burlington 1877 | Burlington 1869 | Burlington 1853 | Burlington 1830 Produced by University of Vermont Historic Preservation Program graduate students in HP 206 Researching Historic Structures and Sites - Prof. Thomas Visser - in collaboration with UVM Landscape Change Program Historic images courtesy of University of Vermont Library Special Collections, Louis L. McAllister Photograph Collection |
