Founded in 1791, the University of Vermont is the fifth oldest university in New England, after Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, and Brown.

Throughout the summer and early fall, the university will bring its long and illustrious history to light with a weekly guided historic tour of its campus. The free tour, led by UVM emeritus professor William Averyt, will take place Saturdays, July 5 through Oct. 25 from 9 to 11 a.m.

Highlighted on the tour are such architectural treasures as Old Mill, completed in 1829, whose cornerstone was laid by the Marquis de Lafayette, the 1885 Billings Library, designed by renowned 19th architect H.H. Richardson, and the magnificent Grasse Mount, built for a local merchant in 1806 and later the home of the governor.

In addition to its many historic structures — more than a dozen buildings on the university's central campus are on the National Register of Historic Places — the tour also covers many of the important and colorful people animating UVM's history.

Founder Ira Allen, for instance, was a visionary, Revolutionary War hero, and an ambitious, sometimes slippery real estate speculator. Professor Royall Tyler was a member of Vermont's Supreme Court in the 18th century and a playwright credited with writing the first American comedy. UVM's third president, James Marsh, inspired Emerson and Thoreau, invented the modern university curriculum, and for a time made Burlington the intellectual capital of America. And 1879 alumnus John Dewey, whose grave is on campus, is considered one of American's greatest philosophers.

"UVM not only has a physically striking campus full of historically significant architecture, but also a history replete with important and intriguing figures, some of whom helped shape modern America," said Daniel Mark Fogel, UVM president. "We hope the tour will be both an entertaining experience for visitors and a means for telling the important story of the University of Vermont."

For more information on the tour and to register, visit www.uvm.edu/historictour.

Listen to Vermont Public Radio's coverage of the tour.