411 Main Street
Grasse Mount

Standing a top a grassy knoll is 411 Main Street, commonly known as Grasse Mount. Being one of the oldest structures remaining in Burlington, and being part of the UVM campus, Grasse Mount has been well documented throughout the years. In 1804 Thaddeus Tuttle hired John Johnson who was an engineer and surveyor, and Abram Stevens, a carpenter, to design and build his home. The home they built was a large two-story rectangular federal style mansion suitable for the wealthy businessman that Tuttle was. Unfortunately, by 1824, Tuttle, was no longer was a wealthy businessman, but instead approaching bankruptcy, so he sold his home to Cornelius Van Ness, the eighth Governor of Vermont. It was his wife who bestowed the name Grasse Mount on her stately mansion, naming it after a French Count. In the mid 1800s, it changed hands once again, and as the lands surrounding began to be sold off, additions were made to the building. In the late 1800's the ell in the back was added, the cupola on the roof, and the conservatory on the west side. In 1895 the Grasse Mount was sold to the University of Vermont where it first served as a woman's dormitory and is currently used for the offices of University Development and Alumni Resources. Having been well-maintained by the University, Grasse Mount today stands in very good condition, appearing much as it would have in the late 1800s. (1)

Sources

1. David Blow, Historic Guides to Burlington Neighborhoods. Burlington: Chittenden County Historical Society, 1990.

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