NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90)

OMB No. 1024-0018

United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places
Registration Form

This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items.

state _Vermont    code _VT   county_Chittenden    code _007    zip code _05401

Narrative Description
(Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)
 
 

H.O. Wheeler School Name of Property

Chittenden County Vermont County and State

Narrative Statement of Significance
(Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)

UTM References

(Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet)

1 | 1| 8|   | 6| 4| 2|0| 0|0| |4|9|2|7|4|2|0|    Zone   Easting     Northing	3|_|_|  |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|  |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|  Zone   Easting  Northing
2|_|_|  |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|  |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|	4|_|_|  |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|  |_|_|_|_|_|_|_| [_] See continuation sheet.

Verbal Boundary Description
(Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.)

Boundary Justification
(Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.)

Continuation Sheets

Maps

	A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location.
	A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources.

Photographs

Representative black and white photographs of the property.

Additional items
(Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items)

name___
street & number ___telephone___
city or town___ state___zip code___

Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.0. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503.

United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet

Section number 7

Page___

Narrative Description

The H. O. Wheeler School, constructed in 1904, is a two-story, hip roofed, U-shaped, brick structure, nine bays wide and five bays deep, rising from an ashlar-faced, redstone foundation and highlighted by elements suggesting the Colonial Revival and Romanesque styles. The school overlooks a major neighborhood intersection in Burlington, Vermont's Old North End, where Archibald Street, Spring Street, and Elmwood Avenue meet. The building is clearly a fine representative example of the large, symmetrical, Colonial Revival school buildings built during the first quarter of the twentieth century
identified in the Vermont Historic Preservation Plan's "Education" historic context. Despite some minor alterations, which include the removal of the front entry and the addition of a wing for administrative offices and classrooms in 1954 and 1966, the integrity of the design, character, and setting of the school has not been seriously compromised.

The school is located at the head of Elmwood Avenue, an important link between Burlington's central business district and the Old North End. Surrounded by a residential neighborhood of small two story, late 19th century, wooden houses, the H. O. Wheeler School is a key local landmark. It stands alone. With its fenced playground to the northwest, the property fills the southern end of the block formed by Walnut Street to the east, Archibald Street and Elmwood Avenue on the south, and Spring Street on the west.

The H. O. Wheeler School's symmetrical front facade is divided into equal thirds with hip-roofed pavilions three bays wide and four bays deep projecting forward from the outer thirds of the block to form the "U". The west and east sides extend out one bay near the center, so that the rear is wider to allow front-facing side entrances. While the western entrance remains, the eastern entrance has been bricked over, as a 1954, flat-roofed, brick addition projects here to the east. The auditorium-gymnasium and principal's office were added and interior renovations were made in 1954. The addition
is in two parts. The front section is two stories high and three bays wide with an entrance hall on the first floor and a principal's office above. In the rear is a single-story gymnasium which has windows only on its north facade.

North of the gymnasium addition is a flat-roofed classroom wing, constructed in 1966, eleven bays long and two bays wide. Poured concrete piers, painted a contrasting color, separate the bays. The roof extends out slightly above the piers to form triangular projections. Each bay is filled with concrete block walls and full-width sliding windows at the top.
The wing is joined to the 1954 addition (and thus to the main building) by two parallel arcades, each five bays long with a courtyard between. The eastern arcade is open, while the western arcade is enclosed with concrete blocks and windows matching the style of the rest of the 1966 wing. The scale, design, and siting of the additions do not detract from the character of the main building.Following the 1904 state school standardization guidelines, the H. O. Wheeler School building was designed with ample windows to provide natural light to supplement the electric light in the classrooms. The original 9-over-2, double-hung windows of the main block have been replaced by modern, "De-Vac" aluminum-framed, three-part window units with storm sash. The lower two-thirds of the openings are filled with a double-hung, 1-over-1 windows, while the upper thirds are filled with insulated panels.

Most of the windows of the main block are topped by splayed brick lintels and are uniform in size. The window openings in the central third of the front facade are narrower, however, and the basement windows are two-thirds the height of the other openings. Across the rear of the building, the windows were originally divided into three sections of four windows on the first and second stories. The first and second story windows of the central third and the first story windows of the eastern third have been replaced by bands of six windows which match the modern aluminum replacement units. A sill course of soldiers runs along the base of the windows of the main block with a band of stretchers projecting from the face of the building above and below the soldier bricks.

On the west side, an interior stairwell is marked by distinctive windows. On each floor the pattern is composed of three segments, a window of normal width flanked by two narrower windows. The lower double-hung windows light the west entrance hall, located between the first floor and basement levels and are similar in size to the basement windows. Immediately above this set is a large arch-topped window opening. The upper set of three fixed sash windows is enclosed in an arched surround with projecting voussoirs at the tops of the smaller windows and a projecting keystone with a corbelled cap. The second-story soldier course of bricks aligns with the horizontal frame member which separates the arched-top and the double-hung sections of the windows.

In the center of the front (south) facade, the second floor window and the first floor entrance bays have been bricked in. Within the recessed third of the front facade, blind arches alternate with the window surrounds. The arches are marked by corbelled brick imposts and brick archivolts flush with the facade. Below the window and above the door are a terra-cotta ornament and a cast brass name plate which reads "H. O. Wheeler School." "Ghost" lines of the original roof line of the tripartite entrance arcade are visible on the projecting side walls.

The hipped roof of the main block is covered with asphalt shingles, galvanized flashing and galvanized snow slides bordering the eaves. Rafter tails are exposed beneath the projecting eaves of the main block. The cornice features a triple band of corbelled brick encircling the structure. Four massive chimneys rise symmetrically from the front and rear of the roof. The chimneys are patterned with a lattice work design of raised bricks.

The building originally had three main entrances, however only the west entrance is still used for this purpose. Located in a shallow bay formed by the projecting rear half of the west side, the entrance faces south and is sheltered by a portico addition with a hipped roof of corrugated galvanized steel, supported by steel pipe posts. The portico probably dates from 1954 and does not contribute to the significance of the building. A poured concrete stairway leads up a half story to the first story classroom level. A similar entrance was located on the right side of the building, but this has been bricked
in. The entrance was moved nearby to the 1954 addition where a set of double doors are located, sheltered by a shed-roofed portico of materials similar to the west portico addition.

Historic photos show that the school originally had unsheltered side entrances. A hipped-roof attic dormer located above the front entrance was probably removed in 1954.

The interior plan of the main block of the building is essentially intact with central corridors running east-west on the first and second floors to open stairs at each end. On both the first and second floors, three classrooms line the north side. On the south side are classrooms in the corners and utility rooms and toilet rooms between. The small toilet rooms were installed on the first and second floors in 1954. On the first floor, this required that the main front entrance be removed and the doorway opening filled with bricks. On the second story, the center window opening was also filled with bricks.

The interior walls are painted plaster and wallboard. Ceilings on the first and second stories are 14 feet high and in the eight corner classrooms and the stairwells, are still covered with the original patterned, pressed steel. These steel ceilings have embossed squares (about two feet by two feet), decorated cornices, and floral medallion center plates. Modern acoustical tile cover the pressed steel ceilings in the second story corridor and in the rear center classrooms. The basement level has been converted to small classrooms and special-purpose rooms with high ceilings and exposed pipes.

The corridors of the main block and most of the eight corner classrooms are lined with painted, beaded cypress wainscoting with chair rails and baseboards. Picture rails also surround the rooms at the height of the top of the windows. The wooden doors to the classrooms have three horizontal panels and a single wire-glass light above. Some doors have original doorknobs and lock sets. Above the doors are covered transoms.

The stairs rise a half story with each flight with landings between floor levels. The banisters, with simple square-sectioned balusters, terminate with square newel posts with corbelled caps. The Georgia pine floors have been covered by linoleum tile and carpeting. The interiors of the 1954 addition feature a principal's and administration offices on the second floor and an entry foyer, gymnasium and stage, on the first floor. Access to the 1966 addition is gained from the northwest corner of the gymnasium, through the enclosed arcade. The interior of this wing features a central corridor running the length, flanked by classrooms. A small, windowless, recreation room is located near the center of the wing. The walls are of painted concrete block with chalkboard boards, bulletin boards and cabinets. The floors have synthetic tiles or are carpeted.

An extensive renovation and restoration project was completed in 1994 after the building was documented for this nomination. As part of this renovation, the original tripartite entrance arcade was restored to the front facade following the design shown on historic photographs and the "ghost lines" left on the flanking walls.  
 

United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet

Section number 8

Page___

Narrative Statement of Significance

The H. O. Wheeler School represents a fine example of the "large, symmetrical, two or two-and-a-half story Colonial Revival school buildings built in the first quarter of the twentieth century" property type identified under the Education context of the Vermont Historic Preservation Plan. The school is significant under National Register Criteria A for the role this building has played in the educational history of Burlington and under National Register Criteria C for the merits of the design and the significance of its architect, W. R. B. Willcox. This nomination is being submitted under the multiple property form titled "Education in Vermont" by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. The H. O. Wheeler School clearly meets the registration requirements of this multiple property submission. The historic context which this property falls under is Education. (A full discussion of this context is included in the multiple property nomination, "Education in Vermont.")

One of about a dozen neighborhood schools serving Burlington during the early 20th century, the H. O. Wheeler School is a significant representative example of the large school buildings which Burlington and other Vermont communities were investing in to improve their educational facilities during
this period of rapid population growth and relative prosperity. The school continued to serve the educational needs with few physical alterations through the 1940's. By 1954, the bathroom facilities were upgraded and administrative offices and a large gymnasium were added. Further growth of the population of the neighborhood following the construction of a housing project nearby prompted the city to construct an additional classroom wing in 1966. These additions are typical of Vermont schools as they were adapted to meeting increasing enrollments and facilities requirements.

Built at the corner of Archibald Street and Elmwood Avenue, the H. O. Wheeler School (or Archibald Street School as it was first called) was constructed in 1904 and 1905 for the City of Burlington to meet the rapidly growing population of the North End neighborhood. By the end of the 19th century, the existing neighborhood school, which opened in 1888 in a retrofitted 1873 Baptist French Mission Chapel, was seriously over-crowded, with pupils being sent to the Pomeroy and Lawrence Barnes schools in adjacent neighborhoods. School records show that since the late 1890's, the need for larger facilities was evident, with frequent notes in annual reports that the capacities of the schools had been exceeded. In
April of 1902 a crisis point was apparently reached when, according to newspaper accounts, 54 "Hebrew" students boycotted the Pomeroy School, alleging that they had been insulted by the principal.

At that time, both the Archibald Street and Pomeroy Schools served Burlington's main Jewish neighborhood, with a student population of 19 Protestant, 85 Catholic, and 30 Jewish pupils reported at the Archibald Street school and 194 Protestant, 74 Catholic, and 82 Jewish at Pomeroy School in 1902. School records suggest that the construction of the new school was seen as a way to help relieve tensions by grouping together most of the Jewish pupils in one school. Of the 300 students attending the new Archibald Street school in 1906, 126 were Jewish.

The new school was completed in the spring of 1905 at a cost of $35,000 with eight rooms to accommodate 320 students. The old school was moved to 74-76 LaFountain Street by J. E. Lanou, who used it as a warehouse for his plumbing business. It was later converted into apartments. While the school was under construction, classes were held in nearby St. John's Hall. By 1915, the annual city school reports refer to the school as the H. O. Wheeler School. Wheeler (1841-1917) was born in Williston, Vermont, and grew up in South Hero, Vermont, where his father was principal of the South Hero Academy. After serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, he graduated from the University of Vermont and established a law practice. Wheeler was elected Superintendent of Burlington Schools in 1880. He served at this post until 1912. Eight new school buildings were built in Burlington under his tenure.

The H. O. Wheeler School was designed in the Colonial Revival style by W. R. B. Willcox (1869-1947), a Burlington native who went on to become the innovative head of the Department of Architecture at the University of Oregon. Other notable Burlington examples of his work include Edmunds High School (1899), Burlington Savings Bank (1900), Fletcher Free (Carnegie) Library (1902) and John Dewey Hall (1902) at the University of Vermont. One of the only architects with professional training (Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Pennsylvania) practicing in Burlington at the turn of the century, Willcox also designed several important houses in the city's fashionable "Hill Section" before moving to Seattle, Washington, in 1907. He was appointed chairman of the Department of Architecture at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, in 1922, where he developed an innovative educational philosophy which rejected many of the features of the traditional Beaux-Arts architectural education system.

As mentioned above, the H. O. Wheeler School is a significant representative example of the "large, symmetrical, two or two-and-a-half story Colonial Revival school buildings built in the first quarter of the twentieth century" identified under the Education context of the Vermont Historic Preservation Plan. The design is similar to other schools built during this period in Burlington and around Vermont from the formal, symmetrical brick facade to the classrooms flanking wide interior corridors. Its plan is typical of school houses of this type, and its design embraces the reform standards first set in 1904 by the Vermont Board of Health. These features include the multiple large windows in the classrooms to allow for natural light, a steam heating system, and modern, indoor bathrooms. The majority of the original plan and stylistic features remain intact with the exception of the front entrance porch which was removed. Plans are underway, however, to restore the front facade, replicating the original entrance.

While the design of the H. O. Wheeler School reflects Burlington's early twentieth century progressive era investment in education, its construction also marks a period of rapid population growth occurring in the city's North End neighborhood. The later additions, although they do not contribute to the significance to the Wheeler School, also reflect the continued population growth of the North End community in the middle of the twentieth century. Although the additions were built after 1904, their construction does not intrude on the original design of the main block or the identification of the building as a school.

An extensive rehabilitation of the building completed in 1994 restored the building's original front entry on the south facade.
 
 
   

NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet

Section number 9

Page___

Bibliography

Allen, Charles. About Burlington Vermont. H. J. Shanley Co. Burlington, Vt. (1905): 72.
Annual Report of the City of Burlington, Vermont. The Free Press Assn. Burlington, Vt. 1904: 93; 1954:146; 1955:152; 1966: 174. Special Collections. Univ. of Vermont. Burlington, Vt.
Board of School Commissioners, Records. Unpub. ms. 1898-1906. Special Collections. Univ. of Vermont Library. Burlington, Vt.
Burlington Daily News. Burlington, Vt. 18 Oct. 1904: 8.
Special Collections. Univ. of Vermont. Burlington, Vt.
Dodge, Prentiss, Ed. "Henry Orson Wheeler." Encyclopedia Vermont Biography. Ullery Pub. Co. Burlington, Vt. 1912: 350.
"Education". Vermont Historic Preservation Plan. Draft ms. Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, Montpelier, Vt. 1989.
"Education in Vermont." Draft Multiple Property Nomination. Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, Montpelier, Vt. 1989.
"H. O. Wheeler School. Burlington, Vt." Historic Sites and Structures Survey. Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, Montpelier, Vt. 1978.
Levin, Morris J. "Letter to the Editor." Burlington Daily News. Burlington, Vt. 12 Ap. 1902. Special Collections. Univ. of Vermont. Burlington, Vt.
Records of Burlington Teachers Meetings. Unpub. ms. 1894- 1906. Special Collections. Univ. of Vermont Library. Burlington, Vt.
Shelman, David. "Freedom and Responsibility -- The Educational Philosophy of Walter Willcox." W. R. B. Willcox (1869-1947). Dept. of Architecture. University of Oregon. Eugene. 1980.
Shoettle, Clark. "Deceased Architects and Builders Who Have Worked in Burlington, Vt." Unpub. ms, n. d. Special Collections. Univ. of Vermont Library. Burlington, Vt.
 
 

NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86)

OMB No. 1024-0018

United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet

Section number 10

Page___

Verbal Boundary Description

United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet

Section number 10

Page___

Boundary Justification

The boundary includes the entire area historically associated with the H.O. Wheeler School and is sufficient to protect the historic structure.