University Green Area Heritage Study

Historic Burlington Research Project - HP 206

Historic Preservation Program - University of Vermont

415 Pearl Street

Image 1: View of 415 Pearl St. looking southeast. Photo by Rachel J. Peterson

The building was supposedly built in 1830 and is shown on Ammi B Young maps from that year, but records of residents aren’t available until late 1800s.  In 1890, Orvis S Storrs and his wife Louise moved into the home at 425 Pearl Street.(1)  Orvis was a sausage manufacturer and meat dealer in Burlington and also worked as a clerk at 50 Grant.(2) He passed away in 1920 and Louise continued living in the house.  She began taking in tenants in 1922.(3)  Harry J Preston was her first and longest, living with her from 1922 until 1943 when he passed. After Harry, many other renters lived at 415 Pearl.  Many worked at retail stores downtown and were affiliates of UVM. 

In 1942, Chauncey E Perry bought the home and lived there and rented it to a variety of people, including the widow of Harry J Preston, Lottie, and many UVM students.(4) Because of its proximity to campus, the house has been a home to many students, medical interns and the like over its history. 

The building itself has undergone some alterations.  There have been additions made to the rear of the building as can be seen on the Sanborn Insurance maps. On the 1912 map, the porch that had been on the rear of the building was removed.(5)  That porch was then replaced between the drawing of the 1919 Sanborn insurance map and the one drawn in 1926.(6)  On the 1926 map, there was also a 1 story shed built at the back of the lot.(7)  On the 1942 map, the addition that had extended out the back of the house had been removed leaving the home with a simple, square massing.(8)  There have been routine repairs to the structure in the years following, but the massing of the building remains similar to that of the early 20th century. 

Text by Rachel J. Peterson