King Street to Maple Street - West Side

By Kristi Bodine

The lower end of Church Street may not be what one thinks of first when strolling through downtown Burlington. Indeed, it’s easy to turn around at King Street and start heading north when one sees the lack of excitement in the residential area to the south. What one cannot see is the vibrant history, both environmental and commercial, that once occupied these residential spaces.

According to an 1830 map of Burlington, a ravine containing railroad tracks cut through the southern portion of the west block of Church Street between King and Maple.¹ This ravine was very wide on the east block and it narrowed by the time it reached the west block.² It is absent from the block in an 1869 map although, a stone drainage culvert can be seen in the same spot of the ravine in the 1877 Birds Eye View map (see Figure 2).³

In 1830, Church Street is seen on a map ending at Pine Street which is currently King Street.⁴ This map shows that the west block of Church Street between King and Maple Street was used for a brickyard and a ravine.⁵ By 1853, Church Street had extended two blocks south and the west block had been divided into parcels with a rectangular structure placed at the corner of King and Church.⁶

139 King/199 Church

In addition to the structure on the corner of King and Church, the name, D. Blackman, was finally put on a map in 1862 in the same corner.⁷ This house did not identify by an address in the city directories until 1884 and was listed as 139 King Street instead of Church Street.⁸ A.L Barrows, a very well-known grocer, began residing in this house until a produce dealer started residing in the home somewhere between 1890 and 1892.⁹ This produce dealer, Henry G. Hathorne became business partners with Van A. Nye in 1892 and they started to sell produce together at the corner of King and Church until moving to a store in 1893.¹⁰ Hathorne began to open up his home for boarding in 1895 to teachers and it grew to individuals with other low-income professions in 1897.¹¹ The house was lived in by a single family from 1903 until 1948 and then the dwelling became 199 Church Street in 1949.¹² The structure became both a house and a business in 1951 when Peggy Ryan started making gowns out of her home until 1960.¹³

A few more tenants resided at 199 Church Street until the building became in 1970 and, Great Northern Woodworks took over the building in 1978 along with other tenants.¹⁴ The company is presently known as Great Northern Construction and the business still resides in the building today. Historic maps show that this house is the oldest structure on the block, but it’s hard to say the exact year it was built. The shape is present on the 1877 Birds Eye View Map suggesting that it could probably be older (see Figure 2).¹⁵

205 & 209 Church

The next two structures, 205 and 209 Church Street, are apartment buildings that are grouped together as one property.¹⁶ The Burlington Property Database states that they contain seventeen units together and they both first appear in the city directories in 1897.¹⁷ 205 is listed as Mary Riley’s boarding house from 1908 until 1920.¹⁸ For these two structures, tenants mostly stayed for years and there were no businesses running out of the buildings. Among the many long-term tenants was George LaFrance who owned the LaFrance Bowling Alley in the Burlington area.¹⁹ LaFrance first moved into the building in 1930 and passed away between 1944 and 1946 which is when the Louis McAllister photo was taken (see Figures 3).²⁰ These photos show a cleaner area with architectural details that are no longer seen on the buildings today. After LaFrance, the number of residents increased at both apartments with low-income tenants such as, retired teachers, students, retail workers, and hair stylists.

211 Church

The fourth structure on the west block, 211 Church Street, is a two-family home, built in 1899, that resembles the 205 and 209 apartment buildings next door (see Figure 4).²¹ The first tenant listed at this address was Margaret Kennedy, a widow, in 1897.²² Only one person at a time was listed at this location until 1949 when there were two tenants, one being Lucius Jackson.²³ Tenants did not change much until the 1980s when more people seemed to have resided there than any other previous years. This building did not hold any businesses and there were no particular tenants to note other than that they all seemed to be low-income individuals or families.

217 Church

The fifth structure on the west block is a mid-modern-style, two-family home built in 1939 (see Figure 5).²⁴ This 217 Church Street address first appears in the city directories in 1895 although, the original building no longer exists. The first tenant listed is Joseph Lefebvre, a carriage trimmer, who used this address as his shop along with George E. McCannon, a carriage painter.²⁵ By the next year, John B. Parry, a sleigh and carriage manufacturer, was also listed as having his shop at 217 Church Street although, the shop is advertised in an 1893 newspaper as being the largest shop in Burlington on the corner of Church and Maple Street (see Figure 6).²⁶ In 1898, Issac Cummings took George E. McCannon’s spot as carriage painter and he was no longer in the shop by the following year.²⁷ John B. Parry was the only tenant left until John Collins, a blacksmith arrived in 1902 and had his shop on the site until 1934.²⁸ Parry left his shop on Church Street in 1904 and his spot became vacant until the Agel Bros., Joseph and Sam, turned the shop into a livery in 1906 but only stayed until 1907.²⁹ In 1909, E.P. Tuttle & Sons, carriage blacksmith and painters, had their shop next to John Collins as well as H.F. Thompson, a carriage trimmer.³⁰ Tuttle no longer had his shop at the address by 1912.³¹ In 1913, Thompson had left the property and Charles A. Richards, a vulcanizer, had taken over until 1915.³² William A. Robarge, carriage manufacturer and blacksmith, arrived in 1914 and stayed until 1920.³³ This location became an automobile shop and a storage for furniture until it became the Lucius Jackson (Stamp Wholesaler, publication) House, which is still standing today.³⁴

223 Church

The second to last house is a 3-family, Queen Anne style home built in 1900 (see Figure 7).³⁵ This address, 223 Church Street, first appears in the city directories in 1900 and John W. Johnson was its first resident.³⁶ Johnson was a stone cutter and he ran his granite works business next door to his house, at 221 Church Street, which no longer exists.³⁷ His business was called Johnson Bros. because his brother was his business partner even though John ran the company by himself for a few years.³⁸ He continued to run his business until he retired in 1932 and he lived in his home until 1943.³⁹

225 Church

The last structure, 225 Church Street, on the west block is a modern commercial building that was built in 1948.⁴⁰ This address first shows up in the city directories in 1949.⁴¹ This structure was home to a glass blowing studio and is now the home of Soundtoys although, the front of the building is vacant.

"Spectacular Blaze on Lower Church Street Does $50,000 Damage"⁴²

A skating rink and annex building caught fire on the corner of Church Street and King Street on October 10, 1917.⁴³ Seventy people lost their jobs as a resut and fifty thousand dollars in damage was done to all of the properties involved.⁴⁴The house on the corner of King and Church was said to be in danger of the flames so a water hose was kept on the structure for an hour.⁴⁵ John Collins' roof of his blacksmith shop caught fire from the "intense heat" and water was streamed on the building for a significant period of time.⁴⁶ It was decided that all of the structures on the block needed a stream of water for protection from ignition.⁴⁷ All of the houses on the block were damaged by the intense heat and water that was applied.⁴⁸ The heat was said to be so severe that telephone polls along the street caught fire and clothes hanging on clothes lines crumbled up like paper.⁴⁹ Charles A. Richards, the vulcanizer at 217 Church Street, first saw the flames and started running "at an exceedingly fast rate of speed for a man of his physique" north on church street crying out, "fire, fire, fire", until it was heard from city hall.⁵⁰ When Richards was confident enough that word had reached to someone near a fire alarm, he then headed back south where he saw an explosion of fire and dust from the center of the skating rink.⁵¹ It was later concluded that one of the starter points for the fire was a transformer that burned out and, no one was reported injured except for a bell boy that got stuck inside an elevator at the Hotel Vermont who was at his "wits end".⁵²

1. Ammi B. Young, Plan of Burlington Village. [map] Burlington, Vermont: Ammi B. Young, 1830.
2. Presdee & Edwards, Map of Burlington, Vermont, 1853. [map] New York: Presdee & Edwards, 1853.
3. E. Meilbek, Birds Eye View of Burlington and Winooski VT. [map] Madison, Wisconsin: J.J. Stoner, 1877; F.W. Beers, Plan of the City of Burlington, Chittenden Co., VT. [map] New York: F.W. Beers, A.D. Ellis & G.G. Soule, 1869.
4. Ammi B. Young, 1830
5. Ibid.
6. Presdee & Edwards, 1853
7. C. Wainwright, Village of Burlington, VT. [map] Burlington, Vermont: 1862.
8. Burlington City Directory 1884-5 (Burlington, VT: Free Press Association, 1884), 9.
9. Ibid; Burlington City Directory for 1892 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1892), 146; "A Permanent Produce Market." Burlington Clipper, April 06, 1893.
10. Ibid; Burlington City Directory for 1893 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1893), 200.
11. Burlington City Directory for 1895 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1895), 153.
12. Burlington City and Winooski Directory for 1903 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1903), 268; Manning’s Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning May 1946 (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning, 1946), 248; Manning’s Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning January 1949 (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning, 1949), 260.
13. Manning’s Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning January 1951 (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning, 1951), 303; Manning's Burlington South Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning August 1961 (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning Co.), 485.
14. Manning’s Burlington and South Burlington Zip Code 05401Winooski – Zip Code 05404 and Essex Junction – Zip Code 05452 (Chittenden County, Vermont) Directory 1970 (Greenfield, MA: H.A. Manning Co.), 611; Manning’s Burlington and South Burlington Zip Code 05401 Essex Junction – Zip Code 05452 and Winooski – Zip Code 05404 (Chittenden County, Vermont) Directory (Area Code 802) 1978 (Bellows Falls, VT: H.A. Manning, 1978), 425.
15. E. Meilbek, 1877.
16. “Property Database,” Burlington City Government, www.property.burlingtonvt.gov.
17. Ibid; Burlington City Directory for 1897 Including Winooski (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1897), 228,161.
18. Burlington City and Winooski Directory for 1908 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1908), 303; Burlington and Winooski (Vermont) Directory 1920 (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning, 1920), 426.
19. Manning’s Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning January 1944 (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning, 1944), 121.
20. Ibid; Manning’s Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning August 1930 (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning, 1930), 192.
21. Property Database, www.property.burlingtonvt.gov; Burlington City Directory for 1897 Including Winooski, 172.
22. Ibid.
23. Manning's Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning January 1949, 136.
24. Burlington City Directory for 1895, 283.
25. Ibid.
26. Burlington City Directory for 1896 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1896), 9; John B. Parry. Advertisement. The Earth (Burlington), May 10, 1893.
27. Burlington City Directory for 1898 Including Winooski and South Burlington (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1898), 314; Burlington City Directory for 1899 Including Winooski and South Burlington (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1899), 265.
28. Burlington City Directory Including Winooski and South Burlington for 1902 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1902), 89; Manning’s Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning October 1934 (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning, 1934), 54.
29. Burlington City and Winooski Directory for 1904 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1904), 287; Burlington City and Winooski Directory for 1906 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1906), 52; Burlington City and Winooski Directory for 1907 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 190), 54.
30. Burlington City and Winooski Directory for 1909 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1909), 107,283,287
31. Burlington City and Winooski Directory for 1912 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1912), 304.
32. Burlington City and Winooski Directory 1913 ( Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1913), 217; Burlington City and Winooski Directory 1915 (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1915), 300.
33. Burlington and Winooski Vermont Directory 1914 (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning, 1914), 222; Burlington and Winooski (Vermont) Directory 1920, 270; Sanborn Map Company, "Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont," map, in Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont, 17 (Sanborn Map Company, 1919).
34. Manning's Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning October 1935, (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning, 1935), 32; Manning's Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory For Year Beginning January 1944, 212; Manning’s Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning January 1949, 136.
35. Property Database, www.property.burlingtonvt.gov.
36. Burlington City Directory for 1900 Including Winooski and South Burlington (Burlington, VT: L.P. Waite & Co., 1900), 158.
37. Ibid.
38. Ibid; Manning’s Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning August 1930, 358.
39. Manning’s Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning October 1932 (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning, 1932), 105; Manning’s Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning January 1943 (Springfield, MA: H.A. Manning, 1943), 108.
40. Property Database, www.property.burlingtonvt.gov.
41. Manning’s Burlington Winooski and Essex Junction (Vermont) Directory: For Year Beginning January 1949, 260.
42."Spectacular Blaze On Lower Church St. Does $50,000 Damage," Burlington Weekly Free Press, October 11, 1917.
43.Ibid.
44. Ibid.
45. Ibid.
46. Ibid.
47. Ibid.
48. Ibid.
49. Ibid.
50. Ibid.
51. Ibid.
52. Ibid.