South Union Street: North from Main Street UTM: 180642442E; 4926320N |
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 Sarah LeVaun Graulty December 7, 2006 |
Louis McAllister took this photograph to record a paving project on South Union Street, as indicated by the caption written along the image's lower edge, but he also succeeded in documenting a newly constructed civic project, the Memorial Auditorium. The Memorial Auditorium, located at the northwest corner of South Union and Main Streets and visible on the left in the above image, was built by local builder/architect Frank Austin and dedicated on March 28, 1927. Each corner of the masonry building is anchored by substantial projecting pavilions with soaring corner pilasters, as seen above. On June 18, 1928, Mayor C. H. Beecher wrote in the Burlington Free Press, “the Memorial Auditorium acknowledges our sense of gratitude to those who have been in service under our country’s flag, serves a as community meeting place and attracts gatherings from outside”[1] The building was discussed along with the new junior high school, city hall, and other civic projects in an article under the byline “Burlington is in Greatest Public Building Decade” in which the author wrote with pride, "Burlington now claims the largest and best equipped auditorium in New England north of Springfield, Mass., and is making a successful bid as the leading convention city of northern New England."[2] To the north, next to the Municipal Auditorium on South Union Street, is the Second Congregational Church. The Gothic Revival church, "designed in the 'pointed style of the early English' by J. D. Towle of Boston" was begun in 1863 and completed in 1866 for a cost of $40,000-$50,000. The clock and bell were added to tower in 1878, and the building was renovated again in 1886.[3] On the right side, one sees two clapboard residences which, according to Sanborn Maps, were built before 1889.[4][1] Burlington Free Press (13 June 1928): 13. |
Today, both the Memorial Auditorium and Second Congregational Church remain important Burlington buildings. The only apparent exterior alteration to the building was the removal of its projecting roof and glass globe lamps. In addition, handrails have been added to the stairs. At the church, no major changes have been made. Across the street, several buildings were demolished to make way for the New England Telephone Company Building at 266 Main Street, now used by Verizon. The telephone building was completed in 1950, and a rear addition went on it 1977.
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Historic Burlington Project Depression Era Streetscapes: Old North End | Burlington 1890 | Burlington 1877 | Burlington 1869 | Burlington 1853 | Burlington 1830 Produced by University of Vermont Historic Preservation Program graduate students in HP 206 Researching Historic Structures and Sites - Prof. Thomas Visser - in collaboration with UVM Landscape Change Program Historic images courtesy of University of Vermont Library Special Collections, Louis L. McAllister Photograph Collection |
