 |
|
| |
|
These three gable front Greek
Revival buildings are all very similar in both mass and detail.
Each of the buildings has a simple fenestration with wood sills
and flat arched lintels. When built in the 1840s, they were on
the far northern edge of Burlington. By the 1860's, the County
Agricultural Society's fairgrounds had developed to the west.(1)
31/33 Pitkin Street is a
two story brick structure that was formerly occupied by several
members of the Murphy family from 1865 to around 1900. This area
of Pitkin Street was said to have been occupied by six Murphy
families at one time, most of them being lumber workers. This
building has an unusual ogee shaped fan in the front gable. A
similar fan can be found in a handful of Burlington homes of this
same period, including another waterfront structure at 18
Park Street. Further study of these details may reveal that
the buildings were constructed by the same builder. There are
later additions to the front and rear of the building. The building
now serves as a duplex apartment.
43 Pitkin Street is a smaller
three bay, one and a half story brick structure. According to
the 1978 sites and structures survey for the area, the first known
occupant was Joseph Prue, a railroad employee in around 1900.
The building continues to serve as a single-family dwelling.
47 Pitkin Street is identical
to 43 in its massing. There is a later addition in the rear, including
an attached garage. Little was found regarding its former occupants.
In the 1880s, the house was rented and the surrounding neighborhood
was described as "dense working class."
(1) Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, Vermont Historic Sites and Structures Survey, Pitkin Street, (Montpelier, Vermont: Division for Historic Preservation, 1978)
Photos: Jeff Fellinger
Back
to the Waterfront...