Decatur Street
Decatur Street is a single block running east-west between N. Winooski Avenue and Intervale Avenue in the Old North End of Burlington. Decatur Street was constructed between 1853 and 1869 and began growing fairly rapidly throughout the second half of the century.1 In the 1870s, Decatur Street attracted many French Canadians, and the families often moved around between the different houses on Decatur and neighboring streets. Many houses were also multiple family dwellings, often overcrowded, answering to the needs of the poorer, working class immigrants.2 Most of the buildings on Decatur today are multiple family dwellings, divided into duplexes. The houses reflect the constant additions and changes made over the years, accommodating more space, commercial establishments, or the desire to keep up with fashionable trends. The booming lumber industry in Burlington attracted many immigrants, particularly down from Canada, causing the sudden housing boom in the mid to late 1800s in the Old North End.