National Register of Historic Places

South Union Street Historic District

Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont
Listed
October 31, 1988
Type
District
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
88001946

About this property

The South Union Street Historic District encompasses a historic 19th-century residential neighborhood for the upper middle class in Burlington, Vermont. Developed along South Union Street between Main and Howard Streets, South Union grew between about 1835 and 1938 as a popular area for well-to-do yet middle class Burlingtonians, affording views of Lake Champlain to the west. The architecturally diverse district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Burlington's South Union Street was first laid out early in the city's history, as one of its primary routes to the south. It was at first agrarian, with widely spaced brick houses, a number of which survive. The city's economy developed after the railroad arrived in the 1840s, and the road, set roughly midway between the lowlands along Lake Champlain, and the hill to the east where the University of Vermont campus is located, developed as an area where the newly well-to-do could build good quality homes with views of the lake. Houses are typically oriented toward the west, and set as far east (up the hill) as possible. Those on the east side of South Union, especially those built in the Second Empire and Queen Anne styles, also feature towers to improve the view. The historic district is essentially linear, extending along South Union between Main and Howard Street. It extends to the sides to include properties on four side streets: Kingsland Terrace, Cliff Street, Bayview Street, and Spruce Street. The district covers 45 acres (18 ha), and has 178 historically significant buildings, all residential. They are in a diversity of styles, but are typically two to two-and-one-half stories in height, and share similarities in size and setting. National Register of Historic Places listings in Chittenden County, Vermont

Location

Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont
44.47215, -73.20735

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
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Nearby Historic Sites

South Willard Street Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Wells-Jackson Carriage House Complex
Industrial
0.2 mi
Winterbotham Estate
Industrial
0.3 mi
Wells, Edward, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
U.S. Post Office and Customhouse
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Carleton's Raid
1778Revolutionary War
2.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was South Union Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

South Union Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 31, 1988.

What type of historic resource is South Union Street Historic District?

South Union Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for South Union Street Historic District?

The period of significance for South Union Street Historic District is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near South Union Street Historic District?

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