BYJOSHUA R. GERMAIN

Architecture of Downtown Burlington

History of Burlington

Church Street Marketplace in 1908

Church Street Marketplace in 2008

•Burlington is situated on a hillside next to the widest portion of Lake Champlain. •Has been long known among New England cities for its beauty and interesting architecture. •Burlington, Vermont was organized in 1785.•The town of Burlington was chartered by Gov. Benning Wentworth on June 7, 1763.•The village of Burlington was surveyed and laid out by Ira and Ethan Allen, who were the largest owners of the village.•In 1813, Battery Park was the campground for many of the troops gathered to resist the advance of the British across the border. •(Piper)

Facts about Burlington

Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream was founded in Burlington in 1978.

The city of Burlington is 9,906 acres or15.48 square miles.

Known for its scenery, tree-lined streets, homelike feel, and excellent schools and churches

Population of about150,000 people in the Burlington area

Burlington has a vibrant art-oriented cultureDowntown Burlington is a thriving place for eclectic

small businesses.(Piper)

Downtown Burlington Map

The Flynn Theater

History of the Flynn Theater

The Flynn has been a part of Vermont’s culture for over 80 years.

The Flynn Theater was first started as a vaudeville house.

30 years as a performing arts centerOpened on November 26, 1930.Named after John J. Flynn“Fly” system for set changesSloped floor setupState-of-the-art acousticsCentral location in downtown Burlington

History of the Flynn Theater

Excellent example of Art Deco design and structure

Merrill Jarvis converted the building from a theater into a performing arts center in 1972

The theater was restored in 1981 and was continuously upgraded until 1984. Seats, curtains, walls, roofing, stairways, the box office, and

stage were all restored.Was recognized by the Art Deco Societies of

America as one of the country’s ten most important Art Deco restoration projects.

(History: Flynn Center for the Performing Arts)

Architectural/Functional Aspects

The building has an extremely integral part in the history of Burlington. In its day, the Flynn was the main hub for movies and performing arts.

Because of all the remodels, the building’s structure is extremely intact and well taken care of.

The Flynn Theater functions extremely well. It was perfectly designed and spaced out.

The brick and stone exterior really shows the Art Deco style well. The ornate styling of the interior also are characteristic of the classic styling of the roaring twenties.

(History: Flynn Center for the Performing Arts)

Photos

Image source: http://www.area802.org/Vermont-251-Club/Chittenden-County/Burlington/8113503_VWxwsM#767287861_HsUtH

Front details of the Flynn Theater. The Art Deco style is evident in the detail of the carvings.

The front of the Flynn all lit up at night. The lights remind one of the grandeur of the roaring twenties.

Photos

Source: http://www.flynncenter.org/assets/images/support-us/endowment.jpg

The majesty of the Flynn still wows people to this day.

Although many of the surroundings have changed, the Flynn Theater still looks much like it did many years ago.

Church Street Unitarian Church

History of the Unitarian Church

Federal style buildingKnown as the “Brick Meeting House”Built in 1816Built with local bricks, hand made nails, and

local timbers.Designed by Peter BannerOriginal building cost was $22,185.34Built as a church, and still is used as a church

to this day.(History: Church or Society)

Architectural/Functional Aspects

Extremely well-maintained and structurally sound

The church is a focal point of Church Street.The brick structure of the building really

bring out the Federal type style. Built to be practical, but elegant

Photos

The tower can be seen from all around in downtown Burlington.

The front of the church is extremely impressive with its large main entry, tower, and arched windows and doors.

Photos

Night shot of the church with Church Street’s famous Christmas light display leading up to it.

The Unitarian Church has many Federal style aspects in its façade.

St. Paul's Cathedral

Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-knnO4zg4UxI/TpS3h89zbRI/AAAAAAAAAGo/qPaKJxuLQrw/s320/038.JPG

History of St. Paul’s Cathedral

Built in the 1970s when the old historic cathedral burned down.

The church did a land swap with Burlington in order to get the current location.

The eight bells for the tower were removed from the ashes of the old church and was moved to the new one.

Built in a modern style(About St. Paul’s)

Architectural/Functional Aspects

Built of reinforced concrete. Designed to be strong and withstand the test of time.

Cold feeling interior is warmed by natural wood, slate floors, and neutral tones

Building is extremely unconventional for a church, but its design is conducive to the atmosphere.

Large windows allow for a lot of light and a panoramic view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks.

Although the building is not old, the church itself has had a long history in the town of Burlington.

Photos

The exterior of this church is very ominous and has many complex structural design elements even though the main lines are all straight.

The concrete gives the building a cold, forbidding feel.

Photos

The weathered sign marking the location of St. Paul’s Cathedral.The cold feel of the church

building is offset with beautiful gardens .Source:http://www.stpaulscathedralvt.org/aboutstpauls.html

Church Street Masonic Temple

Photo source: http://blog.thesanctumsanctorum.com/?p=204

History

Built in 1897Romanesque Revival style style buildingLarge brick 5-1/2 story commercial building Located at the corner of Pearl Street and

Church StreetDesigned by the Wilson Brothers of

PhiladelphiaWas originally designed as a Masonic

Temple but was converted to office/retail space

(Visser)

Architectural/Functional Aspects

Steel post and beam interiorBrick exterior with arch windows and pyramidal roofCurrently divided into five sections for retail spaceBuilding stands out in comparison to all the other buildings

on the street.Structurally sound building even though it is over 100

years old. Classic design style that withstands the test of timeBuilding is well-balanced and proportioned appropriately.Building functions well because it is divided up so well.

Offices on upper floors are well organized and thought out.(Visser)

Photos

This photo shows the sheer size of the building in comparison to all the other buildings that are on Church Street.

The use of arches adds an extremely classic, yet modern touch to the front façade of the building.

Photos

Side and rear view of the Masonic Temple in downtown Burlington.

The large historical “Masonic Temple” sign is prominently displayed at the front of the building.Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/donshall/5213726479/

Works Cited

Burlington "Burlington 05401." Virtual Vermont Internet Magazine., 5 Aug. 2011. Web. 29

Nov. 2011. <http://mail.mmfi.org/towns/burlington.html>. Piper, Nancy. "The History of Burlington Vermont." Genealogy Trails. Web. 29

Nov. 2011. <http://genealogytrails.com/ver/chittenden/history/burlington.html>.

Church Street Unitarian Church "History: Church or Society?." The First Unitarian Universalist Society of

Burlington. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.uusociety.org/OurHistory>. Masonic Temple

Visser, Thomas. "Depression Era Streetscapes." University of Vermont. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.uvm.edu/~hp206/2006/Mardorf/WEB/Pearl5.html>.

St. Paul’s Cathedral "About St. Paul's." St. Paul's Cathedral., 2011. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.stpaulscathedralvt.org/aboutstpauls.html>. Flynn:

"History- Flynn Center for the Performing Arts." Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.flynncenter.org/about-us/history.html>.