Burlington, VT – Lake Champlain’s Perfect College Town

Nestled on a bluff overlooking the foamy waters of ol’ Lake Champlain, Burlington is a bustling university town filled with microbreweries and a host of quaint New England styled homes. Burlington may seem small but, in fact, it is the largest city in the state, dwarfing nearby Montpelier in population. Yet despite this fact, one would be hard pressed to call it a anything more then a mid-sized city, a typical size for many cities in New England. Despite its small stature, its geographical position on lake Champlain, splendid architecture, university culture and access to nature make Burlington a perfect stop-off on any road trip. Spend this night! You may just fall in love with the city.

Table of Contents

• A Quick Stop at Fort Montgomery
• A Brief History/Geography
  • Humble Beginnings
  • The War of 1812
  • Post War Period
  • The Modern Era
• What to Do In Burlington!
  • Downtown District
    • Church Street Marketplace and the Unitarian Universalist Church
  • City Hall Park
  • Other Attractions
  • The University of Vermont
  • Beer Tasting, Hard Ciders and Distilleries
  • Waterfront (Lakefront)
  • The World Tallest Filing Cabinet
  • Winooski
• Day Trips
  • Ethan Allen Homestead Museum and Ethan Allen Tower
  • Shelbourne
• Conclusion

A Quick Stop at Fort Montgomery

Crossing over near Plattburg, from Canada into Vermont, I stopped off on the lake for a view of the magnificent ruin of Fort Montgomery a 1844 structure guarding the Canada-US border, now but a rapidly decaying hull, a gentle reminder of the long lost importance of this once strategic battleground between the two north American neighbours.

There is little left of the crumbling ruin, but hopefully someone with cash will save it from disappearing into the depths of Lake Champlain.

A Brief History/Geography

Despite its short history, Burlington as a wealth of buildings that tell the story of a place with a certain importance. Its strategic close to the Canadian border has always ensured that Burlington has a strong connection to its northern neighbour. The city sits on a plateau above Lake Champlain, with views of the Adirondacks as the backdrop on the New York side of the lake.

Humble Beginnings

Work on the settlement of Burlington began in 1775, but was not completed immediately. The completion of the project was delayed by the advent of the American revolution, thus the town would not come into being until 1785.

The War of 1812

Burlington, as well as the state of Vermont, opposed the War of 1812 due to the deep ties that bind the people of Vermont to their neighbors in Canada. Despite this over 5,000 American soldiers were stationed in Burlington during the war, putting a large strain on the tiny town. Ironically the garrison outnumbered the number of townspeople and resources lacked to care for them. As such about 500 of the men stationed here died of poor sanitary conditions. The town was briefly shelled in 1813, but no major damage was recorded.

Post War Period

After the war the town flourished as a transportation/logistics hub as well as a lumber and manufacturing center. In 1823 the town was connected to the Hudson River to the south via the Champlain Canal in 1823, the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 gave it access to much of western new York, and the completion of the Chambly Canal in 1843 gave it access to the Canadian market via the St. Lawrence River. The waterfront was transformed as new wharves were constructed for visiting steamboats to connect freight and passengers with the Rutland & Burlington Railroad and Vermont Central Railroad. The town grew rapidly and was incorporated as a city in 1865.

This boom took place during the Victorian era, leaving it with the rich architectural tradition of the era, much of which can be seen today.

The Modern Era

In 1978, Ben & Jerry’s, the famous ice cream manufacturer was founded in Burlington. Today much of the industry that once made the city rich has decamped, yet the city has been able to maintain its prestige by becoming an educational hub as well as a center for Eco-tourism and agriculture along with the rest of the state.

The city retains an impressive array of breweries and small businesses along its main arteries, showing a certain level of resilience.

What to Do In Burlington!

Downtown District

Built in a square grid, the downtown district is confided by Main Street to the south, Pearl Street to the north, Battery Street to the west and S. Winoonski street to the east. A popular area with tourists, it is host to a varied and extensive collection of 19th century architecture. It is also the area of the city used to display the city’s festive Christmas lights displays!

Church Street Marketplace and the Unitarian Universalist Church

Starting at Pearl street, you will find the Unitarian Universalist Church and Meeting house, a symbol of the city Burlington. Built in 1816 in the Federal style, it is the oldest place of worship on Burlington.

Leading to the church is a long pedestrian pedestrian way called Church Street. Here you will find much of Burlington’s commerce. Flanking the church along are two of the city’s most important building including the Masonic Temple, built in 1897 and the Richardson Building, itself from 1895.

The streetscape here is fantastic with many shops and restaurants lining its pedestrian artery.

Continuing down the road you will find the open air Church Street Marketplace. This is where where you will find the former former Howard Opera House dating from 1878 (on the right side of the first picture).

Later in the evenings the street will become host to a few bars that are popular with the college crowd, but you may have to deviate from the street and only the side streets for some of the better locations. Most of the bars and clubs are located directly in the southern tier of Church Street or its surroundings. A favorite of mine is Manhattan Pizza & Pub! This brewpub is lively and you can buy greasy pizza late into the evening to help your stomach keep the alcohol down!

City Hall Park

Not far from the end of Church Street, you will find a public space built around the old city hall dating from 1928. The hall itself is lit up at night, to great effect.

The park that it adjoins is a popular public place, playing host to may other civic buildings of note along its perimeter.

Other Attractions

There are plenty of beautiful buildings in the town, including the First Congregational Church dating from 1842 and the Fletcher Free Library. Walk around the core to take in the architectural heritage of the town. In the suburbs you will find grand old Victorian wood homes. You will also find the Old Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, from 1885, the oldest Jewish place of worship in the state. You should also look out for Follett House, one of the most impresive homes in the downtown district. The colonnaded building was constructed in 1840 for a Vermont railroad executive and still sticks out today as one of the most impressive in the city.

The University of Vermont

Founded in 1791, this historic campus was once centered around the study of agriculture. Located on a bluff overlooking the city to the east, it centers around a beautiful college green with several stunning buildings haing been erected throughout its history. The main university building once hosted American soldiers during the war of 1812.

Among its most impressive buildings are the Old Mill, the oldest building on campus, the Ira Allen Chapel at the University of Vermont dating from 1929, the Billings Memorial Library from 1883 and the Grasse Mount building from 1804.

Make sure to check out the Fleming Museum of Art, in the heart of the university district!

Beer Tasting, Hard Ciders and Distilleries

Vermont is known for its Brewing tradition and Burlington is no different hosting many ciders, distileries and breweries throughout its core and suburbs. My personal favorite is Foam Brewers on the Burlington waterfront.

Waterfront (Lakefront)

One of the most active areas in 19th century Burlington, the waterfront is now a quaint park area, used for public functions. From the historic quay’s you will get a fantastic view of the sun setting on the Adirondack mountains on the New York Side of Lake Champlain.

The World Tallest Filing Cabinet

In the south end of the city, you will find a piece of public art titled “File Under So. Co., Waiting for…”. Constructed in 2002, it is considered to be a record holder when it comes to the filing arts!

Winooski

Just due north of the city of Burlington you will find this old mill town. A neat hangout spot, you can find more information on this area here.

Day Trips

Ethan Allen Homestead Museum and Ethan Allen Tower

Built about 1787, this farmhouse once belonged to Ethan Allen. A central figure in the early days of the state of Vermont, he helped secure its independence from nearby New York State. Nearby you will find the Ethan Allen tower, a 12m (40′) stone tower built atop the highest point in Burlington, surrounded by woods. It offers a commanding view of the landscape below.

Shelbourne

This small town just due south of Burlington is home to two important Vermont institutions; the Shelburne Farms and the Shelburne Museum. The later is a folk and culture museum housed in a traditional round barn while the former is a the perfect example of that is called a Gilded Age “ornamental farm”. The 1,400 acres (570 ha) property was developed in the 19th century by Robert Henderson Robertson and landscaping by Frederick Law Olmsted. You may recognize the later as the designer of central park in New York City and Mount Royal in Montreal among others.

Conclusion

Enjoy the fresh Vermont air, while strolling through this beautiful college town. It my not be far removed from the bustle of the Atlantic coast or the St. Lawrence corridor but it offers a refreshing look at a region of America long glossed over by the history books.