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he College Street Tour identifies and describes 9 sites, with buildings composing
the Vermont College campus as well as surrounding private homes.
Link to Map of Vermont College Buildings at the bottom of this page.
Howland Hall - (Built 1895)
1 West Street
Frank Sherburne, a grocer, built this house after purchasing the entire West Street property from
the Vermont Methodist Seminary in 1890. The three lots still retain the Methodists'
restriction that "no intoxicating liquors" shall be sold or "business
or amusement" permitted "contrary to good moral". Named after Fred
Arthur Howland, an attorney and trustee of Vermont College, it is a Queen Anne
style home now used by the College.
Dillingham Hall - (Built 1897)
3 West Street
Built by Thomas Marvin, a grocer in partnership with Sherburne, this Queen Anne
style house was the residence of William P. Dillingham and his son Paul and family
after 1903. A U.S. Senator and Vermont governor, Dillingham was president of the
Board of Trustees of Vermont College for many years.
Bower House - (Built 1910)
5 West Street
A Montpelier granite dealer, Riley C. Bower, built this excellent example of shingled
style architecture. It has a recessed full-width front porch with squat Tuscan
columns, and contrasts well with the Queen Anne houses nearby.
College Hall - (Built 1868-1872)
After purchasing Montpelier's Civil War hospital buildings and adjoining land,
the Vermont Methodist Seminary constructed this college building to house offices,
classrooms, a gymnasium, and a chapel. Costing nearly $50,000, the Victorian four-story
brick structure with the mansard roof is typical of this period. It has twin watchtowers,
also with mansard roofs, and the front and back of the building are almost identical.
The tall and narrow windows are accentuated by decorative cornices above.
Harris Hall - (Built 1903)
56 College Street
This residence, also built by Frank Sherburne, is of the Colonial Revival style.
It has Ionic pilasters and columns, and a hip roof. The present garage was a one
and a half story carriage barn with hip roof and cupola.
The Arsenal - (Built in the late 1860's)
71 College Street
At the time of the Civil War, Montpelier was chosen as a northern hospital location
for chronically ill soldiers, which was located at the present Vermont College
green. As compensation to the State, the Secretary of War assigned to Vermont
surplus arms, equipment, and ammunition. This two-story structure is all that
remains of the arsenal complex of buildings, which were located on the site now
surrounded by an iron fence with granite posts. The tall arched windows and front
pilasters give this small building unusual stature. Likely used as a caretakers
residence, it has been a private home since the 1920s.
66, 80, and 85 College Street - (Build in the 1860's)
Wards for the Civil War Hospital patients were located approximately where the
college green is now, positioned in a semi-circle and connected with a boardwalk.
After the war, some of the buildings were moved and joined together to make private
dwellings. Examples that are still in use are these one and a half story Greek
Revival frame houses.
Map of Vermont College Buildings back to top
Tour text is copyrighted, 1991, Montpelier Heritage Group. Used with permission.
Updated April 2003
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