Historic North Street Commercial District 

The North Street commercial district neighborhood is recognized for its contributions to the social development of Burlington as a center for many European and other immigrant groups.  It is the City's only residential/commercial district and played a critical role in Burlington's economic development for over one hundred years. 

When the City of Burlington was chartered in 1763 North Street was just a dirt track to the north of Pearl Street, but after the opening of the Chambly Canal and later the railroads North Street grew quickly becoming the center of new immigrant life in Burlington and Vermont. In the 1910 U.S. Census listed more than half of Burlington's population as first or second-generation immigrants. The people living on or around North Street were French Canadian, Irish, German, Polish, Russian, English and Lithuanian. These roots still exist, but have grown to include places like Tibet, Viet Nam, Laos, Bosnia, Yugoslavia, and Senegal. This historic commercial neighborhood is defined by the people who live in it and the function of the street with the residential and mixed use buildings of varied architecture - Vernacular, Italianate, Queen Anne, Greek, Gothic and Colonial Revivals. 

Buildings honored with Preservation Burlington historic building markers

The National Register, created by Congress in 1966, is the nation's official list of historic cultural properties worthy of preservation. Eligibility is based on criteria that emphasize quality of design and workmanship and historic association. The Agency of Commerce and Community Development's Division for Historic Preservation runs the program in Vermont. Over 10,000 buildings in Vermont and 925 in Burlington are currently listed in the National Register. Graduate students in the University of Vermont historic preservation program assisted in the preparation the North Street nomination, which was completed by the Planning Department and the Community & Economic Development Office. 

The National Register does not: restrict in any way a private property owner's ability to alter, manage or dispose of a property, require that properties be maintained, repaired or restored, invoke special zoning or local landmark designation, allow the listing of historic districts over a majority of property owner's objection or require public access to private property. 

National Register listing can bring benefits to old buildings and their owners. It provides recognition of significant properties, encourages the preservation of historic properties, provides information about historic properties for local and statewide planning purposes, helps promote community development, tourism and economic development and provides basic eligibility for financial incentives, when available. Buildings owned by non-profit groups and municipalities may be eligible for state historic preservation grants. Privately owned commercial buildings undertaking significant rehabilitation may be eligible for federal tax credits. 

For more information on these tax credits, contact Chris Cochran at (802) 828-3211.  For listing your property on the National Register of Historic Place, contact Sue Jamele at (802) 828-3046.

Archaeology

During the North Street construction, suspected War of 1812 burials were identified in the locations marked below.