Suzanne Jamele - Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community ... · 1871 it contained the gun shop of Henry Dexter Sabins and his residence above. The first floor appears to have been

Suzanne Jamele Historic Preservation Consulting

1 High Street

Plainfield, Vermont 05667

802-454-7825 phone 802-454-7780 fax [email protected]

Integrity Assessment: 8-10 Congress Street, St. Albans, Vermont

December 21, 2018

The building at 8-10 Congress Street is currently listed as a contributing building, #26, in the St.

Albans Historic District which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The building is located at the very northern edge of the district. The c. 1865 building has a c.

1906 rear addition that was expanded to encompass the full width of the rear elevation in 1979.

The front storefront façade has been altered. The appearance of the main block has not changed

since the time it was listed as a contributing building in the historic district; however, evaluation

of eligibility standards have been refined since the time of listing and reconsideration is

appropriate.

The main block’s footprint appears to match that on historic maps. The main block’s form, scale

and placement on the street is similar to other buildings on this portion of Congress Street, an

area that developed in the first half of the 19th century. While the building has been altered, the

building’s footprint with its gable front to the street, and east side enclosed staircase are historic.

The regularly spaced double hung windows and large, altered first floor commercial window

openings (now with modern replacement multi-pane windows) flanking a recessed entry all

convey the building’s 19th century period of construction and mixed-use role. The building’s

history helps fill out the understanding of commercial development in this portion of the

downtown. This building is part of a collection of buildings on the east side of Main Street

between Bank and Congress Streets that survived a devastating fire in 1895 that destroyed most

of the buildings on the west side of Main Street from the south side of Kingman Street to Hoyt

Street.

Both the 1853 Presdee and Edwards map and the 1857 Walling map show a long, narrow

building on this lot, with its eaves facing Congress Street. The current gable front building

appears to have replaced an earlier building on this site sometime between the 1857 map and the

1871 Beers map. The Beers map does not show any additions on the back of the main block. In

1871 it contained the gun shop of Henry Dexter Sabins and his residence above. The first floor

appears to have been commercial throughout most of the building’s history. The gun shop

appears on Sanborn Fire Insurance maps through 1901. Throughout these years the shop had a

1 ½ story addition on the back of the building offset to the east with an open platform on the

western half. A single story shed spanned the back end of the platform and a portion of the

1 ½ story addition. The enclosed exterior stairs on the east side of the main block were built

between 1885 and 1889.

Charles Sabins, Henry’s son, opened a locksmith shop in the building after his father’s death.

The 1906 Sanborn map record’s his shop and the conversion of the 1 ½ story rear addition to

mailto:[email protected]

8-10 Congress Street, St. Albans

Assessment of Integrity

December 21, 2018

2

2 ½ stories. The open platform had been converted to a single-story structure and the rearmost

shed was a finished single-story space. The property remained in this configuration throughout

his tenure in the building which ended sometime in the 1910s.

The 1920 Sanborn map indicates the building housed a paint shop and the single-story rear space

had been raised to two stories. The 1926 and 1946 Sanborn maps shows no change to the

building.

The building was built c. 1865 and has played a role in the commercial history of the City for

over 150 years. Late 20th century alterations to its primary front façade including replacement

first floor storefront windows, replacement 1/1 double hung windows on the prominent first floor

west side, and replacement of the original rear wing with a new wing has resulted in a changed

footprint and loss of historic fabric. These changes limit the building’s ability to convey its

original design and period of construction. The new materials are clearly late 20th century

changes that have resulted in a lack of integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. The loss

of historic buildings on the north and south corners of the adjacent intersection of Congress

Street and North Main Street, have somewhat altered the setting of the building removing much

of its immediate 19th century context. Retention of the mid-19th century building next door at 12

Congress Street, and the historic buildings on the west side of North Main Street, visible from

the building at 8-10 Congress, help to anchor the building in its 19th century period of

significance and allow it to retain integrity of setting. The building retains integrity of location as

it has not moved from its original location. The building retains minimal integrity of feeling and

association as it has lost much of its integrity of design, materials and workmanship but its form

and placement on the street continue to convey its role in the commercial development of the

historic district. Overall, the loss of integrity of the critical elements of design, materials and

workmanship have resulted in significant alteration to the building and it should be considered a

noncontributing building in the St. Albans Historic District.

Each of the seven elements of integrity identified by the National Register of Historic Places has

been applied to the building at 8-10 Congress Street. The elements of integrity that are critical to

understanding this building, its significance, and place within the development of the historic

district are design, materials, and workmanship. The following evaluation of integrity, reveals

the building lacks sufficient integrity and no longer retains enough intact character-defining

physical features necessary to represent its significance. The cumulative effect of alterations,

new materials, and loss of stylistic features and materials has compromised the integrity of the

building.

Location: integrity of location evaluates the place where the historic property was constructed or

the place where the historic event occurred.

Building

The building at 8-10 Congress Street remains in its original location and has not been moved

since its construction circa 1865. The commercial building was intentionally constructed within

the commercial district in the heart of the community’s business district.

District



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The building is one of a small group of buildings on the east side of North Main Street and lower

Congress Street (8-10 and 12 Congress) that survived a devasting downtown fire in 1895. Its

presence helps record the development along North Main Street and the intersection of Congress

Street. It retains integrity of location as it relates to the historic district.

Setting: integrity of setting is the physical environment of a historic property, referring to the

character of the place in which the property plays its historic role. This involves how a property

is situated and its relationship to the surrounding features and open space, and reflects the plan

and preferences of those who laid out and constructed North Main Street and its commercial and

civic buildings in the 19th century.

Building

The building at 8-10 Congress Street is located on a small urban lot on the south side of

Congress Street, near its intersection with the east side of North Main Street, and is within the

core of the City’s downtown. This portion of the city was developed in the early to mid-19th

century and survived a devastating fire in 1895 that destroyed many of the downtown buildings.

The building is situated one block to the north of Taylor Park, a large open space that is the focal

point of the city’s downtown. The city sidewalk runs next to the front of the building and the

structure largely fills its entire lot. The c. 1840 Greek Revival style building to the east, 12

Congress Street, stands immediately adjacent to the structure. To the west is a vacant unpaved

lot, now used for parking, where a c. 1910, three-story, brick, Colonial Revival style office and

apartment building once stood and prior to that small wood frame commercial buildings. The c.

1910 building burned in the late 20th century and the remains were removed. Across Congress

Street, to the north, is a paved parking lot and a modern two-story, flat roofed brick veneer

commercial building that fronts on North Main Street.

The loss of historic buildings on the north and south corners of the adjacent intersection of

Congress Street and North Main Street, have altered the setting of the building removing much

of its immediate 19th century context. Retention of the mid-19th century building next door at 12

Congress Street, and the historic buildings on the west side of North Main Street visible from the

building at 8-10 Congress, help to anchor the building in its 19th century period of significance.

The building retains integrity of setting.

District

The building’s setting within the historic district remains as a densely constructed downtown

streetscape containing a collection of mixed-use and civic structures all facing North Main

Street. The collection of largely 19th and early 20th century structures conveys the development

of the city’s downtown. The gable front placement of this building, standing within feet of its

neighbor to the east, contributes to the 19th century commercial character and rhythm of the

district.

This building stands at the very northern edge of the historic district. North of the district

boundary on the east side of North Main Street are a number of modern commercial structures

including a shopping plaza with a large expanse of parking. The building’s gable front

placement, with similar setback to others on the east side of North Main Street just south of



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Congress Street, in the district, including the adjacent gable front wood frame dwelling at 12

Congress Street, all of which survived the 1895 downtown fire, contributes to the understanding

of the early-to-mid 19th century commercial development of North Main Street and helps convey

the development of side streets in the commercial district. The building retains integrity fo

setting within he historic district.

Design: integrity of design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space,

structure and style of a property.

Building

The c. 1865, vernacular Greek Revival style main block of the mixed-use commercial buildings

retains its original rectangular, 2½ story, 3x4 bay, wood frame, gable front form. The overall

footprint has been altered with the late 20th century construction of a 2½ story, 2x2 bay, wood

frame, gable roofed rear addition that replaced a shed roof addition. On the east side of the main

block, the roof slope has been extended on a shallower pitch to shelter an enclosed set of stairs to

the second floor of the main block. These stairs have been extant since the 19-teens. The east

side of the building stands very close to its neighbor at 12 Congress and plywood has been

installed at the second floor level to span the gap between the two buildings. This shelters a

walkway that is accessed through a gate mounted between the front façades of the two buildings.

The east side of 8-10 Congress has a one bay wide cantilevered second floor resting on wood

brackets that runs the full length of the main block. It incorporates the enclosed side stairs and

rear room. The building has replacement clapboard siding that has a wider reveal than original

clapboards that remain on the east side of the building. Trim on the main block, except for the

east side, does not appear original. The main block has a boxed cornice with a narrow molded

strip at the top of the frieze board. This frieze treatment may be historic. Windows and doors

have narrow flat trim with a very narrow drip edge. The sill is virtually flush with the clapboards.

First floor west side windows have trim that is closer to the original. Original trim that remains

around windows on the less altered east side, includes flat trim around the windows with a

projecting drip mold that is deeper than that on the other sides of the main block and a projecting

wood sill. The east side has flat cornerbeads but they have been lost on the rest of the main

block. Original windows on the building likely were 6/6 wood double hung sash; one window

of this type remains on the east side of the building. Several 2/2 windows remain on this

elevation as well. Elsewhere, windows are 2/2 on the second floor of the main block and

replacement 1/1 on the first floor, except for the front (north) elevation where there are large, 20

pane fixed glass wood windows on either side of a recessed central entry. The recessed entry has

clapboarded side walls and a 15 pane wood door. The first floor of this building was used as a

shop for much of the building’s history and the recessed door and display windows are remnants

of that use, although the 19th century storefront treatment is gone. A window in the front gable

peak is covered with a sheet of plywood. The stone foundation is parged with concrete that has

been tooled to look like concrete block which erases the evidence of the stone foundation from

the exterior and gives it a 20th century appearance, not in keeping with the age of the building.

The proportions, scale and organization of the main block and east side stair addition are

residential in scale and reflect the vernacular nature of the wood frame commercial structures

that originally stood at the intersection of Congress and North Main Street. These buildings were

gone by the turn of the 20th century. The application of clapboards with a wider reveal and the



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loss of projecting trim elements have erased any details that would have tied the building to the

vernacular Greek Revival building tradition such as the cornerboards and window trim found on

the east side. This has resulted in an overall flat appearance to the exterior. The replacement

storefront windows are out of character with a c. 1865 building and do not convey the sense of a

storefront from that period, nor do the clapboard-sided walls flanking the recessed entry. Due to

the extent of alteration the building no longer has integrity of design.

District

The main block’s form and footprint continue to contribute to the mid-19th century period of

development along the street and reflect the vernacular wood frame commercial construction that

once stood at the intersection of Congress and North Main Street. The stylistic changes made to

the storefront are similar to changes made to other storefronts in this part of the historic district-

the multi-pane fixed light window can be seen on other commercial buildings along the street

and seems to have been a popular c. 1970s change. While storefront changes can be expected,

the alterations made to this building are not in keeping with a mid-19th century building and have

erased all sense of the building’s original period of commercial activity. This coupled with

changes to siding, trim, windows and foundation are all significant changes to the building’s

design and its ability to convey its style and role in the development of the downtown. The

building therefore lacks integrity of design within the context of the historic district.

Materials: integrity of materials is the physical elements that were combined or deposited

during a particular period and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property.

It is expected that the building would retain a combination of materials and architectural features

that reflect styles popular in the mid-19th century as well as commonly used building materials

found in Vermont buildings of the period. Taken together, these help convey the building’s sense

of time and place in the mid-19th century. Key exterior materials must be retained to reflect the

dwelling’s period of significance (its date of construction).

Building

The main block of the subject building is sided with replacement wood clapboards on all but the

east side, which retains original narrower clapboards. The rear addition has clapboard siding

similar to that on the main block. The east side of the building retains cornerboards and original

wood trim around windows which include projecting sills, flat trim and narrow projecting drip

molds. Trim around windows on the other sides has been replaced or modified to accommodate

the new clapboards. Windows on the main block have flat trim and do not have projecting sills

except on the first floor west side where the window trim is closer to the original. The flat boxed

cornice appears to be a replacement. The slightly molded frieze indicates the original cornice

may have had a molded profile rather than flat. A remnant 6/6 window indicates this was likely

the original muntin configuration. All other windows are a mix of historic 2/2 and modern

replacement 1/1 windows. The storefront windows are a late 1970’s replacement for the historic

storefront area and the openings are likely smaller than the original. What would have been

windows flanking the recessed door have been infilled with clapboard. The stone foundation has

been parged with concrete that is tooled to look like concrete block. The asphalt shingle roof

with its clipped shingles is very deteriorated and originally would likely have been wood shingle.

The asphalt shingle is an appropriate replacement yet the clipped corner style of the extant ones

is not a good replacement for a building that would have had a wood shingle roof. On the



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interior, all first floor materials are modern replacements. On the second floor many finishes are

modern but some molded historic trim remains around windows and doors and there is one four

panel door.

The cumulative loss of historic materials and addition of modern elements and materials has

resulted in the building no longer clearly conveying is period of construction or significance.

There are not enough historic materials remaining to reflect the period during which the building

was constructed or the materials and technologies of the mid-19th century. The building no

longer retains sufficient integrity of materials.

District

The building’s clapboard siding and trim replaces original material but not in a manner that

matches, and trim details and proportions have been lost. The remaining 2/2 windows and the

regular fenestration pattern help tie the building to a 19th century period of construction but the

prominent first floor west side 1/1 windows are out of character with the building. The storefront

change is not unlike that found on some other buildings in the district but is not in keeping with

the c. 1865 period of construction and alters the front commercial elevation that defines the

character of the building and the change in window style confuses the history of the building.

Overall the loss of historic materials has altered the mid-19th century character of the building

and because of these changes it no longer clearly conveys its role in the development of the

historic district. It no longer has integrity of material in relation to the historic district.

Workmanship: integrity of workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular

culture or people during any given period in history. It is the evidence of artisans’ labor and skill

in constructing a building and can apply to the property or to its individual components.

Expressed in vernacular methods, like the dwelling at 8-10 Congress Street, workmanship

illustrated the aesthetic principles of the mid-19th century when the commercial building was

erected. The loss of materials indicative of the mid-19th century can contribute to the loss of

workmanship.

Building

The clapboard siding and trim on the east side, the front frieze, 6/6 east side window, and 2/2

windows on the second floor are all that remain on the exterior to convey 19th century

craftsmanship. Other workmanship features such as trim around the original storefront storefront

windows and doors, trim around the windows on the north and east sides, and molded cornice

have been removed. Any craftsmanship associated with early windows and doors has been lost

with the installation of modern replacement windows and doors. While some 2/2 windows

remain they do not convey the same level of craftsmanship as the original 6/6 windows would

have.

Due to the volume of replacement materials and changes to the remaining historic fabric, the

structure no longer conveys the workmanship of the original mid-19th century builders. The

building has lost integrity of workmanship.

District



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The historic district includes a wide collection of commercial and civic buildings dating from the

19th and early 20th centuries. Many are in an excellent state of preservation and retain intact

materials representing the skillsets of builders and craftsmen from these periods. At 8-10

Congress, the extent of alteration to materials and the resulting loss of elements that convey the

construction skills of this structure’s builders has resulted in the building no longer having

integrity of workmanship in relation to the historic district.

Feeling: integrity of feeling is a property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a

particular period of time. This results from the presence of physical features, that together,

convey the property’s historic character.

Building

The dwelling no longer fully expresses the aesthetic of the mid-19th century when it was

constructed but does retain some aspects that convey its period of construction. Its size, scale,

massing and placement on the street continue to convey its role as a mid-19th century

commercial building that survived the devastating 1895 fire on North Main Street. Features such

as its gable front, regular fenestration pattern, and remaining clapboards, trim and 6/6 window on

the east side tie it to the mid-19th century period of construction. The recessed entry into the first

floor commercial space and replacement display windows convey the original commercial use of

the first floor, although in an altered design. Loss or alteration of many of its historic materials

limit the building’s ability to clearly convey its style or historic commercial design. Although

these changes compromise the building’s integrity of feeling, it continues to convey an overall

sense of being an early downtown building and thus has not lost integrity of feeling.

District

Although much altered, the building’s form, regularly spaced 2/2 windows, recessed front entry

and front display windows place the building within the context of the commercial development

in the downtown prior to the 1895 fire. It therefore retains integrity of feeling within the historic

district.

Association: integrity of association is the direct link between an important historic event or

person and a historic property. For the building at 8-10 Congress Street, association requires the

presence of physical features to convey its historic character, that being a circa 1865 commercial

building relating to the commercial development in the historic district in the last half of the 19th

century and as a remnant of the commercial development in the city that survived the 1895 fire.

Building

The building is still located at the northern edge of a densely built historic district comprised

largely of commercial and civic structures. The building’s size, scale and placement on the

street, and its general plan of a street-facing gable front main block with side enclosed staircase,

a form commonly found in the downtown, tie it to the 19th century development of the historic

district. The remaining original features on the east side of the building, including a 6/6 window,

cornerboards and window trim provide a minimal record of the building’s historic design. This

side of the building is not visible from the street and therefore the building’s original c. 1865

design is not publicly evident. The loss and alteration of historic materials, along with

introduction of modern materials and design elements, and changes to its fenestration both at the



December 21, 2018

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first floor storefront level and in the first floor west side windows, have all significantly altered

its appearance and mid-19th century historic character, severely limiting its ability to convey its

style and period of construction. Due to its street placement, orientation, form and footprint, and

few remaining features and materials and its construction prior to the 1895 fire, the building

retains integrity of association.

District

The building’s wood frame, gable front form and placement near the intersection of Congress

and North Main Street is a remnant of commercial activity that formerly was located at this

intersection. The building is a pre-1895 survivor of the downtown’s devastating fire and

contributes to an understanding of the commercial activity and physical form of the commercial

district prior to the fire. This helps retain its integrity of association. However, the loss, damage

and alteration of so many of its materials and features limits the building’s ability to convey its

association with early commercial development or the original style or design of the building.

Because of its period construction, street placement, and a few remaining historic features and

materials, the building still conveys association with other buildings on the street that pre-date

the 1895. The building retains integrity of association within the historic district.



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1. View south at 12 Congress (l) and 8-10 Congress (r).



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2. View south at front (north) side of 8-10 Congress Street.



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3. View east of west and rear (south) sides of building.



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4. View north with the east side of 8-10 Congress on the left and west wall of 12

Congress.



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5. View south at east wall and 6/6 window, trim, clapboards



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6. View south at north (front) elevation and typical second floor window trim, frieze and

cornice.



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7. View east at stone foundation with concrete parging on west side of main block.



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8. View southwest in first floor commercial space.

9. View north at front display window in first floor commercial space.



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10. View north in west side room on second floor of main block. Mix of historic and

modern finishes- 19th century molded trim around door, clamshell baseboards,

fiberboard tile ceiling.



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11. View west at window with 19th century molded trim in second floor front room.



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12. View north in second floor center hallway of main block at remaining 19th century four

panel door.



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13. View east across North Main Street, 8-10 Congress on left.

14. View west on Congress Street toward intersection with North Main Street, 8-10

Congress second from left and City Hall in center.



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15. View west on Congress Street toward intersection with North Main Street and new

commercial building across Congress from 8-10 Congress Street.

16. View southwest on Congress Street with buildings on North Main Street in the right

half of the image. 8-10 Congress on left.



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17.View northwest on North Main Street taken at intersection of Congress and North Main.

Documents

Suzanne Jamele - Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community ... · 1871 it contained the gun shop of Henry Dexter Sabins and his residence above. The first floor appears to have been