Burlington Traction Company facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Burlington Traction Company
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 662 Riverside Ave., includes 321-343 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington, Vermont |
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| Area | 1.8 acres (0.73 ha) |
| Built | 1900 |
| Architectural style | Early Commercial, Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 04001133 |
| Added to NRHP | October 7, 2004 |
The Burlington Traction Company was once a busy place where trolleys and buses were fixed. It's a historic spot in Burlington, Vermont. This property has two old brick buildings, called trolley barns. They were built around 1900 and 1910.
These buildings were used to keep public transportation running until 1999. After that, they were changed into homes and businesses. Because of its history, the property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Contents
Discovering the Old Trolley Barns
This historic site is in a part of Burlington called the Old North End. It sits on a unique piece of land shaped like a triangle. Riverside Avenue is on one side, and North Winooski Avenue is on the other.
The property has three old buildings and a newer apartment building. There's also a small public park where the two streets meet.
What Do the Buildings Look Like?
Near Riverside Avenue, you'll see a long, narrow brick building. It has a sloped roof and was built around 1910. This was one of the trolley barns. Next to it is a smaller building from about 1905, which was used for batteries.
On the North Winooski Avenue side, there's a bigger brick barn. It was built around 1900. This building has four large openings that are now filled with glass. These parts have been changed into shops and offices. Between this old building and the park, you'll find the modern apartment building.
A Journey Through Time: The History of Transportation
This location has been important for transportation for a long time. As early as 1885, a company called the Winooski and Burlington Horse Railway Corporation built a place here. They used it to fix their horsecars, which were like trolleys pulled by horses.
From Horsecars to Buses
Later, other companies took over. The Burlington Traction Company and Burlington Rapid Transit built and improved the buildings you see today. These facilities were first used for streetcars, which are electric trolleys.
After streetcars, the buildings were used to maintain buses. This continued until 1999. The very last company to use these buildings for vehicle maintenance was Vermont Transit Lines.
