Downtown Essex Junction Commercial Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Downtown Essex Junction Commercial Historic District
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3-17 and 8-12 Main St., 2-28 Railroad Ave., and 2 Railroad St., Essex Junction, Vermont |
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| Area | 2.8 acres (1.1 ha) |
| Built | 1893 |
| Architect | Guernsey, George |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 04001216 |
| Added to NRHP | November 1, 2004 |
The Downtown Essex Junction Commercial Historic District is a special area in Essex Junction, Vermont. It's known for its history with railroads. This district includes buildings along Railroad Avenue and parts of Main Street. Most of these buildings were built between 1900 and 1940. During that time, Essex Junction was a very important center for trains in the region. This historic area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Discovering Essex Junction's Past
The village of Essex Junction first started in the early 1800s. It was a "mill village," meaning it used the power of the nearby Winooski River to run mills.
How Railroads Changed the Town
Later, trains became very important. Essex Junction was close to Burlington, which is Vermont's biggest city. This made Essex Junction a major hub for railroads. Six different train lines met in this area!
In 1893, a big fire destroyed almost all of the downtown area. But the town quickly rebuilt in the years that followed. Even though trains were used less after a major world war, Essex Junction still handles freight trains today. It also has a passenger train station for Amtrak's Vermonter service.
Exploring the Historic Buildings
The most important building in the historic district is the Brownell Block. It's a two-story brick building located at the corner of Main Street and Railroad Avenue.
The district stretches along Railroad Avenue to Central Street. It also goes along Main Street from a busy intersection called "Five Corners" to Railroad Street, right across the Amtrak tracks.
There are twelve buildings in this historic area. Most of them are two stories tall. Many were originally made of wood but later covered with brick. Only two buildings are made completely of brick. Half of these buildings were built before 1900. Just one building (at 3 Main Street) was built before the big fire in 1893. Only one building, an old grocery store at 26 Railroad Avenue, was built after 1920.
 | Leon Lynch |
 | Milton P. Webster |
 | Ferdinand Smith |
