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Grasse Mount

Grasse Mount (otherwise known as the Thaddeus Tuttle House) is a campus building of the University of Vermont (UVM), which is located on 411 Main Street (adjacent to the intersection of Summit Street) in Burlington, Vermont. Built in 1804 for Captain Thaddeus Tuttle (1758–1836), a local merchant, the building was designed by architect and surveyor John Johnson and constructed by carpenter Abram Stevens.[3] By 1824, Tuttle had lost his fortune and sold the property to Vermont Governor Cornelius Van Ness.[4] Named after French Admiral François Joseph Paul de Grasse[5] "Grasse Mount" was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1973.[2]

Grasse Mount
Grasse Mount, May 2016
Location411 Main St., Burlington, Vermont
Coordinates44°28′33″N 73°12′12″W / 44.47583°N 73.20333°W / 44.47583; -73.20333
Built1804 (1804)
ArchitectJohn Johnson
Architectural styleGeorgian colonial, Adamesque-Federal style, and Italianate[2]
NRHP reference No.73000193[1]
Added to NRHPApril 11, 1973

History edit

The land of the estate was originally owned by Ira Allen who served as an officer in the Green Mountain Boys militia (under his brother Ethan Allen) during the American Revolutionary War, and was also the founder of the University of Vermont. Allen claimed that he had been swindled out of the land by Captain Thaddeus Tuttle while he was abroad attempting to negotiate trade with England, and to purchase arms for the Vermont militia from France, at the behest of Governor Thomas Chittenden. The trip was delayed for some eight years by what was known as the Olive Branch Affair, where Allen was arrested and spent years detained in England and France. By the time of Allen's return his financial empire was in shambles, he had lost most of his land holdings, and was eventually forced to flee Burlington or face debtors' prison.[6][7]

 
Watercolor of the "Thaddeus Tuttle House" by John Joseph Holland (circa 1810), possibly painted from memory or by employing artistic license, as the face of the mansion is portrayed with an additional bay on the northern elevation, and minus one on the east.[8]

Sometime before 1797, Tuttle had started his mercantile business. By 1804, the same year that he had Grasse Mount built, he had also constructed a store on the corner of Main and South Prospect Streets in Burlington, Vermont, at the building known today as "Bittersweet". Historical records indicate that Captain Tuttle had also become involved in land speculation and possessed considerable holdings within the towns of Coventry, Shelburne, and Westford, Vermont. On 1 September 1817, Tuttle sold Grasse Mount and its entire estate of about 90 acres of land to Cornelius P. Van Ness for $9,000. However, three months later Van Ness inexplicably sold the entire estate back to Tuttle for the price of five-dollars, according to the recorded quitclaim deed. The reason for this odd exchange has led to much speculation over time, but is yet unknown. On 29 April 1824, after his business had failed, Tuttle sold the estate once again to the recently elected Governor Van Ness for $6,000. The sale included all but one acre of land along the northeast corner of the property, which had been previously conveyed to Icabod Tuttle. Until his passing in 1836, Tuttle resided on the property where his store had been built, just west of the estate. Historical accounts reflect the reason for Tuttle's bankruptcy was due to his business operating primarily on the basis of barter where there was very little handling of actual monies, and therefore the construction and sustained maintenance of Grasse Mount "was more than he could carry".[9]

In 1826, Van Ness declined re-election to the Governorship and practiced law in Burlington until he accepted an appointment of United States Ambassador to Spain by President Andrew Jackson in 1829; a position he held until 1839. During this period "Grasse Mount" was so named after the French Admiral François Joseph Paul de Grasse by Heman Allen (of Colchester) (nephew of Ira Allen and the former first United States Ambassador to Chile) who occupied the estate during Van Ness's absence.[5]

Visit of General Lafayette edit

On July 29, 1825 during his tour of the twenty-four states of the country, the famed American Revolutionary War General, Marquis de Lafayette was entertained at the Grasse Mount estate after laying the cornerstone for the "South College" building at the University of Vermont. He did not spend the evening there according to a long-standing legend, but rather departed for Whitehall, New York around 11:00pm that evening via the steamship Phoenix, which had embarked from Burlington wharf.[5][10] By the late 19th century, such renown had been made of General Lafayette's visit that university officials had earnestly considered renaming the building Lafayette Hall.[11]

The Leavenworth Period: 1845-1853 edit

Grasse Mount was sold for $14,000 on 12 July 1845 to attorney Henry Leavenworth, conveyed in the deed with 81.5 acres of land. Leavenworth who was elected as a Vermont State Representative (circa 1850) did not initially dwell on the estate, and from 1845-1850 Grasse Mount was actually occupied by John Cutler.[5] Originally, the estate extended south to what was known as Overlake Park (where a neighborhood street of the same name exists today).[12] Leavenworth divided the land into a number of housing lots and laid out two new streets along the property; Summit Street along the eastern perimeter, and Prospect St. (currently named Maple St.) along the south. The remainder of the estate including the mansion was sold in March 1853 for $12,000 to Captain Charles B. Marvin, a retired naval officer and merchant who had survived the shipwreck of a vessel which he commanded in 1848, and then made a fortune during the 1849 California Gold Rush.[13]

The Marvin Period: 1853-1866 edit

Captain Marvin had married a local Burlington woman by the name of Ellen Blackman before purchasing Grasse Mount. Marvin hence financed a number of additions to the mansion, including an Italianate belvedere (cupola) structure upon the rooftop,[4] a gas-powered illumination system, the replacement of older small-paned windows with larger-paned sash, and the replacement of wooden fireplace mantels with Italian marble. Where the exterior was painted pink with green shutters,[13] the interior was painted with a number of ornate frescos throughout its eight main rooms, stairwell, and the cupola. Spending about $10,000 over the course of a decade, Marvin employed what historians estimate to have been at least two Italian professional artisans (most likely a master and an apprentice) who used watercolors and distempers to hand-paint numerous scenes from his seafaring years, including palm trees, shorelines, windmills, ships, international seaports, as well as cherubs, garlands, and other classical patterns in the form of trompe-l'œil (translated in French as "trick of the eye"), where the images convey the optical illusion of having three-dimensions.[14] In the belvedere, the artisans employed a shadowing technique with the trompe-l'œil panels, which suggested flooding sunlight emanating from the western windows. Because subsequent owners wallpapered, painted, added furring strips, fiberboard, and drywall over the imagery, all but that within the cupola remained undiscovered for over a century.[13] In 1858, Marvin mortgaged the estate for $20,000 to the Bank of Burlington. Historical records also indicate that the Marvins were a mobile family. In 1862, a daughter was born to them in San Francisco, and a son in 1865 in New York.

The Barnes Period: 1866-1892 edit

 
Grasse Mount during the years occupied by the Barnes family, sometime between 1866-1892

On 7 April 1866, Lawrence Barnes (1815-1886) of Hillsboro, New Hampshire, a local businessman involved in the lumber industry who served as president of the Howard Bank,[15] and was noted for helping to introduce the marble trade in the city (as well as posthumously, becoming the namesake of the Lawrence Barnes Elementary School in Burlington) purchased the estate for $35,000 from Captain Marvin who decided to move with his family back to California during that year.[4][16] By this time, the perimeter of the estate was greatly reduced, bounded by six parcels along Willard St. to the west, by Summit St. to the east, Main St. to the north, and Maple St. (née Prospect St.) to the south. During the period of Barnes's ownership, a conservatory was constructed on the west side of the mansion and a two-story brick ell expanded an earlier (possibly wooden) structure on the southern side.[17] Indoor plumbing and coal-burning fireplaces were also added.[18] At its maximum, Grasse Mount had five fireplaces installed on the first floor and four on the second (some have since been covered over).[16] Unimpressed with the Marvins' intricate interior artwork, referring to it as "them naked images",[14] Barnes's wife, Lucinda painted over or wallpapered all of the frescos and paintings, except those within the belvedere. Considered to be a modernization practice of interior design of the era, much of the artwork was replaced with stenciled geometric motifs of leaves and vines.[13] Mrs. Barnes also replaced the interior pine woodwork with stronger black walnut, and the carved wooden mantelpieces with marble pieces imported from Spain.[19] After Lawrence Barnes's passing on 21 June 1886, Lucinda continued to occupy the home until her passing in 1892.[16]

University of Vermont Ownership edit

On 19 May 1894, Edward Wells purchased the property from the Barnes family estate in order to buffer his home (which abutted Grasse Mount to the south) from potentially undesirable neighbors. The house was left empty until 1 July 1895 when the University of Vermont purchased the three-acre estate for $12,000, which was considered to be about half of the property's actual value. The mansion was hence converted into a dormitory for the university's women students, initially housing thirteen female students.[20] By 1966, this had increased to 29 students living at Grasse Mount.[19] The building was utilized as a women's residence hall until 1971.[21]

For some period between 1911 and 1940, Professor Bertha Terrill who was serving as the University's first "Dean of Women" lived at Grasse Mount.[22]

In 1915, the women who lived in Grasse Mount raised the funds to install hardwood floors, replacing the old-fashioned wide boards.[19][23] Further extensive repairs, redecoration, and refinishing took place in 1929.[10] In the autumn of that year, the exterior of the building was painted in the creamy yellow color that would be recognized today.[20]

Sometime before 1930 during its years serving as a residence hall, a song had been written by the students who lived there and had developed a nostalgia for Grasse Mount;

"Spirit of Grasse Mounte, come to us, we pray. Roll back the curtain from the dusty past; Show us the joys which follow you today. Help us to keep your vision to the last."

— Pearl Randall Wasson, From the "Spirit of Grasse Mounte"

During 1972, a three-phase renovation project was undertaken that was intended to restore the building to its historical architectural context. Modifications first included safety and code requirements for heating, structural and electrical repairs. The second phase restored the main parlors, main circular staircase, and three bedrooms at the front of the mansion. The final phase of the project involved restoring the exterior of the building.[24] Subsequently, the UVM Office of Continuing Education was located on the first floor, where the second floor was converted into offices that were made available to the United States Department of Agriculture.[21]

Additional restoration efforts were undertaken in 1985, costing about $700,000.[18]

Current use and occupancy edit

Grass Mount today houses the offices of the University of Vermont Alumni Association.

Grasse Mount's interior wall and ceiling paintings edit

In 1984, workers renovating Grasse Mount for the relocation of the alumni and development offices had unexpectedly discovered unique nineteenth-century wall art, which had been hidden under layers of paint and wallpaper. Eric Groves, an architectural conservator who was working for the firm Kielman and Batten had first discovered stenciled wall and ceiling imagery on the second floor southeast chamber, which led to an extensive investigation of each room in the building. The University architect at the time, Robert Holdridge contacted the National Park Service, which referred the restoration team to the Albert K. Perry Company of Boston, Massachusetts. The company dispatched their historic decorative painting specialist Brian Powell to the find in order to help remove the layers of paint using a chemical process. The artwork from the 1850s Marvin period was revealed within thirteen rooms, where the stencil work from the 1870s Barnes era was found in four rooms.[25]

The Marvin period architectural renderings on the first floor were characterized as having the "touch of the master" and further described as "spontaneous, decisive, and accurate" according to the conservators, where the imagery in the cupola is "absolutely measured out to ensure proper perspective, again clear evidence that the individual (or individuals) had received more than informal training."[26]

Each room where the Marvin era art had been found possessed a different theme. A ground floor parlor was found with a circular image of windmills with small ships.[18] The circular staircase walls were adorned with ascending Corinthian columns, the northwest parlor walls were illustrated with palm trees and a rattan motif upon the ceiling, the northeast parlor fireplace is flanked with niches painted as false balconies overlooking alpine scenery,[14] and another second story bedroom was ornamented with an image of an elevated castle that juts over a jagged peninsula. Window and door framing were topped with cartouches. One parlor was found to have an image of Samuel de Champlain discovering Lake Champlain.[26] The three-dimensional trompe-l'œil imagery within the top-level cupola lantern simulates columns and capitals studded with green jewels that project the illusion of sunlight emanating through the windows.[13][25]

The Barnes era artwork was painted with seven spectrum colors (where the Marvin artwork used eleven colors) which emphasized the application of pink and blue, and consisted of biomorphic and stripe motifs, fleur-de-lis and tulip patterns often applied at chair height utilizing stencils complemented with freehand work. One chamber ceiling biomorphic motif was highlighted with bronze-powdered paint. According to the Perry report, "The clarity and luminosity of colors employed and the mixtures of designs...clearly indicates that this work was performed by an American artisan."[26]

Due to the lack of an adequate budget and the immediate need for the office space, not all of the imagery was restored. In 1986, a full restoration was considered out of the question with an estimated cost of about $500,000. However, some of the rooms were restored with a "window" view to the artwork, the southeast parlor was left uncovered, and two decorated ceilings were removed to storage at the University's Fleming Museum of Art.[14] No imagery was revealed within the ell (i.e. the rear wing of the building). Some of the imagery found on the second floor plastered ceilings had been peppered with gunfire and was therefore damaged beyond possible restoration. However, some shards were salvaged and stored with the intent that someday they could be used as evidence for recreating the ceilings. The remainder of the revealed artwork was surveyed, documented (by taking photographs and tracings), and then covered with a protective non-vinyl wallpaper, affixed with a water-based adhesive for ease of removal during future restoration work.[13]

Architecture edit

 
Main entrance of Grasse Mount viewed from Main Street in Burlington, VT

Grasse Mount has been recognized as the best example of a Georgian colonial house within the State of Vermont,[27][28][29] and was included in the book "Great Georgian Houses of America", originally published by the Architects' Emergency Committee in 1933. Here the mansion was represented in an illustration with a hipped roof in place of its belvedere structure.[30]

Considered to be a sophisticated example of federal domestic architecture,[31] Grasse Mount is a two-story brick mansion with a hipped-roof, cupola, and balustrade which runs along the perimeter of the roof adorned with cornices between the second story window bays, which are flanked by exterior louvered shutters. The space between each of the flat-arched second story windows and the cornices are adorned with alternating oval and oblong re-entrant angle swag panels. The north-facing facade is five bays wide with the first story bays situated beneath semi-circular blind arches. A brick belt course divides the first and second floors, where six Ionic pilasters originate between each bay and extend to the rooftop cornices, and summit at small urns atop the balustrade. The front door has a fanlight and colored glass sidelights, which is covered by a single story Doric portico complemented by four fluted pillars and two pilasters. The eastern side entrance is located at the center bay of the main house.[2]

The arrangement of the interior design, such as the parlor fireplace which is placed between "round-arched recesses", or the curved staircase, are considered by architectural aficionados to resemble the contemporary design of the John Warren House in Middlebury, Vermont, and may have been influenced by literature such as; "The Country Builder's Assistant" by Asher Benjamin, or "The Practical House Carpenter" by William Pain (both published in 1797).[32]

"The only place that one can find the entire set of details and compositional themes present in Grasse Mount is in the work of Charles Bulfinch in Boston and Salem between about 1794 and 1804."

— Andres, Glenn M. and Johnson, Curtis B., Buildings of Vermont, 2013

Grasse Mount exists on 4.09 acres of land. The mansion is about 60 ft (18 m) wide and 93 ft (28 m) long. The floor area of the mansion has a gross area of 35,467 ft2 and 24,817 ft2 of finished area. The first floor totals 4,839 ft2 gross area/finished area.[33]

Gallery edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c City of Burlington, Vermont: Department of Planning & Zoning – Properties & Districts listed on the National Register, November 2011. http://www.burlingtonvt.gov/PZ/National-Register-of-Historic-Places
  3. ^ Jennings, Anne (2000). "411 Main Street: Grasse Mount". Burlington, Vermont: University of Vermont Historic Preservation Program. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Evick, Andrew (2011). "University Green Area Heritage Study: Grasse Mount - 411 Main Street (Historic Burlington Research Project – HP 206)". Burlington, Vermont: UVM Historic Preservation Program. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d Burridge, Pauline E. (December 3, 1930). "Glimpses of Grasse Mount, Part II". Vermont Alumni Weekly, Vol. X, No. 10.
  6. ^ University of Vermont Libraries (July 1981). "Allen Family Papers – Biographical Note". Burlington, Vermont: University of Vermont, Bailey/Howe Library, Special Collections Department. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  7. ^ Ethan Allen Hitchcock (1909). William Augustus Croffut (ed.). Fifty Years in Camp and Field: Diary of Major-General Ethan Allen Hitchcock, U.S.A. Knickerbocker Press, G.P. Putnam's Sons. p. 31. ira allen irish rebels 1795.
  8. ^ Holland, John Joseph (1810). Thaddeus Tuttle House. Burlington, Vermont: Special Collections Department, University of Vermont Libraries.
  9. ^ Burridge, Pauline E. (November 26, 1930). "Glimpses of Grasse Mount". Vermont Alumni Weekly, Vol. X, No. 9. pp. 131–132, 138.
  10. ^ a b The History of University of Vermont Buildings: 1800–1947 The Joseph L. Hills Papers. Burlington, Vermont: Special Collections Department, University of Vermont Libraries. 1949. p. 67.
  11. ^ "Grass Mount". The University Cynic, Vol. VII, No. V. 1895. p. 89.
  12. ^ Barlow, Phillip P.; Papazian, Lyssa (June 1, 2005), Burlington Survey of Prospect Park North & Middle Neighborhoods: Survey Report (PDF)
  13. ^ a b c d e f Sherman, Joe (December 1986). "Painted on the Hill". Lookout.
  14. ^ a b c d Broughton, Laurel (May 1987). "Palm Trees in the Parlor: Captain Marvin's Murals". Vermont. Burlington, Vermont: University of Vermont.
  15. ^ May, Madeleine (July 20, 1957). "'Well Preserved' Grassemount Was Host to Gen. Lafayette". Burlington Free Press.
  16. ^ a b c Burridge, Pauline E. (December 10, 1930). "Glimpses of Grasse Mount, Part III". Vermont Alumni Weekly, Vol. X, No. 11.
  17. ^ Grasse Mount from the northeast, looking towards Lake Champlain, late 1800s (Image). Burlington, Vermont. 1800s.
  18. ^ a b c Gittelsohn, John (August 14, 1985). "A Picture of the Past Rediscovered". Burlington Free Press.
  19. ^ a b c Maurice, Margaret (March 31, 1966). "Historic Mansion Is Given New Lease on Life". Burlington Free Press.
  20. ^ a b Burridge, Pauline E. (January 14, 1931). "Glimpses of Grasse Mount, Part IV". Vermont Alumni Weekly, Vol. X, No. 12.
  21. ^ a b Grasse Mount, Burlington, Vermont: The University of Vermont: Office of Continuing Education
  22. ^ Williams, Blair (1986). A Backward Look - Ahead, Home Economics at the University of Vermont. Burlington, Vermont: College of Agriculture and Home Economics, The University of Vermont.
  23. ^ Daniels, Robert V., ed. (September 1, 1991). The University of Vermont: The First Two Hundred Years. Burlington, Vermont: University of Vermont.
  24. ^ Sproston, Betty (December 15, 1971). "Grasse Mount to be Restored, Renovated". Burlington Free Press.
  25. ^ a b "Capsules: Grasse Mount work reveals layers of art history". Vermont: 18. Spring 1986.
  26. ^ a b c Schlegel, Amy (August 9, 1985). "Grasse Mount: discovering its hidden treasures". UVM Record / A Publication of the University of Vermont, Volume 4, Number 2.
  27. ^ a b Mayforth, Mabel, W. (October 1936). Harold W. Slocum (ed.). "Grasse Mount". Modern Health Crusader of Vermont, Volume XX, Number I.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ Dorothy and Richard Pratt (1956). A Guide to Early American Homes - North. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. p. 81. LCCN 56-10867.
  29. ^ Ray Bearse, ed. (1968). Vermont: A Guide to the Green Mountain State, Third Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, Inc. p. 204. LCCN 68-14344.
  30. ^ Great Georgian Houses of America: Volume I. New York, N.Y.: Dover Publications, Inc. 1970. p. 246. ISBN 0486-22491-0. LCCN 71-105663.
  31. ^ Lilly, Amy (February 12, 2014). "Book Review: Buildings of Vermont, Glenn M. Andres and Curtis B. Johnson". Seven Days. Burlington, Vermont: Da Capo Publishing, Inc.
  32. ^ Esperdy, Gabrielle; Kingsley, Karen, eds. (2016). "Overview of: Grasse Mount". Charlottesville, Virginia: Society of Architectural Historians (SAH Archipedia: Classic Buildings), and the University of Virginia Press. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  33. ^ City of Burlington, Vermont: Assessor's Office – Property Database 2016-11-04 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed November 2, 2016

External links edit

grasse, mount, otherwise, known, thaddeus, tuttle, house, campus, building, university, vermont, which, located, main, street, adjacent, intersection, summit, street, burlington, vermont, built, 1804, captain, thaddeus, tuttle, 1758, 1836, local, merchant, bui. Grasse Mount otherwise known as the Thaddeus Tuttle House is a campus building of the University of Vermont UVM which is located on 411 Main Street adjacent to the intersection of Summit Street in Burlington Vermont Built in 1804 for Captain Thaddeus Tuttle 1758 1836 a local merchant the building was designed by architect and surveyor John Johnson and constructed by carpenter Abram Stevens 3 By 1824 Tuttle had lost his fortune and sold the property to Vermont Governor Cornelius Van Ness 4 Named after French Admiral Francois Joseph Paul de Grasse 5 Grasse Mount was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 11 1973 2 Grasse MountU S National Register of Historic PlacesGrasse Mount May 2016Show map of VermontShow map of the United StatesLocation411 Main St Burlington VermontCoordinates44 28 33 N 73 12 12 W 44 47583 N 73 20333 W 44 47583 73 20333Built1804 1804 ArchitectJohn JohnsonArchitectural styleGeorgian colonial Adamesque Federal style and Italianate 2 NRHP reference No 73000193 1 Added to NRHPApril 11 1973 Contents 1 History 1 1 Visit of General Lafayette 1 2 The Leavenworth Period 1845 1853 1 3 The Marvin Period 1853 1866 1 4 The Barnes Period 1866 1892 1 5 University of Vermont Ownership 2 Current use and occupancy 3 Grasse Mount s interior wall and ceiling paintings 4 Architecture 5 Gallery 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksHistory editThe land of the estate was originally owned by Ira Allen who served as an officer in the Green Mountain Boys militia under his brother Ethan Allen during the American Revolutionary War and was also the founder of the University of Vermont Allen claimed that he had been swindled out of the land by Captain Thaddeus Tuttle while he was abroad attempting to negotiate trade with England and to purchase arms for the Vermont militia from France at the behest of Governor Thomas Chittenden The trip was delayed for some eight years by what was known as the Olive Branch Affair where Allen was arrested and spent years detained in England and France By the time of Allen s return his financial empire was in shambles he had lost most of his land holdings and was eventually forced to flee Burlington or face debtors prison 6 7 nbsp Watercolor of the Thaddeus Tuttle House by John Joseph Holland circa 1810 possibly painted from memory or by employing artistic license as the face of the mansion is portrayed with an additional bay on the northern elevation and minus one on the east 8 Sometime before 1797 Tuttle had started his mercantile business By 1804 the same year that he had Grasse Mount built he had also constructed a store on the corner of Main and South Prospect Streets in Burlington Vermont at the building known today as Bittersweet Historical records indicate that Captain Tuttle had also become involved in land speculation and possessed considerable holdings within the towns of Coventry Shelburne and Westford Vermont On 1 September 1817 Tuttle sold Grasse Mount and its entire estate of about 90 acres of land to Cornelius P Van Ness for 9 000 However three months later Van Ness inexplicably sold the entire estate back to Tuttle for the price of five dollars according to the recorded quitclaim deed The reason for this odd exchange has led to much speculation over time but is yet unknown On 29 April 1824 after his business had failed Tuttle sold the estate once again to the recently elected Governor Van Ness for 6 000 The sale included all but one acre of land along the northeast corner of the property which had been previously conveyed to Icabod Tuttle Until his passing in 1836 Tuttle resided on the property where his store had been built just west of the estate Historical accounts reflect the reason for Tuttle s bankruptcy was due to his business operating primarily on the basis of barter where there was very little handling of actual monies and therefore the construction and sustained maintenance of Grasse Mount was more than he could carry 9 In 1826 Van Ness declined re election to the Governorship and practiced law in Burlington until he accepted an appointment of United States Ambassador to Spain by President Andrew Jackson in 1829 a position he held until 1839 During this period Grasse Mount was so named after the French Admiral Francois Joseph Paul de Grasse by Heman Allen of Colchester nephew of Ira Allen and the former first United States Ambassador to Chile who occupied the estate during Van Ness s absence 5 Visit of General Lafayette edit On July 29 1825 during his tour of the twenty four states of the country the famed American Revolutionary War General Marquis de Lafayette was entertained at the Grasse Mount estate after laying the cornerstone for the South College building at the University of Vermont He did not spend the evening there according to a long standing legend but rather departed for Whitehall New York around 11 00pm that evening via the steamship Phoenix which had embarked from Burlington wharf 5 10 By the late 19th century such renown had been made of General Lafayette s visit that university officials had earnestly considered renaming the building Lafayette Hall 11 The Leavenworth Period 1845 1853 edit Grasse Mount was sold for 14 000 on 12 July 1845 to attorney Henry Leavenworth conveyed in the deed with 81 5 acres of land Leavenworth who was elected as a Vermont State Representative circa 1850 did not initially dwell on the estate and from 1845 1850 Grasse Mount was actually occupied by John Cutler 5 Originally the estate extended south to what was known as Overlake Park where a neighborhood street of the same name exists today 12 Leavenworth divided the land into a number of housing lots and laid out two new streets along the property Summit Street along the eastern perimeter and Prospect St currently named Maple St along the south The remainder of the estate including the mansion was sold in March 1853 for 12 000 to Captain Charles B Marvin a retired naval officer and merchant who had survived the shipwreck of a vessel which he commanded in 1848 and then made a fortune during the 1849 California Gold Rush 13 The Marvin Period 1853 1866 edit Captain Marvin had married a local Burlington woman by the name of Ellen Blackman before purchasing Grasse Mount Marvin hence financed a number of additions to the mansion including an Italianate belvedere cupola structure upon the rooftop 4 a gas powered illumination system the replacement of older small paned windows with larger paned sash and the replacement of wooden fireplace mantels with Italian marble Where the exterior was painted pink with green shutters 13 the interior was painted with a number of ornate frescos throughout its eight main rooms stairwell and the cupola Spending about 10 000 over the course of a decade Marvin employed what historians estimate to have been at least two Italian professional artisans most likely a master and an apprentice who used watercolors and distempers to hand paint numerous scenes from his seafaring years including palm trees shorelines windmills ships international seaports as well as cherubs garlands and other classical patterns in the form of trompe l œil translated in French as trick of the eye where the images convey the optical illusion of having three dimensions 14 In the belvedere the artisans employed a shadowing technique with the trompe l œil panels which suggested flooding sunlight emanating from the western windows Because subsequent owners wallpapered painted added furring strips fiberboard and drywall over the imagery all but that within the cupola remained undiscovered for over a century 13 In 1858 Marvin mortgaged the estate for 20 000 to the Bank of Burlington Historical records also indicate that the Marvins were a mobile family In 1862 a daughter was born to them in San Francisco and a son in 1865 in New York The Barnes Period 1866 1892 edit nbsp Grasse Mount during the years occupied by the Barnes family sometime between 1866 1892 On 7 April 1866 Lawrence Barnes 1815 1886 of Hillsboro New Hampshire a local businessman involved in the lumber industry who served as president of the Howard Bank 15 and was noted for helping to introduce the marble trade in the city as well as posthumously becoming the namesake of the Lawrence Barnes Elementary School in Burlington purchased the estate for 35 000 from Captain Marvin who decided to move with his family back to California during that year 4 16 By this time the perimeter of the estate was greatly reduced bounded by six parcels along Willard St to the west by Summit St to the east Main St to the north and Maple St nee Prospect St to the south During the period of Barnes s ownership a conservatory was constructed on the west side of the mansion and a two story brick ell expanded an earlier possibly wooden structure on the southern side 17 Indoor plumbing and coal burning fireplaces were also added 18 At its maximum Grasse Mount had five fireplaces installed on the first floor and four on the second some have since been covered over 16 Unimpressed with the Marvins intricate interior artwork referring to it as them naked images 14 Barnes s wife Lucinda painted over or wallpapered all of the frescos and paintings except those within the belvedere Considered to be a modernization practice of interior design of the era much of the artwork was replaced with stenciled geometric motifs of leaves and vines 13 Mrs Barnes also replaced the interior pine woodwork with stronger black walnut and the carved wooden mantelpieces with marble pieces imported from Spain 19 After Lawrence Barnes s passing on 21 June 1886 Lucinda continued to occupy the home until her passing in 1892 16 University of Vermont Ownership edit On 19 May 1894 Edward Wells purchased the property from the Barnes family estate in order to buffer his home which abutted Grasse Mount to the south from potentially undesirable neighbors The house was left empty until 1 July 1895 when the University of Vermont purchased the three acre estate for 12 000 which was considered to be about half of the property s actual value The mansion was hence converted into a dormitory for the university s women students initially housing thirteen female students 20 By 1966 this had increased to 29 students living at Grasse Mount 19 The building was utilized as a women s residence hall until 1971 21 For some period between 1911 and 1940 Professor Bertha Terrill who was serving as the University s first Dean of Women lived at Grasse Mount 22 In 1915 the women who lived in Grasse Mount raised the funds to install hardwood floors replacing the old fashioned wide boards 19 23 Further extensive repairs redecoration and refinishing took place in 1929 10 In the autumn of that year the exterior of the building was painted in the creamy yellow color that would be recognized today 20 Sometime before 1930 during its years serving as a residence hall a song had been written by the students who lived there and had developed a nostalgia for Grasse Mount Spirit of Grasse Mounte come to us we pray Roll back the curtain from the dusty past Show us the joys which follow you today Help us to keep your vision to the last Pearl Randall Wasson From the Spirit of Grasse Mounte During 1972 a three phase renovation project was undertaken that was intended to restore the building to its historical architectural context Modifications first included safety and code requirements for heating structural and electrical repairs The second phase restored the main parlors main circular staircase and three bedrooms at the front of the mansion The final phase of the project involved restoring the exterior of the building 24 Subsequently the UVM Office of Continuing Education was located on the first floor where the second floor was converted into offices that were made available to the United States Department of Agriculture 21 Additional restoration efforts were undertaken in 1985 costing about 700 000 18 Current use and occupancy editGrass Mount today houses the offices of the University of Vermont Alumni Association Grasse Mount s interior wall and ceiling paintings editIn 1984 workers renovating Grasse Mount for the relocation of the alumni and development offices had unexpectedly discovered unique nineteenth century wall art which had been hidden under layers of paint and wallpaper Eric Groves an architectural conservator who was working for the firm Kielman and Batten had first discovered stenciled wall and ceiling imagery on the second floor southeast chamber which led to an extensive investigation of each room in the building The University architect at the time Robert Holdridge contacted the National Park Service which referred the restoration team to the Albert K Perry Company of Boston Massachusetts The company dispatched their historic decorative painting specialist Brian Powell to the find in order to help remove the layers of paint using a chemical process The artwork from the 1850s Marvin period was revealed within thirteen rooms where the stencil work from the 1870s Barnes era was found in four rooms 25 The Marvin period architectural renderings on the first floor were characterized as having the touch of the master and further described as spontaneous decisive and accurate according to the conservators where the imagery in the cupola is absolutely measured out to ensure proper perspective again clear evidence that the individual or individuals had received more than informal training 26 Each room where the Marvin era art had been found possessed a different theme A ground floor parlor was found with a circular image of windmills with small ships 18 The circular staircase walls were adorned with ascending Corinthian columns the northwest parlor walls were illustrated with palm trees and a rattan motif upon the ceiling the northeast parlor fireplace is flanked with niches painted as false balconies overlooking alpine scenery 14 and another second story bedroom was ornamented with an image of an elevated castle that juts over a jagged peninsula Window and door framing were topped with cartouches One parlor was found to have an image of Samuel de Champlain discovering Lake Champlain 26 The three dimensional trompe l œil imagery within the top level cupola lantern simulates columns and capitals studded with green jewels that project the illusion of sunlight emanating through the windows 13 25 The Barnes era artwork was painted with seven spectrum colors where the Marvin artwork used eleven colors which emphasized the application of pink and blue and consisted of biomorphic and stripe motifs fleur de lis and tulip patterns often applied at chair height utilizing stencils complemented with freehand work One chamber ceiling biomorphic motif was highlighted with bronze powdered paint According to the Perry report The clarity and luminosity of colors employed and the mixtures of designs clearly indicates that this work was performed by an American artisan 26 Due to the lack of an adequate budget and the immediate need for the office space not all of the imagery was restored In 1986 a full restoration was considered out of the question with an estimated cost of about 500 000 However some of the rooms were restored with a window view to the artwork the southeast parlor was left uncovered and two decorated ceilings were removed to storage at the University s Fleming Museum of Art 14 No imagery was revealed within the ell i e the rear wing of the building Some of the imagery found on the second floor plastered ceilings had been peppered with gunfire and was therefore damaged beyond possible restoration However some shards were salvaged and stored with the intent that someday they could be used as evidence for recreating the ceilings The remainder of the revealed artwork was surveyed documented by taking photographs and tracings and then covered with a protective non vinyl wallpaper affixed with a water based adhesive for ease of removal during future restoration work 13 Architecture edit nbsp Main entrance of Grasse Mount viewed from Main Street in Burlington VT Grasse Mount has been recognized as the best example of a Georgian colonial house within the State of Vermont 27 28 29 and was included in the book Great Georgian Houses of America originally published by the Architects Emergency Committee in 1933 Here the mansion was represented in an illustration with a hipped roof in place of its belvedere structure 30 Considered to be a sophisticated example of federal domestic architecture 31 Grasse Mount is a two story brick mansion with a hipped roof cupola and balustrade which runs along the perimeter of the roof adorned with cornices between the second story window bays which are flanked by exterior louvered shutters The space between each of the flat arched second story windows and the cornices are adorned with alternating oval and oblong re entrant angle swag panels The north facing facade is five bays wide with the first story bays situated beneath semi circular blind arches A brick belt course divides the first and second floors where six Ionic pilasters originate between each bay and extend to the rooftop cornices and summit at small urns atop the balustrade The front door has a fanlight and colored glass sidelights which is covered by a single story Doric portico complemented by four fluted pillars and two pilasters The eastern side entrance is located at the center bay of the main house 2 The arrangement of the interior design such as the parlor fireplace which is placed between round arched recesses or the curved staircase are considered by architectural aficionados to resemble the contemporary design of the John Warren House in Middlebury Vermont and may have been influenced by literature such as The Country Builder s Assistant by Asher Benjamin or The Practical House Carpenter by William Pain both published in 1797 32 The only place that one can find the entire set of details and compositional themes present in Grasse Mount is in the work of Charles Bulfinch in Boston and Salem between about 1794 and 1804 Andres Glenn M and Johnson Curtis B Buildings of Vermont 2013 Grasse Mount exists on 4 09 acres of land The mansion is about 60 ft 18 m wide and 93 ft 28 m long The floor area of the mansion has a gross area of 35 467 ft2 and 24 817 ft2 of finished area The first floor totals 4 839 ft2 gross area finished area 33 Gallery edit nbsp East entrance of Grasse Mount viewed from Summit Street in Burlington VT nbsp Grasse Mount viewed from the northeast during the 1800s possibly taken during the Marvin period note the pre existing structure in place of the ell at the rear of the building The white fence was removed in 1923 after it was determined too expensive to repair 27 nbsp Historic northwestern view from the balustrade of Grasse Mount s orchards and the Burlington skyline circa 1866 1892 nbsp Historic southwestern view of Burlington from the balustrade circa 1866 1892 nbsp NRHP plaque affixed to the Grasse Mount buildingSee also editNational Register of Historic Places listings in Chittenden County VermontReferences edit National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 a b c City of Burlington Vermont Department of Planning amp Zoning Properties amp Districts listed on the National Register November 2011 http www burlingtonvt gov PZ National Register of Historic Places Jennings Anne 2000 411 Main Street Grasse Mount Burlington Vermont University of Vermont Historic Preservation Program Retrieved September 1 2016 a b c Evick Andrew 2011 University Green Area Heritage Study Grasse Mount 411 Main Street Historic Burlington Research Project HP 206 Burlington Vermont UVM Historic Preservation Program Retrieved September 1 2016 a b c d Burridge Pauline E December 3 1930 Glimpses of Grasse Mount Part II Vermont Alumni Weekly Vol X No 10 University of Vermont Libraries July 1981 Allen Family Papers Biographical Note Burlington Vermont University of Vermont Bailey Howe Library Special Collections Department Retrieved April 4 2016 Ethan Allen Hitchcock 1909 William Augustus Croffut ed Fifty Years in Camp and Field Diary of Major General Ethan Allen Hitchcock U S A Knickerbocker Press G P Putnam s Sons p 31 ira allen irish rebels 1795 Holland John Joseph 1810 Thaddeus Tuttle House Burlington Vermont Special Collections Department University of Vermont Libraries Burridge Pauline E November 26 1930 Glimpses of Grasse Mount Vermont Alumni Weekly Vol X No 9 pp 131 132 138 a b The History of University of Vermont Buildings 1800 1947 The Joseph L Hills Papers Burlington Vermont Special Collections Department University of Vermont Libraries 1949 p 67 Grass Mount The University Cynic Vol VII No V 1895 p 89 Barlow Phillip P Papazian Lyssa June 1 2005 Burlington Survey of Prospect Park North amp Middle Neighborhoods Survey Report PDF a b c d e f Sherman Joe December 1986 Painted on the Hill Lookout a b c d Broughton Laurel May 1987 Palm Trees in the Parlor Captain Marvin s Murals Vermont Burlington Vermont University of Vermont May Madeleine July 20 1957 Well Preserved Grassemount Was Host to Gen Lafayette Burlington Free Press a b c Burridge Pauline E December 10 1930 Glimpses of Grasse Mount Part III Vermont Alumni Weekly Vol X No 11 Grasse Mount from the northeast looking towards Lake Champlain late 1800s Image Burlington Vermont 1800s a b c Gittelsohn John August 14 1985 A Picture of the Past Rediscovered Burlington Free Press a b c Maurice Margaret March 31 1966 Historic Mansion Is Given New Lease on Life Burlington Free Press a b Burridge Pauline E January 14 1931 Glimpses of Grasse Mount Part IV Vermont Alumni Weekly Vol X No 12 a b Grasse Mount Burlington Vermont The University of Vermont Office of Continuing Education Williams Blair 1986 A Backward Look Ahead Home Economics at the University of Vermont Burlington Vermont College of Agriculture and Home Economics The University of Vermont Daniels Robert V ed September 1 1991 The University of Vermont The First Two Hundred Years Burlington Vermont University of Vermont Sproston Betty December 15 1971 Grasse Mount to be Restored Renovated Burlington Free Press a b Capsules Grasse Mount work reveals layers of art history Vermont 18 Spring 1986 a b c Schlegel Amy August 9 1985 Grasse Mount discovering its hidden treasures UVM Record A Publication of the University of Vermont Volume 4 Number 2 a b Mayforth Mabel W October 1936 Harold W Slocum ed Grasse Mount Modern Health Crusader of Vermont Volume XX Number I a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Dorothy and Richard Pratt 1956 A Guide to Early American Homes North New York New York McGraw Hill Book Company Inc p 81 LCCN 56 10867 Ray Bearse ed 1968 Vermont A Guide to the Green Mountain State Third Edition Boston Houghton Mifflin Company Inc p 204 LCCN 68 14344 Great Georgian Houses of America Volume I New York N Y Dover Publications Inc 1970 p 246 ISBN 0486 22491 0 LCCN 71 105663 Lilly Amy February 12 2014 Book Review Buildings of Vermont Glenn M Andres and Curtis B Johnson Seven Days Burlington Vermont Da Capo Publishing Inc Esperdy Gabrielle Kingsley Karen eds 2016 Overview of Grasse Mount Charlottesville Virginia Society of Architectural Historians SAH Archipedia Classic Buildings and the University of Virginia Press Retrieved October 21 2016 City of Burlington Vermont Assessor s Office Property Database Archived 2016 11 04 at the Wayback Machine Accessed November 2 2016External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grasse Mount University of Vermont Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Grasse Mount amp oldid 1203100427, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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