The Foote Homestead

The Footes, a family whose ties to Addison County go back to the mid 1700s, were an important part of the town of Cornwall’s–and New England’s–early history. Footes were pastors, congressmen, senators, governors, and one even became Secretary of the Navy under Abraham Lincoln. The family’s homestead on what is now Rt. 125 is an impressive Italianate wonder that would stand out in the historic district of any city or town. Here though, on the desolate flats leading into Vergennes, its appearance is almost surreal, not unlike the remains of Reata, the home in the movie Giant.

The building looks and feels massive. In recent decades it has been uninhabited and had at one point turned to gray before a restoration of the house was undertaken a few years ago. The exterior is now finished and the house looks resplendent, if slightly over the top, in screamin’ yellow with white trim. The inside of the house is clean, sound, and GUTTED though, and as such it presents the prospective new owner with a bit of a dilemma. Do you do the “right” thing and restore the interior as accurately as possible? Or do you take the opportunity the stripped interior currently offers and pull an architecturally ironic move by perhaps going clean and unadorned and modern? With its large rooms, high ceilings and plenty of load-bearing walls, a clean, modern take on the house’s inner spaces would be a wonderful area in which to display a modern art collection. The stylistic dictates of the Italianate style would weigh heavily on interior decoration, though…

One last note: a carriage barn was originally part of the homestead but no longer exists in any recognizable form. Creating a form for a garage that feels integrated with the whole, especially in such a wide-open space, will be challenge someone hopefully takes up some time soon.

The Foote House is currently available for purchase.

View more photos of the Foote Homestead here.

Register Listing:
c.1875
Italianate style, hip roof, 2 ½ stories.
Features: bay window, slate, central tower, Italianate porch, distinctive dormer, distinctive door, cornice brackets.
Related early barn, ground stable barn, carriage barn.
Features: ventilators, cupola.

A Gem of Academia.

When it comes to interesting structures, what Addison’s Jersey Street South lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality. Tucked away in a depression bordering Hospital Creek is a former schoolhouse whose diminutive size is overpowered by both its non-original orange paint and some wonderful details.



Two elements dominate the dwelling’s exterior: the extensive use of Panton stone in the foundation AND walls, and the oversized windows on the north and east sides of the building. A below grade addition off the back feels right while a non original garage (not pictured) begs to be tied into the house in a more holistic manner. Overall, a very stylish surprise for a road dominated by family farms.

Register Listing:
c.1830
Stone, gable roof, 1 story
Features: bank of windows

Weatherbeaten in West Addison.

The West Addison Methodist Church is one of a small handful of churches and meeting houses in Addison. Due to its relatively exposed location in what is essentially a very flat town, the weather has taken its toll on the church. The slate roof (which is carried up through the steeple) evidences multiple replacement tiles. The windows have been replaced, and the exterior could use a fresh coat of paint. That said, its condition does nothing to take away from some very nice trim details and what is an overall very distinct look that stands apart from the typically conservative Congregational churches of the region.

The Register lists this building as being built in 1852 but the crest above its entry states a date of 1849. You can find it on the corner of Church Street and Jersey Street South, just off of Route 17W, a few miles from the bridge to New York.

Additional photos of the West Addison Methodist Church

Register Listing:
69 Church
c.1852/c.1881
Architect/builder: Clinton Smith
Greek Revival
Queen Anne style
Features: cornice brackets, round window, belfry, entry fanlight, slate, corner pilasters, wall pilasters, distinctive lintel board

An Introduction

In 2005 my then-girlfriend and I were fortunate enough to purchase an old house (pictured above) in Addison, Vermont. In short order we duly signed up for membership at the Bixby Memorial Library in nearby Vergennes. While going through local interest room there I came across a publication titled "The Historic Architecture of Addison County." Put out by the Vermont State Register of Historic Places, the book listed every house, barn, shed, building, chicken coop, outhouse, and otherwise old structure in our area.

The book gives readers a rough sketch of each location, listing known date of construction, architectural elements, outbuildings, and in some cases shows photos. It leaves you wanting much, much more. So, using it as a guide, I'm setting out to add as much as I can to the public record on each of these houses, given their historical, architectural, and cultural importance. If you have any added information, insight, or commentary be it on a specific location, the vernacular stylings of the region, or old houses in general, feel free to comment on the posts or send me an email.