347 South Union Street

The National Register of Historic Places statement for the South Union Street Historic district says of this house, ”This handsome residence anchors the corner of South Union and Spruce Streets along with the almost identical house next door…” Both houses were built c. 1872 for families in Burlington’s wholesale grocery business, based, at the time, in the Old Stone Store on Battery Street.

Benjamin Seymour and his father John bought the corner lot and built the house. Originally it was French 2nd Empire style with a mansard roof like the house next door, with Italianate detailing. With  later alterations, it is now primarily Italianate, with a gabled slate roof. The hooded front entrance is especially impressive; the carved double doors with glass panels, approached by granite steps.

The 2/2 windows are topped with elaborate painted cast-iron lintels. There is a bay window on the south side of the building, and, at the rear, porches on both first and second floors. Second floor porches were used as sleeping porches in summer. The interior of the house features beautiful paneling, and a lovely staircase.

For some reason,  in 1874 the Seymours sold their beautiful house and moved to lower King Street. The new owner was Obadiah Walker. He had come from Ferrisburgh at age 15 to work in his uncle’s store. He had unusual business talent, and eventually wound up as a partner to Frederick Van Sicklen at the Old Stone Store. His brother William’s family happened to be living right next door. By 1878 the brothers had formed their own company, O.J. Walker and Brothers.  Obadiah also founded the Citizen’s Coal Company on Pine Street. He died in 1897; his son, his daughter, and her husband carried on the family business, and lived in the house.  

In 1908, the house was sold to Charles H. Darling and his wife Christmas. A native of Woodstock, he was a lawyer and former assistant Secretary of the Navy. He was collector of Customs for Vermont at the time he bought  the house. A story in the Free Press tells of the “extensive repairs” made on the house at the time of the purchase, so this may be when the roof was changed.

Paul Kelley, neighborhood developer, and his wife Margaret were the next owners, staying until the house they were building for themselves, #334 across the intersection, was finished. They sold in 1926 to Thomas W. Gurney, an undertaker, and his wife Bessie. He remodeled the house and carried on his business there. After he died in1932, his wife had the house made into two apartments.

Soon, however, in 1935, Dr. Herbert A. Durfee and his wife Margaret returned the home to single family status. The house was the Durfee home longer than for anyone else, Margaret remaining after the death of her husband, until she and her children sold it to Scott and Catherine Donnelly in 1991.

The Donnellys raised their family in the house, and now, full circle, the Durfee family is back, a new generation, Lea Durfee and Christy Post

Image credit: Redfin