56 King Street
56 King Street is part of the Battery Street Historic District, which was recognized as such by the National Park Service in 1977. From the 1790’s, the lower four blocks of King Street were part of the busy commercial activity of early Burlington. The street was named for Gideon King, who dominated Burlington’s lake commerce in the early days. King’s home was closer to the lake on the opposite side of the street.
56 King Street is built on property that belonged to Socrates Beach, a prominent local businessman with a thriving bakery business. The Beach Homestead was the brick Greek Revival style home that still stands at 46 King Street, on the southeast corner of King and South Champlain Streets. Beach had come to Burlington from Westford, VT about 1843, aged 18. He found a job at General Joseph Hatch’s bakery on Water St. (now Battery). In 1850, he married the boss’s daughter Abigail, and took over the business on the General’s retirement. Beach apparently built # 56 for his family after he moved up the hill to the house which is now 288 Maple Street.
The city directory’s year date seems to reflect the first half of that year; that is, if a house was occupied for the first time after June of 1896, the occupation would appear for the first time in the 1897 directory, and death dates for residents would appear if they had occurred before the end of June. In the 1896 directory, there is no listing for #56 King. Residents of #46 are Joseph T. Beach, Socrates’ son, Charles A. Beach, student, and Miss Catherine McRavey. The 1897 city directory has the first listing of #56 King Street. Residents are Joseph T. Beach, commercial traveler, and Charles A. Beach, student UVM. We chose 1896 as a date for the house.
The house is described in the inventory for the National Register of Historic Places for the Battery Street Site: “a 2½ story wood frame, covered with clapboards and with cut shingles in gable peak, gable roof sheathed in polychrome slate with an imbricated band. The house has a cruciform plan and has a porch entry with a gabled roof and a one-story bay window covered with shingles.” This was in 1977. The house retains its slate roof, but the original millwork has since been covered with vinyl siding.
Socrates did not deed the house and land to his family until the 26th of February, 1898, when he transferred the property to Charles A. apparently his grandson. (Charles T. Beach was living at 64 Buell Street.) By 1903, Charles A., Miss Emma L. Beach, and Mrs. J.T. Beach are at #56. Joseph is no longer listed with the rest of the family. At the end of 1904, Socrates’ obituary states that his son Joseph is living in Boston.
The 1906 directory shows the Beach family has moved to 60 Bayview. James R. Roberts, a railway postal clerk, was apparently a short-term rental at # 56; in April of that year Charles A. Beach sold the house to Carrie M. Papineau, whose husband Frank owned the Burlington Steam Laundry at 103 St. Paul Street. The Papineaus lived at #56 until they sold to William and Anna Vetters in September of 1912. William was a foreman at Burlington Lights and Power.
The next owners were Dennis D. and Katherine J. McGillicuddy, who bought in July of 1919. They owned a grocery store at 74 Maple Street, and lived over the store. The Vetters were still listed as residents in the city directory of 1920, and the house is listed as vacant in 1921 and 1922. However, the McGillicuddys finally moved to King Street. Their store address was given as #84 Maple, but many addresses changed in the 1920s with new construction in the city. The McGillicuddy’s son George lived with them for a time. He worked at the grocery store, then as a mail carrier and an electrician. He moved out about 1934, to Ludwig Court. He must have had a family with him at this time. Dennis and Katherine rented part of the house after this, first to Mrs. Elizabeth C. Mayo. 1935 found Katherine a widow, continuing to rent space. When she passed on in the early 1940’s. George and his family moved in briefly. Three other McGillicuddy’s are mentioned: Barbara H., a student, Donald G., a Navy man, and Katherine M., a UVM student.
In June of 1945 Mrs. Hazel McGrath, a widow, and Gerald T. McGrath took possession. Members of the family were owners until February of 1989. In 1966 Gerald owned the deed; in March 1968 it was Gerald and James E. (James was a sheet metal worker), and in May of the same year it was James E. and Barbara Towne.
In February of 1989 a group, Catherine V. Critchlow and Glen J., Normand, and Barbara Deforge became new owners. The city directories stop with the 1990 issue, which shows four renters in the house. In January of 1995 Barbara and Normand Deforge were named Co-trustees. In August of 1996 Glen and Catherine Critchlow sold to David Booth, who sold to the present owner, Victoria St. John.
This house is typical of the late nineteenth-century homes built for the working and middle classes, making a real contribution to its neighborhood.
Image credit: UVM
REFERENCES
Burlington Land Records
Burlington City Directories, 1896-1900
Selections from Nomination, Battery Street Historic Site
Vermont Historic Sites and Structures Survey, 1977
Detail, Hopkins 1890 map of Burlington VT
Finda Grave, Socrates Beach