Vergennes Historic Walking Tour 2024 - Manual / Resource - Page 22
31
BELLAMY’S DISTILLERY
55-57 Macdonough Drive
Originally constructed in 1820 as a distillery with a dock in
the rear from which to ship the liquor, this brick building
has an unusual level of architectural detail for its utilitarian
purpose. M.D. Hall, a steamboat operator, used the
building as a warehouse. In 1894, Capt. Louis Daniels
bought the building for his steamship business. Daniels
Boat Line offered daily steamship travel between Vergennes
and Westport, New York. Daniels’ wife, Philomene, was the
first woman in the U.S. to receive a steamship captain’s
license. The building is now a private residence.
32
MEYERS WAREHOUSE
59 Macdonough Drive
Built in 1825, this brick structure was a warehouse and a
store at a time when Vergennes was a hub for shipbuilding
and water commerce. It now serves as a private residence.
33
CHAMPLAIN ARSENAL
46 Forestry Lane
A federal storage facility for armaments and ammunition
plus officers’ quarters, barracks and other structures were
built in Vergennes in 1826 in response to the British attack
during the War of 1812. The U.S. military realized how
quickly the country could be invaded from the north and
wanted a strategic location at which to store arms for a
future defensive action. After the Civil War when invasion
no longer seemed imminent, the Arsenal closed and the
military sold the property to the state, which moved its
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reform
school there from Waterbury. The Vergennes Industrial School, later called the Weeks School,
operated there from 1874 to 1979. The federal government currently leases the campus to Northland
Job Corps Center, a tuition-free training and education program for young adults.
