Vergennes Historic Walking Tour 2024 - Manual / Resource - Page 11
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FRANKLIN STAGE HOUSE HOTEL
aka Ryan Block, 141-155 Main Street
This brick and wood building, with its distinctive roof that flattens at the
ridge, was built in 1848 as a hotel by Hiram Adams. It was called the Franklin
House and was one of two stops for stages on the mail route between
Montreal and Boston. It was considered the working man’s hotel, while
wealthier visitors would stay at Stevens House. In the 1880s, the structure was
renovated and the second floor was converted into apartments and the third
floor, a ballroom. The ground floor was converted for retail businesses, with
the first being the T. Neville Drugstore. The block has since become known as
the Ryan Block as it has been home to four generations of the Ryan family
business since 1887 when Robert Hudson opened a shop selling stoves and
tinware. In 1909, his nephews, John W. and David E. Ryan changed the name
and turned the focus to plumbing and heating (J.W. & D.E. Ryan). It still
operates from the same storefront, along with Sweet Charity, 3 Squares Café
and Your Turn Resale Shoppe. Once an open alley, the narrow building next to
this impressive brick block is now home to the Park Squeeze restaurant.
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FISHMAN’S STORE
175-179 Main Street
For 90 years, beginning in 1909, three generations of the
Fishman family operated a department store on this
corner, first named Red Front Store. Max Fishman
emigrated from Belarus and worked as a peddler before
coming to Vergennes and opening a store — first at 7
Green Street and then at this Main Street location. Family
members continued to run the store after his death in
1957. Grandson David Coen closed the store in 1997 after
struggling to compete with big box retailers. The city’s
tooo
municipal pool was renamed the Sam Fishman Pool after Max’s son. Samuel, a lawyer, judge and
legislator, wanted all children in the city to have the opportunity to learn to swim. The city
acknowledged his efforts toward this goal with the name change, which came after Sam’s death in
1975. The building is now mixed use, containing clothing stores, Linda’s Apparel and Men’s Corner, as
well as Vergennes Movement.
