The Old Mill, University of Vermont, Burlington - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

The University of Vermont was founded in 1791: the same year that Vermont became the 15th state in the Union. The postal card was issued in 1991 during the University’s bicentennial year and shows the main building on campus, colloquially known as “The Old Mill.”

The original building that stood on this site was completed in 1802 and was modeled after Princeton University’s Nassau Hall. It contained the entire school for over twenty years until it burned to the ground in 1824. Almost immediately plans were made to rebuild, but this time the campus would consist of three separate buildings: a North College, a South College and in between them, an appropriately named Middle College. There must have been significant fanfare surrounding this effort as one of the cornerstones was laid by none other than the Marquis de Lafayette during his American tour. The three buildings stood in a row and were rather plain but the Middle College building did sport a gold-domed cupola.

In 1846 the three buildings were joined together to form one long structure, believed to be the largest building in the state of Vermont at that time. Some folks thought the long brick building resembled a textile mill and started referring to it as such. Though it never housed any machinery, the name stuck and it’s been called the “Mill” or the “Old Mill” ever since.

The building’s current appearance is the result of substantial architectural renovation that occurred in 1882. The entire front of the building was redesigned in a Victorian Gothic style. A fourth floor was added and a tall steeple-like structure replaced the former gold dome. Not everyone was thrilled with the loss of the gold dome but the building still retained its nickname (in spite of the fact that it no longer resembled a textile mill).

Other renovations were to follow due to increasing enrollment, repurposing of the building and other required modernizations. The last renovation took place in the mid 1990s (a few years after the postal card was issued). This renovation modernized the interior but restored the exterior to its 1880s appearance. For example, replicas of the dormers (which are absent on the postal card) were added to the roof and can be seen in the photos.

Among the University of Vermont’s noted alumni is philosopher, educator and US stamp subject, John Dewey.

Stamp Issuing Country: United States Date of Issue: 29-Oct-1991 Denomination: 19 cents Color: multicolored Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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