Ethan Allen Park - Wilderness in the City
A century ago, most of this area was rural, but people were beginning to build houses here. William Van Patten owned many acres of land locally, and he wanted a park in this new neighborhood. He got on his old horse, Mattie, and let her find easy trails to the rocky hilltop, above. Van Patten built a gazebo on the pinnacle and opened the park to the public in 1905. Centuries before, native Abenaki villagers used the same hilltop to watch for approaching friends and enemies. Climb Ethan Allen Tower and see if you can find similar lookouts to the north and south.
Hot Spot
You may be here today for a woodsy stroll in the park's 67 acres, but decades ago you might have come here for a different sort of fun. Ethan Allen Park was a swinging hot spot of entertainment. City dwellers in the 1920s came for a day of picnics, concerts, dancing and bootleg liquor. A roller skating rink opened in the 1950s and teenagers used the park for romance-and unchaperoned-strolls.
Tale of a Tower
Ethan Allen Tower honors Vermont's Revolutionary War hero, but Allen never built anything like this Scottish-inspired lookout. Local citizens in 1905, proud of their growing city, created this whimsical monument to Burlington's most famous citizen on this land, which was once owned by him.
Streetcar Suburb
Horse-drawn
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Native Americans • Natural Features • Railroads & Streetcars.
Location. 44° 30.28′ N, 73° 14.379′ W. Marker is in Burlington, Vermont, in Chittenden County. It is in New North End. Marker can be reached from the intersection of North Avenue and Ethan Allen Parkway. Marker is at the intersection of North Avenue and Ethan Allen Parkway, on the right when traveling north on North Avenue. Marker is in the parking lot for the Park at the beginning of a walking trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Burlington VT 05401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Ethan Allen (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Black Snake Affair (approx. 0.6 miles away); Trees for the 21st Century (approx. 1.9 miles away); Arahmi (approx. 1.9 miles away); Chief Grey Lock (approx. 1.9 miles away); 2nd Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment (approx. 1.9 miles away); Mayor Francis Cain (approx. 1.9 miles away); Battery Park (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Burlington.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2015, by Bill Donovan of Maplewood, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 460 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 28, 2015, by Bill Donovan of Maplewood, New Jersey. 2, 3. submitted on September 12, 2016, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec. 4, 5. submitted on September 21, 2016, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.