495 Colchester Ave, Burlington, VT 005401 For Sale

Own a piece of Burlington’s History. 495 Colchester Avenue is located in an historic district and was built around 1840 using brick and post and beam construction for use as a Blacksmith and Wheelwright shop. It is currently thought to be the oldest industrial building in Burlington. At the turn of the 20th century, it was used as a grocery store and second hand store. In the years before World War I, the cellar housed a pool hall that was frequented by cavalry soldiers from nearby Fort Ethan Allen. In the aftermath of the historic flood of 1927, the road and bridge on Colchester Ave were raised, essentially encasing the ground floor in dirt and sand for nearly a 100 years.

The property is part of the riverfront neighborhood now designated as the Winooski Falls Mill Historic District. The Historic Burlington Project indicates that over the years the building has served as a grocery, a blacksmith, wheelwright shop, and a secondhand store.

The current owners conducted a 2 year (2016- 2018) historic restoration, which succeeded in recovering the entirety of the lost ground floor and lower level. This included raising the building 10 feet, allowing a complete restoration/ renovation of the foundation, timber frame and brick facades. This project resulted in an extra level of useable commercial space, with a new granite and concrete foundation and replacements made to the original rotted beams supporting the structure. The building features a historically accurate stone and brick façade, and is currently configured as four rental units upstairs and 2,000+/- square feet of commercial space at street level, leased by The Board Room Game Cafe.

Financials available upon request for qualified buyers. This is a unique opportunity to acquire an historically significant, income-producing property in Burlington that has survived the test of time, and is ready to continue in that fashion for the next 100 years.